Match of the Round
Weston Workers FC v Lake Macquarie City FC
Rockwell Automation Park, Sunday 2:30pm
Weston Workers FC assistant coach David Hurley said his side will be ready for vengeance when they host Lake Macquarie City FC at Rockwell Automation Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears have gotten off to a mixed start this season after three wins, one draw and five losses.
They sit eighth on the table with 10 points and are one point off the top six. Weston broke their two-match losing streak with a confident 2-0 win over Adamstown Rosebud on ANZAC Day.
Hurley has taken the reins of head coach in the past couple of weeks as Kew Jaliens has been overseas for work. But Jaliens is set to return this weekend
The Bears and Rooster have not met each other in the NPL Men’s NNSW competition yet this season but Hurley said that they wanted to get one back after they were defeated 2-1 in round four of the Australia Cup in April.
“They beat us in the Australia Cup so we would like to turn the result the other way this team and get one back on them,” Hurley said.
“We played well against Lakes, but we didn’t get the result. This time we will be looking for a much better result from this game.”
Hurley was hopeful that the Bears could build on their momentum and gain some consistency of positive results starting with three points on Sunday.
“We had a bit of a lean streak,” Hurley said.
“I would like to say that we are feeling confident after coming off a good win over Rosebuds.”
“The enthusiasm is pretty high after the win.
“A back-to-back win for our squad could be major.
“We desperately want to win.
“The truth is every team is always looking at semi-final contention and we can’t afford to drop any easy points.”
The assistant coach said that his squad still has an injury cloud hanging over them and that they will need to rely on the depth of their squad to get the job done.
The Roosters have also been unable to pick up momentum after six losses and one win. They sit 11th on the table with two matches in hand.
They enter Sunday’s clash off the back of a 4-1 defeat to Edgeworth at home.
But Pete Preston’s side will have confidence that they can disrupt the Bears after their Australia Cup upset.
“We played them a couple of weeks ago in the Cup and got them,” Preston said.
“It is good to of already played them (Weston). We took confidence away from that game and it was another step forward in our growth.
“But am expecting another tough challenge for us.
The Rooster’s coach admitted that his side still has a lot of improvement ahead of them but is pleased with how the young squad are tracking after nine rounds.
“We need the resilience to stay in games as we have conceded a few late goals.
“We need to stay in it and fight our way back if we go down. We need to continue to grow into each game and go with teams.
“The trick is that in any game the damage is down in both boxes and if we can capitalise on some of the chances we create and show some more resilience at the other end then we can do it but if we can’t do that then we will continue to compete but not pick up results.
“I think we are going along nicely apart from results.
“Each game is teaching the players some tough lessons but they will continue to grow and learn.
All Lakes’ players are available to play this weekend and they will be desperate to cause another upset with the potential to move up as high as ninth on the table if other results go their way.
Maitland FC v Charlestown Azzurri FC
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 2:30pm
Maitland FC will look to bounce back when they host top-three side Charlestown Azzurri at Cooks Square Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Magpies have had a mixed season so far after three wins, two draws and three losses. They are seventh on the table with 11 points and have one game in hand.
Mick Bolch’s side is on equal points with Edgeworth in sixth and a win could see them spring up as high as fifth on the weekend if other results go in their favour.
Maitland suffered a heavy defeat in their mid-week round six catch-up match on Wednesday and their threats in attack Braedyn Crowley and Regan Lundy were nullified as they went down 5-0 to the league leaders Lambton Jaffas.
They will be up an experienced defensive line again this weekend and will need to figure out how to crack the code of breaking down Azzurri’s backline.
The Magpies will be eager to turn things around and return to the winners’ circle once again and stay in touch with the top six sides.
Charlestown Azzurri snapped their two-match losing streak when they defeated Broadmeadow Magic 2-0 in their round nine match last weekend.
The Blues are third on the table with 18 points but are on equal points with second-placed Magic, which they could leapfrog if results go their way.
James Pasoe was proud of his side’s ability to shift their momentum after a tough couple of weeks and said that picking up points against Magic was a big confidence boost for the playing group.
But in a blow for the Blues, Taylor Regan could miss Saturday’s clash after he was forced from the pitch early in the first half against Magic with a hip injury.
