Match of the Round
Singleton Strikers 0-1 Lake Macquarie City FC
Lake Macquarie City FC head coach Michael Body was ecstatic after his side secured a 1-0 victory over Singleton Strikers at Howe Park on Friday night.
The result was a landmark moment for the Roosters who recorded their first league clean sheet in first grade since 2022, proving they can complement their league-leading attack with defensive quality.
The contest remained a tactical stalemate for the majority of the night, with both sides heading into the sheds scoreless at half-time..
While the visitors created several opportunities in the first half they were forced to remain patient against a disciplined Singleton backline that has been among the hardest to break down this season.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 73rd minute following a period of patient build-up play.
Isaac Perez managed to break through their defensive line before finding Cade Thomson, who made a run in behind the defence.
Thomson composed himself to slot home a one-on-one finish, providing the Roosters with the lead at an important stage of the game.
Body praised his side’s maturity and their ability to avoid the transition errors that had plagued them in earlier rounds.
While Singleton pushed to find an equaliser in the closing stages, they were unable to break through a Lake Macquarie side that proved to be the better team on the night.
Body was particularly pleased with his side's discipline, noting that staying composed was the key to securing the result.
“The message at half-time was being patient. In earlier games, we’ve pushed men forward and got caught in transition,” Body said.
“Thankfully, the goal came and we held on."
Body also highlighted the significance of the clean sheet to his squad's confidence moving forward.
"We’re stoked to get a clean sheet," Body said.
"We’ve proved to teams we can score goals but to grind one out and not concede is a great feeling.
"You can't finish high up the table without having a good defence.
“Hopefully this sets a bit of a precedent for us."
Singleton Strikers head coach Jason Brewer was proud of his team's effort despite the narrow defeat, acknowledging that the Roosters’ persistent pressure eventually told on a big pitch.
The loss is a setback for the Strikers’ top four ambitions, particularly as they struggled to find the necessary creativity to test the Lake Macquarie goal.
"I think we defended well but they were pretty good and had us under a lot of pressure," Brewer said.
"They deserved the win.
“I was pretty proud of the boys with their effort but we just have to get better with our attacking side of things."
Brewer noted that while their defensive set-up remained a major strength, finding more goals in their game was the next step for his side.
"It’s about creating some attacking options in the final third," Brewer said.
"I’m pretty confident with our defensive side of things but it’s more about us working on what we need to work on going forward to get better as far as the attacking side goes."
Singleton Strikers will use next weekend's break to refine their attacking play before hosting Newcastle Croatia in round eight.
For Lake Macquarie the result keeps them firmly in the hunt for a top four spot as they head into round eight against an in-form New Lambton FC.
Wallsend FC 1-2 South Cardiff FC
South Cardiff FC head coach Keelan Hamilton praised the massive efforts of his squad as the Gunners secured an upset 2-1 victory over league leaders Wallsend FC at Ladbroke Gardens.
The result marked Wallsend’s first defeat of the season and provided a major confidence boost for South Cardiff, moving them three points clear of the relegation zone.
While the first half proved a tight affair with both sides trading periods of possession, it was Wallsend who looked more likely to break the deadlock, creating more frequent opportunities in the final third.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 71st minute when Wallsend’s Aiden Halpin rose to meet a whipped set-piece delivery.
While the Gunners' goalkeeper managed to get a hand to the headed effort he could not keep it out and the ball found the back of the net to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Despite falling behind the league leaders, South Cardiff found a new gear and would not go down without a fight.
Their efforts were rewarded in the 79th minute when a ball from Jackson Pereira made its way through to Josh Winiarczyk, who was brought down in the penalty area.
It was substitute Aswin Gurung who took the responsibility to step up to the spot.
While the Wallsend goalkeeper managed to get a hand to the strike, the power was enough to carry the ball into the back of the net, levelling the scores.
After finding the opener and leading the match, Wallsend suddenly found themselves trailing just 12 minutes later.
Wallsend’s attempts to mount a late recovery were made harder in the 90th minute when Tyran Cousins was shown a straight red card for a high challenge.
Despite pushing for an equaliser with 10 men, the hosts were unable to break through in stoppage time, leaving the Gunners to celebrate their second win of the campaign.
Hamilton was delighted to see his side turn their recent performances into a major result against the competition's pace-setters.
"I'm very proud of the lads," Hamilton said.
"We’ve been steadily improving without getting the rewards or a bit of luck but today we did a lot well again and took our chances when they came."
Hamilton emphasised that the victory was a result of the group’s collective work ethic during a difficult opening start to the season.
"We will just keep chipping away, sticking together and keep working on improving week to week," Hamilton said.
For Wallsend, they will be disappointed to let the match slip away after holding the lead with less than 20 minutes remaining.
