Men’s State Cup Final
Broadmeadow Magic FC v Edgeworth FC
Rockwell Automation Park (Weston), Saturday 5:30pm
The Northern NSW Football Men’s State Cup Final will make a long-awaited return on Saturday night when Broadmeadow Magic and Edgeworth Eagles go head-to-head at Weston’s Rockwell Automation Park.
If recent history is anything to go off, a cracking 90 minutes of football is certainly in store.
Broadmeadow were the victors the last time the Men’s State Cup Final was held back in 2014 when they defeated South Cardiff in a penalty shootout on home soil, but since then, the two NNSWF knockout winners have only gone on to play in the Australia Cup tournament’s Round of 32 stage.
Broadmeadow and Edgeworth won their way through to the Round of 32 again this year, and the revival of the Men’s State Cup Final is an added bonus for the two clubs to compete for more silverware.
Both coaches are looking forward to playing for the cup on Saturday night and both are expecting a tough contest against quality opposition.
“We are excited to play for a trophy and looking forward to the game,” Broadmeadow Magic coach John Bennis said.
“We have split the points (with Edgeworth) this year so I’m expecting another tight game.
“They have former A-League players at either end of the pitch and other very experienced and successful players throughout their side, and we saw last game against Valentine the threat they pose. It will be another good test for our group and we are looking forward to the challenge.”
Peter McGuinness said that he was thrilled the Men’s State Cup had returned and added that he believed there should be more trophies on offer for clubs to compete for.
“We’ve put a focus on one game at a time and this is the next one in front of us, and we want to win it,” McGuinness said.
“At the end of the day, it’s the State Cup Final between the last two standing teams in the whole of Northern NSW Football, of all the clubs that are registered.
“There should be more competitions and I think it’s great that they’ve reinstated this one. It’s something else to play for and there’s a cup at the end of it. We’re in it to win it and we’ll be going after the game, that’s for sure.
“Magic are a very mobile side and they’re young across the board. They’ve got some crafty players in there and their go-forward is pretty quick. We’ll have to make them play under a bit of pressure.”
When NNSWF announced that the Men’s State Cup would return earlier this year, NNSWF General Manager Football Operations Liam Bentley said the additional cup competitions were about giving players more opportunities to play more competitive football.
“If you ask footballers what is the absolute best part of football, I think most would say the enjoyment and excitement of winning something, whether that be a trophy or competition, with their mates,” Bentley said.
“We want to provide more competitive football for our premier players and give them a chance to celebrate winning more competitions and tournaments with their teammates and for their clubs.
“The NNSWF Men’s State Cup will be a great cup final and a worthy opportunity for our two national Australia Cup representatives.”
Broadmeadow and Edgeworth have been two NNSWF powerhouses for many years now. Between them, they have won three of the past four NPL Men’s NNSW grand finals.
Additionally, since the Australia Cup's inception back in 2014, Magic have qualified for the Round of 32 five times and also reached the Round of 16 once, while Edgeworth have made four appearances in the Round of 32 and have qualified for the Round of 16 twice.
This year, the two sides have met one another twice during the NPL Men’s season and have both claimed a win over the other. Edgeworth prevailed 2-1 when they first met back in Round Two in March, and then Broadmeadow ran away with a 5-3 victory in Round 13 back in May after the Eagles led 2-0 at half-time.
Broadmeadow are fourth on the table and are well and truly in the premiership race, as they sit just two points behind table leaders Charlestown Azzurri with just two games to go. Edgeworth are sitting in sixth but are still in the hunt for a finals spot as they sit just two points behind Weston.
Bennis said that Broadmeadow had a couple of players nursing niggling injuries who will undergo fitness tests prior to kick-off on Saturday. But former Eagle Keanu Moore will definitely not play as he’s sidelined with a hamstring injury, which is a major blow for Magic following his standout performance in the side’s home-ground victory against Adamstown on Sunday.
McGuinness advised that Edgeworth would most likely line up with Jacob Pepper and Jordan Lennon in the starting side after they were unused substitutes in their home-ground win against Valentine on Sunday following recent injuries. But there is some doubt around Sascha Montefiore and Andrew Pawiak after they pulled up sore at training on Wednesday.
No matter who does or does not line up for either side, this match will be an entertaining contest at Rockwell Automation Park that could go beyond 90 minutes as extra time and a penalty shootout are available to decide a winner if the match is level at full-time.
