Match of the Round
Newcastle Croatia FC v West Wallsend SFC
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility 3, Saturday 2pm
Newcastle Croatia FC head coach Joshua Popescu says his side further understands the standard of HIT106.9 Northern League One as they host West Wallsend SFC in this Saturday's Match of the Round at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.
The hosts are looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking 4-3 defeat to New Lambton FC, a game where they led 3-2 before conceding two late goals in stoppage time.
Popescu acknowledged that the transition into the new league has been a learning curve for his squad.
Despite recent results, he feels the group is beginning to understand the discipline required at this level.
"It’s really good and competitive, but no team is easy, and I think that’s going to be the biggest challenge for us," Popescu said.
"We’re still adjusting to the pace of the game.
“We didn't manage the game well enough against New Lambton, but it’s [the competition] a good challenge, and we’re up for it."
One positive that did come out of their last encounter was the form of Jake McGuinness, who secured a hat-trick.
Popescu praised the goalscorer and emphasised that game management has been the primary focus on the training pitch this week to complement their attacking output.
"Jake [McGuinness] is a natural goalscorer and getting those goals is great for his confidence," Popescu said.
"The main thing for us now is just getting control of the game and playing our style of football.
“If we do that, we should get away with the chocolates at the end of the day."
West Wallsend SFC travels to Speers Point after their first competitive win of the season, where they secured a massive 9-0 victory over Cessnock City Hornets in the Hahn Australia Cup on Tuesday night.
West Wallsend head coach Bailey Cox felt the result was a long time coming after a disjointed start to the year, plagued by unavailability and inconsistent performances.
"We didn't get off to a great start, and everyone knows that," Cox said.
"Last Tuesday [against Cessnock], we made up for the last couple of weeks.
“We defended well, and we took our chances, which is something we hadn't been doing."
Cox explained that the squad has been grinding on the training pitch to improve their defensive work rate and establish more stability across the backline.
Rather than over-analysing the opposition, the Bluebells' coach is prioritising his side's own performances and identifying areas for improvement.
"I’m not really preparing too much for any team. I’m just worried about us," Cox said.
"If we get it to click, it’ll click.
“At training we’re more focused on us, and hopefully we can put a good performance together on the weekend."
With points at a premium, both squads will view this as an intense fixture and a vital opportunity to move away from the bottom end of the HIT106.9 Northern League One standings.
New Lambton FC v South Cardiff FC
Alder Park, Friday 8pm
New Lambton FC head coach John Bennis will hope to make it a third consecutive victory in all competitions on Friday night when they host South Cardiff FC at Alder Park.
The Eagles showed character in their last league outing, coming from two goals down to defeat Newcastle Croatia FC 4-3 and scoring two late goals in stoppage time to pick up the three points.
The win also served as a turning point for the club, as Bennis noted it was their first instance of back-to-back victories in nearly two years.
“We played a Cup [Hahn Australia Cup] game during the previous week, making it [the fixture against Newcastle Croatia] two wins in a row,” Bennis said.
“The club hasn't had that since around June 2024.”
Reflecting on the season’s objectives, Bennis emphasised the need to move on from the disappointment of recent years and last season's relegation from the NPL Men’s NNSW.
"We have to change what's happened for the last couple of years here," Bennis said.
"We just want to swing the momentum of that and try to rebuild the group."
While Bennis is focused on building belief within his squad, he expects the league to remain as competitive as it has been in previous seasons.
"Looking at the results last year, it was a really even competition," Bennis said.
“I could probably see that happening this year, too.
"Anytime you can get three points, it is going to help you try and get to the top end of that."
Bennis expects the league's tough environment to be no different against South Cardiff this Friday.
"I expect them to be very well organised," Bennis said.
"As this competition shows you, it will be very competitive every game, so I expect nothing less."
South Cardiff travels to Alder Park looking not only to disrupt the hosts' momentum but also to build on their first win of the season last round against Toronto Awaba FC.
The Gunners secured a 1-0 win in that fixture, putting in a consistent performance while conceding minimal chances against a strong Toronto side.
Their ability to control large parts of the game suggests they are finding their feet in the competition after a few positive performances went unrewarded.