Despite suffering their first loss of the season, Wallsend remain at the top of the table, though the result serves as a reminder that no fixture in this competition is easy.
Wallsend FC will try to leave this result behind them as they prepare for one of their biggest fixtures in recent history, facing NPL Men’s NNSW outfit Cooks Hill United in a midweek Hahn Australia Cup tie on Wednesday.
Following that cup tie, the Red Devils will have the weekend off to regroup before returning to league action against Cessnock City Hornets away from home.
For South Cardiff they will aim to replicate their performance this week when they travel to face an in-form Dudley Redhead United in round eight.
Newcastle Croatia FC 2-3 Dudley Redhead United
Dudley Redhead United kept their position in the top four with a highly competitive 3-2 victory over Newcastle Croatia at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.
Despite a late surge from the hosts, Dudley’s clinical first hour proved enough to secure all three points and keep them within the league's frontrunners.
Despite a strong opening from Croatia, Dudley took control of the game primarily through their effectiveness at set pieces.
The visitors opened the scoring in the 34th minute when a corner was deflected into the net for an own goal.
They doubled their lead just before the break in the 40th minute, as Blayke Reeves rose to flick a header into the back of the net from another corner.
The visitors kept the pressure on in the second half and left the hosts with a mountain to climb after extending the lead in the 53rd minute.
Charles Horsley played a well-weighted pass into Daniel Watson, who finished a one-on-one opportunity past the goalkeeper to make it 3-0.
Although Croatia’s defenders appealed for offside, the goal stood, leaving the hosts ahead by a comfortable three-goal margin.
While a three-goal lead appeared comfortable for the visitors, Croatia refused to roll over and began their comeback attempt in the 56th minute.
John Majurovski directed a well-placed header home to reduce the deficit to 3-1, despite Dudley's claims of a push in the back during the build up.
The match reached a nervous conclusion for the visitors when Croatia defender Michael Sessions leapt highest from a corner in the 72nd minute, heading it home to make it 3-2.
In the dying stages, Croatia committed numbers forward in search of an equaliser but a resolute Dudley defence held firm to see out the result.
The victory moves Dudley into second place as they prepare to host South Cardiff FC in the next round.
For Newcastle Croatia, the defeat leaves them four points adrift of the promotion play-off spots.
They will look to close that gap when they travel away to face Singleton Strikers in their next outing.
Toronto Awaba FC 0-3 New Lambton FC
New Lambton FC maintained their position in the top four with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Toronto Awaba FC at Lyall Peacock Oval.
The result extends the Eagles' unbeaten run since the opening round and marks their third consecutive clean sheet, underscoring their defensive solidity that has become a hallmark of their season.
The visitors established control early, finding the opening goal in the 14th minute through Angus McLeod.
New Lambton doubled their advantage before the break when Max Brideson found the net in the 35th minute, leaving the hosts with a significant deficit to overcome in the second half.
Toronto Awaba struggled to break down a compact New Lambton defence and saw their situation worsen in the 75th minute when Brideson secured his second goal of the night to make it 3-0.
While the Stags pushed the New Lambton defence in the second half, they were unable to find a spark to get back into the contest.
The loss leaves Toronto Awaba at the foot of the table and in the relegation zone, having conceded 16 goals across their first six fixtures.
They will look to end their four-game losing streak when they host West Wallsend SFC next round in a vital fixture between two sides at the bottom end of the table.
For New Lambton, the win provides significant momentum ahead of a crucial away fixture against Lake Macquarie City FC.
West Wallsend SFC 1-0 Cessnock City Hornets FC
West Wallsend SFC continued their impressive upturn in form with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Cessnock City Hornets FC at Johnston Park.
The result will be a boost for the Bluebells, who have now secured seven points from their last three matches, including two results against top-four opposition.
In a tight, tense encounter, both sides struggled to find the decisive goal for most of the match.
But the hosts found the breakthrough at the perfect time in the 90th minute when Joshua Williams found the back of the net to secure the three points.
The victory also marks West Wallsend's second consecutive clean sheet.
After struggling with a leaky defence in the opening month of the competition, the Bluebells' backline has started to stabilise, providing a strong platform for their recent climb up the ladder.
For Cessnock, they will be disappointed to suffer their second consecutive defeat, particularly after appearing to have the defensive measure of the hosts for most of the afternoon.
While the Hornets still have the league's strongest defensive record, they have struggled to find their usual flair in front of goal in recent weeks.
Cessnock remains in the top four despite the setback and will focus on rediscovering its form in front of goal to maintain its promotion charge.
The fixture run does not get any easier though as they prepare to face league leaders Wallsend FC in their next outing, with both sides eager to bounce back from recent losses.
For West Wallsend, they will look to further distance themselves from the relegation zone and tighten their gap to the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off spots when they face last-placed Toronto Awaba FC in round eight.