Match of the Round
Newcastle Croatia FC 2-1 South Cardiff FC
Newcastle Croatia coach Joshua Popescu said he was pleased his side marked their arrival in the HIT106.9 Northern League One with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over South Cardiff at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday.
The newcomers wasted no time making their mark, finding the opening goal in the 13th minute.
After receiving a through ball from Nicholas Cowburn, Beau McDonald drove towards the box, beating two defenders before cutting inside and drilling a left-footed effort into the bottom corner.
Croatia doubled their advantage early in the second half when central defender Michael Sessions rose highest in the 47th minute.
Jake McGuiness whipped a dangerous ball into the area from a set piece, finding Sessions, who positioned his header past the keeper to make it 2-0.
Despite the two-goal deficit, South Cardiff fought their way back into the contest in the 80th minute.
Callum Cousins received a pass from Jemila Oko at the edge of the 18-yard box, worked the ball onto his right foot and found the top corner to set up a grandstand finish.
As the tension peaked following the goal, the match took a fiery turn in the 83rd minute.
A scuffle broke out following a challenge, resulting in both sides being reduced to ten men as Croatia's Beau McDonald and South Cardiff's Riley Holohan were shown straight red cards.
The Gunners threw everything forward in the final minutes but could not find a way through the Croatia defence before the final whistle.
“We spoke about it before the game, that the first 15 minutes we wanted to press them up top,” Popescu said.
“We just wanted to keep that intensity going right from the kick-off.
“It was something we worked on in training a fair bit, getting Sessions up from centre back as he's a big, tall unit.
“Round one is always going to be tough in a new competition, so we’re really glad to get the three points.
“Credit to Southy; I thought they’d done really well and the way they structured themselves was good.”
Despite the loss South Cardiff coach Keelan Hamilton was impressed by his side’s performance.
“Cousins positioned himself really well and hit a really good strike. It was really pleasing for him to come off the bench and show what he can do,” Hamilton said.
“I was very pleased with the performance. The players really committed themselves and stuck to the processes we’ve been working on through preseason.”
Hamilton felt his side was somewhat unfortunate not to take a point from the encounter.
“We’re disappointed that we didn't get anything out of it, but there were really encouraging signs against an opponent that has a huge amount of quality,” Hamilton said.
“We showed that when we stick to our process, we are a match for any side in this competition.”
South Cardiff will be out to secure their first points of the season when they return home on Saturday to host Cessnock City Hornets.
Newcastle Croatia will look to maintain their perfect start when they travel to face Toronto Awaba FC on Friday night.
West Wallsend SFC 2-9 Lake Macquarie City FC
Lake Macquarie City coach Michael Body said his side had a perfect night of football after they dismantled West Wallsend SFC 9-2 at Johnston Park on Friday night.
The Roosters' victory was built on a historic individual performance from Carter Smith, who found the net six times in a clinical display.
The onslaught began in unbelievable fashion from the opening whistle.
Smith caught the Bluebells goalkeeper off guard by shooting straight from the kick-off. The ball sailed from the halfway line into the net within the first three seconds, arguably one of the fastest goals in the history of Newcastle football.
Smith proceeded to terrorise the defence, completing a hat-trick inside 23 minutes before adding his fourth in the 28th minute to give the Roosters a 4-0 lead at the half-hour mark.
Lake Macquarie showed no signs of slowing down after the interval, as Callum Stalling struck the net in the 48th minute, followed quickly by a Matt Field goal just two minutes later.
Smith then capped off his record-breaking night with a well-taken penalty in the 51st minute, leaving him at the top of the Golden Boot race after just one round.
The Bluebells managed to pull goals back through Bailey Jenson and a late own goal, but the damage had long been done by the rampant Roosters.
The victory was a clear sign of the aggressive intent Body had discussed with his squad following their preseason encounters.
“Honestly, it's just one of those nights where everything we did turned to gold,” Body said.
“Every shot we had went in. It was one of those nights where it all goes right.”
“He [Carter Smith] had around six or seven shots and they all went in, but what a player.