A second consecutive win would move the Gunners away from the bottom end of the table and signal to the rest of the league that they aren’t a side to be underestimated.
For the Eagles, a win on Friday would see them climb to a promotion/relegation play-off spot and prove they are genuine contenders this season.
Cessnock City Hornets v Toronto Awaba FC
Turner Park, Saturday 4.30pm
Cessnock City Hornets hosts Toronto Awaba FC at Turner Park on Saturday as they aim to maintain their unbeaten league start to the season.
The Hornets have been among the league’s most consistent performers, built on a habit of scoring early and defending leads.
They currently hold the best defensive record in the league, having conceded only one goal through the opening three rounds.
Zac Kronholm remains the focal point of their attack; his one-on-one finish last weekend took his tally to five goals in three matches.
Despite their league consistency, the Hornets suffered a major midweek upset, uncharacteristic of their start to the season.
They were handed a 9-0 thrashing by bottom-placed West Wallsend SFC in the Hahn Australia Cup on Tuesday night.
Whilst the side was understrength, they will need to move past that result immediately to maintain their unbeaten league run.
Toronto Awaba travels to Cessnock looking to improve on a 1-0 loss to South Cardiff FC.
The Stags struggled to create clear-cut chances last round and will need more creativity to break down the Hornets' defence.
Despite their recent league result, Toronto will take confidence from a 4-2 victory over Singleton Strikers in the Hahn Australia Cup last Wednesday night.
The win, no doubt, has provided the needed belief in their creative output as they prepare for another tough away test.
A result for the Stags would help build needed confidence and keep them in touch with the top half of the table.
For Cessnock, a win would send a clear message to the rest of the league that they are serious promotion contenders this season.
Singleton Strikers v Wallsend FC
Howe Park, Saturday 7.30pm
Singleton Strikers host league leaders Wallsend FC at Howe Park this Saturday in their first home fixture of the season.
Wallsend will travel to Singleton full of confidence, having moved into first place last round following a 3-1 victory over Dudley Redhead United.
The Red Devils have shown they’re the league's most complete and consistent side thus far.
They currently hold the best goal difference in the league, ranking second for both goals scored and fewest goals against.
They can attribute this attacking success to their ability to play the ball quickly to their forwards and be clinical in front of goal.
This has been supported by the strong early-season form of Bailey Ryan, who has scored four goals in the opening three league rounds.
The Strikers will enter the fixture looking to rebound from a 4-2 midweek loss to Toronto in the Hahn Australia Cup.
Despite that result, Singleton will be keen to start their home campaign with a victory and build on their 2-1 league win against West Wallsend SFC last round.
Lachlan Nicol will also return to the squad after serving his suspension during the midweek cup fixture.
Securing a second consecutive league win would put them towards the promotion play-off spots and provide added belief for new head coach Jason Brewer’s side.
If the Strikers are to get a result, they will need to find a way to break down a Wallsend backline that has shown plenty of assurance so far this season.
A win for Wallsend would further consolidate their pole position on the table as the season begins to take shape.
Lake Macquarie City FC v Dudley Redhead United
Macquarie Field, Sunday 3pm
The round concludes on Sunday afternoon as Lake Macquarie City FC hosts Dudley Redhead United at Macquarie Field, with both sides eying out the top four positions.
Lake Macquarie played out a tight 1-1 draw against Cessnock City Hornets last week, with Marcus Field finding the equaliser early in the second half.
The Roosters have experienced a mixed run of results thus far and will be looking to rediscover the goalscoring form they displayed in round one, when they put nine against West Wallsend SFC.
They now face a Dudley Redhead United who showed plenty of fight last round against Wallsend FC but ultimately fell short in a 3-1 defeat at the Ladbroke Gardens.
Despite the defeat, they currently sit in third place after a strong opening two rounds of the season.
Dudley has also gained momentum from their Hahn Australia Cup run, defeating Warners Bay FC 2-0 on Wednesday night to progress to round five of the competition.
This fixture at Macquarie Field has the potential to be a high-scoring affair, as it features the two highest-scoring outfits in the league thus far.
A victory for either side would prove important in keeping them within touching distance of the top of the table.