Minor Semi-Final
Lambton Jaffas 2-0 Newcastle Olympic
Lambton Jaffas edged out a gallant Newcastle Olympic 2-0 on Saturday to set up a showdown against Broadmeadow Magic in next weekend’s preliminary final.
Lambton were looking to keep their season alive at Arthur Edden Oval following their defeat to Broadmeadow in the qualifying final last weekend. While Newcastle Olympic were looking to keep their run going after eliminating Charlestown Azzurri.
The Jaffas reshuffled their squad that lost to Broadmeadow with regulars Andrew Pawiak and Matt Hoole ruled out through injury but coach Shane Pryce was able to welcome back Luke Remington for the do-or-die clash.
It was a tall order for both sides to establish ascendency in the opening half of the minor semi-final, with chances rare.
Olympic’s livewire Jared Muller had their best chance in the closing minutes of the first half with a diving header but Jaffas goalkeeper Ben Kennedy was equal to the task, while Jaffas waited until the second half to do the damage.
Lambton’s Reece Papas almost broke the deadlock in the 50th minute only to be denied by the woodwork but teammate Ben Hay made no such mistake from the ensuing corner as he smashed the ball home from close range to take the lead.
Olympic almost found the equaliser in the 62nd minute through impact forward Vince Unie as he got a spectacular touch on the ball from a cross with his back to the goals but it again hit the post.
Kale Bradbery then confirmed the Jaffas’ progression to the preliminary final in the 73rd minute with a stunning curler from the edge of the penalty area to give the hosts a two-goal buffer.
The defeat ends Newcastle Olympic’s season while Lambton will meet Broadmeadow Magic again for a place in the grand final.
Major Semi-Final
Maitland FC 4-1 Broadmeadow Magic
Maitland assistant coach Gav Wolfe praised his side’s resilience as the Magpies secured progression to a third successive grand final appearance on Sunday with a 4-1 victory over Broadmeadow.
Maitland were rocked during the week following the news that star striker James Thompson would miss the clash at Cooks Square Park due to an ankle injury but Wolfe said his side never panicked.
“Thompson trod on the ball on Tuesday night and it was pretty bad,” Thompson said.
“Jimmy [Thompson] did his utmost to get on the field today. He was waking up every three hours and icing his ankle. He also went to four physio appointments just to try to get onto the park. He did a fitness test [but didn’t pass it]. Obviously with the win today he will get an extra week to prepare but I think at this stage he is 50-50 to play the grand final.
“You could see that the injury affected the playing group but [head coach] Michael Bolch reminded the guys it’s a team sport. It’s not a one-man sport and we have a good squad of players. We were confident we could deliver a result without Jimmy.”
Despite the setback for the home side, the afternoon belonged to Maitland’s Flynn Goodman who stole the headlines in Thompson’s absence with a hat-trick.
Broadmeadow Magic came into the clash with momentum following their 2-1 defeat of Lambton Jaffas last weekend, while the Magpies were returning to the pitch following a week off after winning this year’s premiership.
A spot in this year’s grand final was on the line with the loser having a second chance against Lambton Jaffas next weekend.
Maitland were put on the back foot in the 16th minute courtesy of last weekend’s match-winner Jayden Stewardson as he latched onto a cross from Will Ingram to give Magic the lead.
Magic then squandered a golden opportunity to double their lead when Damon Green was unable to convert from the spot as he was awarded a penalty after being fouled in the penalty area.
Magic’s missed penalty proved to be a pivotal turning point in the match as Maitland found an equaliser through Goodman in the closing stages of the opening half.
Maitland made no mistake when they were awarded a penalty in the 53rd minute as Magic goalkeeper Ben McNamara fouled Maitland striker Breadyn Crowley, as Goodman stepped up to score his second of the afternoon.
Despite the result, the match was a tight contest until the 80th minute when Crowley made it 3-1 following a scintillating run from teammate Tyrell Paulson. Goodman then secured his hat-trick to wrap up the result and make the score 4-1 just minutes later.
Wolfe said the grand final appearance was important for the club and highlighted some performances that secured the result for Maitland.
“It was a massive effort from the boys today,” Wolfe said.
“I have spoken before about our desire to do the premiership-championship double and to be given that opportunity is massive. The boys are certainly pumped up for the grand final in a couple of weeks' time.
“I think [the result] came from a matter of belief and not panicking. When we last played Broamdeadow [in round 17] we went behind by a goal early and then went on to win 3-2 in the 93rd minute. I think today, whilst we went behind and we weren’t fans of conceding that goal, the guys didn’t panic and there was a belief that if we played the way we wanted, we could come away with the result.
“Flynn Goodman was massive for us today, certainly the best game he has played for us. You can say he scored three goals but beyond that his work today was enormous and he combined really well with Braedyn. It’s hard to single out performances but Tyrell Paulson was also huge for us today.”
Magic coach Damian Zane was blunt in his assessment of the result but also said the score was not indicative of how tough the match was. Zane was also confident his side could still make the grand final despite the heavy loss.
“I think we blew it today,” Zane said.
“I thought the [missed] penalty was a turning point in the match. I think we had the better of the game and the lead. If we got that second goal I think we would have been hard to beat. I think the game changed after that. To go into half-time at 1-1, it was unjust and it is probably essentially where Maitland won the game. It took the wind out of our sails. That’s not blaming Damon Green at all, it was just a big moment.
“I felt straight after half-time Will Ingram had a great chance but Maitland went down the other end and got a penalty and converted it. Towards the end of the game, we were chasing it but if you lose 4-1 or 2-1, it doesn’t matter because it’s still a loss. To read the scoreline probably doesn’t really tell the tale.
“I think with a younger squad, it probably isn’t a bad way to go about it [to go and play Jaffas next week]. I would have loved to have gone straight to the grand final but I think there are pros and cons [to having the week off]. I think if we get to the grand final, we are a decent chance of turning it around against Maitland.”