“He is an NPL level player playing in Northern League One and he's a massive asset for us.
“There was a discussion pre-game about our fitness levels and instead of just holding a lead, we kept going with it.
“It's a great win, but we need to not get carried away.
“We are still taking it one game at a time.”
West Wallsend was left shell-shocked by the result, as their highly anticipated season opener turned into a defensive nightmare in front of their home fans.
Coach Bailey Cox will be searching for answers after his side, which contained one of the league's best attacks last season, conceded more goals in 90 minutes than they did in any four-game stretch in 2025.
The Bluebells must now regroup quickly to ensure this early-season blowout doesn't derail their promotion ambitions. They will travel to Lydon Oval to face Dudley Redhead United on Sunday.
Lake Macquarie City will look to carry their goal-scoring momentum into Friday night’s fixture with Wallsend FC.
Toronto Awaba FC 1-2 Dudley Redhead United
Dudley Redhead United secured a massive opening-round win on the road, defeating last year’s second-place finishers, Toronto Awaba FC, 2-1 at Lyall Peacock Oval on Saturday.
The visitors were the first to find the scoresheet, with Blayke Reeves opening the scoring in the 11th minute to give Dudley a 1-0 lead into the half-time break.
Toronto Awaba drew level shortly after the restart when Nick Roberts found the back of the net in the 48th minute.
The contest remained deadlocked for most of the second half as both sides searched for a way to break through the opposing defence.
The deciding moment arrived in the 75th minute when Daniel Watson found the back of the net to restore Dudley's lead.
Despite the Stags pushing forward late in search of a second equaliser, the visitors held firm to secure all three points on the road.
Dudley Redhead United will aim to make it two from two when they return home on Sunday to face a West Wallsend SFC side that will be depleted of confidence.
Toronto Awaba will look to bounce back from the home defeat when they host Newcastle Croatia on Friday night.
New Lambton FC 1-2 Wallsend FC
Wallsend FC claimed a statement 2-1 victory over last season’s NPL relegated outfit, New Lambton, at Alder Park on Saturday night, proving they are ready to compete at the top end of the table.
The visitors enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, with Bailey Ryan finding the back of the net in the 10th minute to hand the Red Devils the early advantage.
Staring at a deficit at home, the Golden Eagles turned to their bench for answers just before the hour mark.
The move paid immediate dividends as Kaman Bol, introduced in the 59th minute, found the equaliser just four minutes later to level the scores at 1-1.
But Wallsend found an impact of their own from the sideline.
After being subbed on in the 56th minute, Cameron Davies struck the decisive blow in the 80th minute to restore the lead for the visitors.
Despite New Lambton making further changes late in the piece and pushing to salvage a point, the Red Devils' defence held strong through a tense final ten minutes to secure the three points.
New Lambton will look to get its season back on track when they welcome Singleton Strikers to Alder Park on Saturday.
Wallsend will head to Macquarie Field to take on an inform Lake Macquarie City FC side on Friday with plenty of momentum.
Cessnock City Hornets 2-0 Singleton Strikers
Cessnock City Hornets secured the bragging rights in the opening-round derby, defeating Singleton Strikers 2-0 at Turner Park on Sunday evening.
The Hornets wasted no time asserting themselves on home turf, with Zach Kronholm opening the scoring just four minutes into the contest to give the hosts a perfect start.
Cessnock continued to apply pressure throughout the first half and were rewarded in the 31st minute when they were awarded a penalty.
Kronholm stepped up to the mark and calmly converted, doubling both his personal tally and his side's lead before the break.
The second half took on a much more physical tone as the Strikers searched for a way back into the game.
Cessnock showed plenty of composure in the closing stages, successfully absorbing the Strikers' late chances to keep their clean sheet intact and ensure all three points stayed at Turner Park.
Cessnock City Hornets will look to build on this result when they travel to Ulinga Oval to face South Cardiff FC on Saturday.
Singleton Strikers will be eager to bounce back under new coach Jason Brewer when they travel to Alder Park to face New Lambton FC on Saturday.