Match of the Round
Cessnock City Hornets 2-3 New Lambton FC
Cessnock City Hornets head coach Josh Maguire was left disappointed after his side twice let a lead slip on a wet afternoon at Turner Park, eventually falling 3-2 to a resilient New Lambton FC.
The result marks consecutive 3-2 defeats for the Hornets, who put in a strong shift against one of the competition's top teams but ultimately paid the price for lapses in concentration.
The hosts made a great start to the match when Mitchell Brown broke the deadlock in the 21st minute to hand Cessnock an early 1-0 advantage.
It was a great moment for Brown in his first starting appearance of the season, putting together an impressive 60-minute performance before eventually coming off due to an injury.
The Hornets managed to protect that narrow lead into half-time, keeping a combative New Lambton side at bay.
The match exploded into life after the break as New Lambton responded almost immediately, equalising in the 50th minute.
A nice piece of combination play down the left flank saw Max Brideson make a forward run before cutting the ball back for Jeongbin Kim, who finished it first-time.
Cessnock pushed back ahead just one minute later when Samuel Buyers found the back of the net to make it 2-1.
But the lead was short-lived as the visitors equalised again in the 53rd minute through Dylan Christofferson, who took it with his left foot from the top of the box.
New Lambton capitalised on their momentum and pushed hard for a winner, with Kim finding the net again in the 61st minute to complete the comeback and seal the 3-2 victory.
Despite throwing bodies forward and knocking on the door during the final 15 minutes, Cessnock could not find a way through the Eagles' defence.
Reflecting on the 90 minutes, Maguire felt it was a fairly even contest but lamented his side's inability to manage the game immediately after scoring.
"I can't argue with how they were desire-wise," Maguire said.
“I don't think we shut shop how we should have.
“The time a team is most vulnerable is the five minutes after you score, and we just did that twice.
“It's a concentration thing where we needed to take the sting out of the game, but they replied fairly quickly."
Maguire acknowledged that while a heavily depleted squad due to a mounting injury toll has made things difficult, he expects the players coming into the side to rise to the occasion.
"There's been a heap of injuries, but again, no one cares about that, and I'm sure other teams are going through it as well," Maguire said.
"It's disappointing, and everyone's gutted in the dressing room, but it's not a four-nil loss.
“We're not far off, so it’s just about keeping turning up.
“The guys who haven’t been given opportunities are being given a chance to play now, and they're the ones that have to step up."
The defeat extends a difficult rough patch for Cessnock, who have now secured just one point from their last five outings.
After maintaining a highly disciplined defensive record early in the campaign, conceding six goals across their last two fixtures will be a point of concern for the Hornets.
New Lambton head coach John Bennis was delighted with the character and grit his squad displayed to claim three points away from home on a heavy and wet pitch.
The victory maintains the Golden Eagles current momentum, moving them level on points with league leaders Wallsend FC.
New Lambton head coach John Bennis praised his side's adaptability under difficult conditions.
"It was a brave performance and showed a lot of character within the group," Bennis said.
"The conditions made it difficult to play the brand of football we like, so we had to be combative.
“We looked to be a bit more positive in the second half, started on the front foot, and scored a couple of nice goals.
“We had to defend really well for the last 10 minutes with them throwing bodies forward, so it showed great resilience."
Bennis also highlighted the impact of his bench and a few returning faces in the squad.
"JB [Kim] came on and definitely affected the game beyond just the goals," Bennis said.
"I also thought Joey [Seo] came back after being out injured for a little bit and put a tremendous shift in, while Jackson [McClymont] did a fantastic job on a big, tough ground."
New Lambton will now focus on preparing for one of their biggest assignments of the season.
They will travel away next weekend to face Wallsend FC, where a win will see them climb above their opponents and potentially into first place.
As for Cessnock, they will look to snap their recent form and return to winning ways next round when they travel to face Singleton Strikers.
Dudley Redhead United 1-1 Singleton Strikers
Dudley Redhead United and Singleton Strikers shared the points following a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Lydon Oval on Sunday afternoon.
The result provides a valuable point for Singleton away from home, ending a three-match losing streak and moving them four points ahead of the relegation spot.
For Dudley, the outcome brings disappointment after failing to protect a half-time lead on home soil.
Dudley started the match on the front foot, opening the scoring in the eighth minute after capitalising on a corner which has been a routine source of goals for the home side this season.
The ball fell to Zaell Ford following an initial header, and the attacker poached the chance to hand the hosts an early 1-0 advantage.
After trailing 1-0 at the break, Singleton responded strongly by raising their performance in the second half.
The visitors earned their reward in the 56th minute when Jackson Skinner rose from a well-placed cross and headed his chance home to level the scoreline.
Both sides created opportunities to find a winner, but strong defending at both ends ensured the points were shared.
The draw keeps Dudley in fourth place, though the teams directly below them on the table now hold a game in hand due to the weekend washouts.
The away point gives Singleton a buffer from the bottom of the table, though both South Cardiff FC and Toronto Awaba FC also have games in hand now.
The Strikers will look to build on this performance next round when they host Cessnock City Hornets, where a victory would see them overtake their opponents on the table.
As for Dudley, they will return to Lydon Oval next weekend to host Toronto Awaba FC, aiming to recapture their early-season form after collecting one point from their last two outings.
Lake Macquarie City FC v Toronto Awaba FC
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
South Cardiff FC v West Wallsend SFC
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
Wallsend FC v Newcastle Croatia
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.