Match of the Round
Lake Macquarie City FC 0-3 Wallsend FC
Wallsend FC coach Chris Gallagher was full of praise for his side's defensive maturity following a statement 3-0 victory over Lake Macquarie City FC at Macquarie Field on Friday night.
After a tense and scoreless first half, the deadlock was broken in the 68th minute when Cody Halpin found the back of the net to give the visitors the lead.
The Red Devils doubled their advantage just two minutes later through Bailey Ryan, who was released by a fantastic long kick from goalkeeper Kye Abrahams.
Ryan ran onto the ball, dribbled calmly past the keeper and slotted it home, putting the Roosters under pressure.
As Lake Macquarie pushed numbers forward in a search for a way back into the contest, they were left exposed once more in the final minutes of stoppage time.
Blake Carter capitalised to score the third goal and secured the result, to cap off a memorable second-half performance from the visitors.
"This has been the best start the club has had in probably ten years, and the depth we’ve brought in has helped that," Gallagher said.
Gallagher explained that while the goals were vital, it was ultimately the defensive performance that laid the foundation of the win.
"We encouraged them to step on and commit numbers forward, and when they do, that's when we wait for the moment, and release our players forward," Gallagher said.
"The plan was pretty simple: don’t concede and take your chances; you take your chances, and you walk away with three points.”
Lake Macquarie City coach Michael Body acknowledged that the result was a wake-up call for his side after the highs of their opening-round 9-2 victory against West Wallsend SFC.
The Roosters struggled to break down a well-structured Wallsend defence and were caught out in transition during the second half.
"I think we played okay, but credit to Wallsend as they came in with a game plan defensively, were very well structured, and we couldn't break them down," Body said.
"We’re probably back to planet Earth now after the highs of last week and the lows of this week."
Despite the result, Body noted the atmosphere at the newly renovated Macquarie Field, which saw a strong turnout from both sets of supporters.
"It was great to be back at our ground,” Body said.
"It was a really good turnout from our supporters, and Wallsend also turned up in really good numbers as well.
"It’s an unpredictable competition where anyone can beat anyone, so we just have to get back to the training park and get the basics right.”
The Roosters will now turn their attention to a midweek Hahn Australia Cup match against Kotara South FC before facing Cessnock City Hornets on Saturday.
Wallsend will look to maintain their perfect start to the season and make it three from three on Sunday when they host Dudley Redhead United.
Toronto Awaba FC 2-1 Newcastle Croatia FC
Toronto Awaba FC coach Jarrad Hiles praised the character of his squad as the Stags secured their first points in a tightly contested 2-1 win against Newcastle Croatia FC at Lyall Peacock Oval.
The hosts had an early opportunity in the first half to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty, but Nicholas Roberts was unable to convert the spot-kick.
But Roberts found his redemption in the 41st minute, bouncing back from the miss to slot home the opening goal and give Toronto a 1-0 lead heading into the break.
Newcastle Croatia responded ten minutes into the second half, with defender Michael Sessions scoring for the second straight week to draw the visitors level.
The momentum shifted further against the Stags in the 60th minute when Kade Howland was shown a second yellow card, leaving Toronto to navigate the final half-hour with ten men.
Despite the disadvantage, Toronto refused to back down and found a late winner in the 79th minute through Aiden Webster, holding on through a tense period of stoppage time to claim all three points.
"I was looking for a reaction from my players after last week, and they certainly delivered, so it was great to see," Hiles said.
"It turned out to be a pretty even game against a quality side, and I'm happy to get out with the three points as it could have gone either way."
Hiles noted that the red card ironically seemed to settle his side, with the team working hard to create chances while playing with ten men.
"We actually played some better football once we had the send-off than when we had 11 on the field," Hiles said.
"Everyone just did their job and worked so hard.
“Noah [Abrahams] was particularly amazing in goals and was definitely a standout for us."
The Stags' head coach emphasised that the performance has now set a new standard as they look to build on this momentum in the coming weeks.