Cooks Hill United FC v Edgeworth FC
Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field, Saturday 4:30pm
Cooks Hill United will search for their second win of the season when they welcome Edgeworth FC to Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field on Saturday afternoon.
Cooks Hill returns home filled with some more confidence after a 2-2 draw against a strong Maitland FC outfit.
The home side is ninth on the table after one win, two draws and four losses but has two matches in hand.
Cookers are five points behind Weston in eighth but will be eager to close the gap and keep in touch with the top six sides.
The Eagles have begun to soar after three consecutive wins and enter this Saturday’s clash off the back of a 4-1 win over Lake Macquarie City FC.
Edgeworth string of success has resulted in them sitting sixth on the table with 11 points and having one game in hand. They are the only side in the competition to have a goal difference of zero as they have scored and conceded nine goals in eight matches.
Three points could move the Eagles into fifth if other results go their way which will add extra motivation to the side to get the job done against Cooks Hill.
Pete McGuinness will hope that his side can keep their momentum running and make it four from four away from home.
New Lambton FC v Lambton Jaffas
Alder Park, Saturday 2:30pm
New Lambton FC will host league leaders and rivals Lambton Jaffas in the Lambton derby on Saturday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles will return to Alder Park after a mixed start to their 2024 campaign with one win, one draw and six losses. They sit tenth on the table and have one game in hand.
But three points on home turf could see them leapfrog Cooks Hill United if results go their way into ninth on the table and keep in touch with the top six teams.
Shayne Pryce’s side finally secured their first win in round eight against Weston and believed they could stand tall against the best clubs in the competition.
Lambton Jaffas was able to extend their lead at the top of the table in their Tuesday night round six rescheduled fixture when they defeated Maitland FC 5-0.
They are the only team to be undefeated in the competition with nine-from-nine wins.
They now sit in first position with 27 points and are nine points ahead of Broadmeadow Magic and Charlestown Azzurri with 18 points.
David Tanchevski will hope that his side can continue their winning streak with three points on Saturday to further separate themselves from the rest of the pack.
Newcastle Olympic v Adamstown Rosebud
Darling Street Oval, Saturday 4:30pm
Newcastle Olympic are set to make it three from three when they host Adamstown Rosebud at Darling Street Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Olympic was able to snap a three-game losing streak to secure back-to-back wins against Charlestown Azzurri and New Lambton.
Their recent success has seen them move up to fifth on the table with 13 points and a game in hand.
Paul De Vitis and Neil Owens’ side are 14 points behind league leaders Lambton Jaffas and a win against Rosebud will be crucial to help them stay in touch with the top four teams.
Olympic have been without defender Jacob Pepper as he has been sidelined with a calf injury and it is uncertain if he will return this weekend. Regardless of who is in their back line, they will need to stand tall to shut down Rosebud’s attack.
Adamstown’s coach Daniel Dawkins has not believed recent results have been reflected of his side’s efforts.
Rosebud sits at the bottom of the table with two points after two draws and five losses, but they have two games in hand.
They have an opportunity to move up as high as tenth on the table if they can return home with three points and other results go in their favour.
Dawkins will hope that his side can put in a full 90-minute performance and get the job done against a strong Olympic outfit.
Valentine FC v Broadmeadow Magic
Croudace Bay Complex, Saturday 5:30pm
Two sides will look to bounce back when Valentine FC and Broadmeadow Magic go head-to-head at Croudace Bay Complex on Saturday afternoon.
Phoenix’s strong start to the season has hit a few bumps in recent weeks with two losses and a win in their last three matches.
They sit fourth on the table with 16 points and one match in hand and can fly up as high as second this weekend if other results go their way.
Adam Hughes' side has still conceded the least amount of goals in the competition (six) and will hope to keep another clean sheet against a strong
Broadmeadow’s stint at the top has come to an end after back-to-back losses against the two teams above them on the table Lambton Jaffas and Charlestown Azzurri.
Jim Cresnar’s side are second on the table with 18 points with a game in hand. They are on equal points with Azzurri who are third but are now nine points behind league leaders Lambton Jaffas after.
In a big blow for Magic, their star midfielder Bailey Wells was given a five-match suspension after he had an incident with a match official last weekend.
Magic will be desperate to snap their losing streak on Saturday and continue their hunt to get back on top.