"We said we would improve on last week, which we did, and now we just have to raise that effort level again and keep moving forward," Hiles said.
Toronto Awaba will now prepare for their first away game of the season when they travel to Ulinga Oval to face South Cardiff FC on Saturday night.
Following their first loss in the HIT106.9 Northern League One, Newcastle Croatia will look to return to winning ways as they welcome New Lambton FC to Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.
South Cardiff FC 0-3 Cessnock City Hornets FC
Cessnock City Hornets maintained their perfect start to the season with a 3-0 victory over South Cardiff FC at Ulinga Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The match took a decisive turn in the 32nd minute when South Cardiff goalkeeper Mitchell Metcalfe was shown a straight red card for a challenge in the box.
The dismissal resulted in a penalty for the visitors and forced the Gunners to play the remainder of the contest with 10 men.
Outfielder Reece Holz was substituted to allow goalkeeper Isaac Parkinson to enter the pitch, with South Cardiff coach Keelan Hamilton forced to rethink the Gunners' game plan.
Zachary Kronholm converted the penalty to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The early red card and goal was s a major confidence blow for South Cardiff, leaving the Gunners with a mountain to climb for the remainder of the match.
The Hornets were able to apply further pressure with the extra man and doubled their advantage early in the second half through Samuel Buyers.
Kronholm put the result beyond doubt in the final minutes of added time, scoring his second of the match and his fourth in two games.
The result sees Cessnock at the top of the table after two rounds, having yet to concede a goal.
Cessnock will look to make it three from three as they return home to host Lake Macquarie City FC at Turner Park on Saturday.
The Gunners will look to regroup and find their first points of the season when they host Toronto Awaba FC on Saturday night.
New Lambton FC 1-1 Singleton Strikers
New Lambton FC and Singleton Strikers shared the points at Alder Park on Saturday evening, with both sides still searching for their first win of the new season.
Following a scoreless first half, the Strikers found the breakthrough in the 62nd minute through Jackson Cox.
The goal was the Strikers' first of the season, and they defended well for much of the second half in an effort to keep a clean sheet.
The visitors looked on track for all three points and their first win of the campaign as the match entered the dying embers of the contest.
But the Eagles applied the pressure in the closing stages as they pushed for an equaliser.
Their persistence was eventually rewarded in the 82nd minute when Thomas O'Connor found the back of the net to level the scores.
New Lambton continued to push for a winner in the final minutes, but the Strikers held firm as both sides settled for a point.
The result earns the Strikers a valuable first point of the season as they look to find their footing in the ladder.
Meanwhile, New Lambton’s return to the league hasn’t been easy, with the side searching for their first win of the season.
New Lambton will now prepare for a difficult away fixture on Saturday as they travel to face Newcastle Croatia FC.
Singleton Strikers will play West Wallsend SFC at Johnston Park on Friday night, as they look to build on their first point of the season.
Dudley Redhead United SFC 5-1 West Wallsend SFC
Dudley Redhead United made it two wins from two to start the season with a 5-1 thrashing over West Wallsend SFC at Lydon Oval on Sunday.
Despite the final scoreline, the match remained a tight contest for the first hour after Jed Grant had given the hosts an early lead in the seventh minute.
The game eventually got out of hand for the visitors in the final half hour as Dudley attack found its rhythm.
Blayke Reeves netted a quick-fire double to stretch the lead before Luke Wilson and a second from Grant put the result beyond any doubt.
Jonah Reed managed a consolation goal for the Bluebells in the final moments, but it did little to mask a difficult afternoon for the visitors.
The result leaves West Wallsend with an uphill battle to start the campaign, having conceded 14 goals across their opening two fixtures.
West Wallsend will return home to host the Singleton Strikers FC at Johnston Park on Friday night, where they will be desperate for a much-improved defensive showing.
Dudley Redhead United will aim to make it three wins from three when they travel to face Wallsend FC at Ladbrokes Gardens.