Match of the Round
Maitland FC v Charlestown Azzurri
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 2pm
Charlestown Azzurri captain Keiran Hayes says the Blues have banded together after a difficult few weeks and hopes to use Saturday’s match against Maitland at Cooks Square Park as a chance to act as a turning point.
The Blues have had a difficult April, with the week overshadowed by the news that head coach James Pascoe has stepped away for personal reasons, with other support staff also departing.
Charlestown is in the process of appointing a successor, who will be confirmed ahead of Azzurri taking the field on Saturday.
Whoever the successor will be will inherit a strong squad that has produced several big results but has slipped down the table after consecutive losses to BelSwans, Edgeworth and Valentine.
But Hayes was adamant that Charlestown could weather the challenges and turn their form around, with Azzurri bolstered by the fact that they were close to full strength for their trip down the Hunter Expressway.
“At the moment we're feeling optimistic,” Hayes said.
“I know the boys are eager to get back onto the field as soon as possible and there's no better way to do that than testing ourselves against Maitland.
“With a new coach coming in, everyone within the team has got their own point to prove.
“We're confident in the club that they're going to make the right decision and appoint someone who's going to get the best out of us.
“We expect [Maitland] to play with the high intensity that they tend to show week on week.
“We know that they're going to keep the ball, we know they're going to be dangerous on attack. We definitely have to match their energy in those areas and even go beyond that.”
The Magpies have opened a five-point gap between themselves and Charlestown in sixth place and sit within striking distance of cracking the top three.
Aside from a 2-1 loss to Kahibah at home, the last five weeks have seen Maitland step up their intensity with wins over Adamstown Rosebud, Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas.
Despite being denied a crucial away win at the death against defending champions Broadmeadow last weekend, Maitland assistant coach Nick Harmon believes the hard work put in earlier in the year was already starting to pay off.
“We're on this upward trajectory and ironing out all the little things that go hand in hand with our style of play,” Harmon said.
“It's not easy to do what we're asking them to do. It's going to take time.
“[We’re] starting to control games and show an attractive style of play, which is what we want to be known for.
“[Charlestown have] got experience there, some good running capacities. Things out wide, areas where they can really hurt you, entries into the box as far as crosses and trying to get on the end of things.
“The result from [Charlestown’s] game [against Valentine] didn't really tell you the story about the game itself.
“We know what they're going to throw at us. Maybe that little bit of new manager bounce will come into play as well.”
Weston Bears v Edgeworth Eagles
Hunter City Motor Group Stadium, Sunday 3pm
Edgeworth Eagles head coach Peter McGuinness is excited to test his side against the league’s pacesetters when they travel to Hunter City Motor Group Stadium to take on Weston Bears on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears are back home for the first time in more than a month, riding high after three successive victories on the road against Lambton, Kahibah and Adamstown.
It has already been a busy week for the Bears who advanced to preliminary round six of the Hahn Australia Cup after downing Broadmeadow Magic 2-1 on Wednesday night.
After Magic had to come from behind to draw with Maitland FC last Friday, Weston’s Heritage Cup victory over Adamstown last weekend has seen them open up a three-point lead at the top of the table.
But the league leaders have slipped up twice this year, copping a 4-2 loss to Charlestown and a 2-1 defeat to Magic, both at home.
It is these results that create uncertainty around the result this weekend, one that falls in favour of the Eagles.
Fourth-placed Edgeworth have proven to be hard to put away on the road, with Newcastle Olympic and Adamstown picking up draws, while BelSwans had to come from three goals down to defeat them in round six.
BelSwans' loss is the only defeat the Eagles have managed this season, with a victory over Cooks Hill on the road working in their favour.
While Edgeworth has rediscovered its form on goal since the Easter break, the Eagles have also conceded more goals, with McGuinness hoping to address the balance as his side heads into a challenging three weeks with consecutive games against Weston, Maitland and Broadmeadow.
With the challenge, however, comes the opportunity to test his side against the best.
“We're scoring goals but we're letting them in too,” McGuinness said after his side’s draw with Olympic.
“Last year I think we were single figures for most of the year. We just didn't concede goals. That was a lot to do with the fact that we could score goals as well. It's a balance.
“[Playing Weston will] get the boys motivated because they're the challengers.
“They're at the top of the tree at the moment. It's funny, as soon as you get in the lead, you can't look back because everyone's chasing you.
“I look forward to this game. [They have a] good coach, good club, good players. Should be a good football match.”
Lambton Jaffas v Belmont Swansea United
Arthur Edden Oval, Saturday 2pm
Lambton Jaffas will look to capitalise on a crucial win last week to build momentum for their season when they take on a high-flying Belmont Swansea United side at Arthur Edden Oval on Saturday.
After a difficult start to the season that saw just one win, two draws, four losses and a rescheduled clash, the Jaffas finally showed the quality form that got them to the final last year, blowing away Cooks Hill 4-1 in round nine.
The result pushed them out of the relegation zone of the table, and with Valentine defeating Charlestown across town on Sunday a log jam had emerged, with three points separating sixth and 10th.
But Lambton have since climbed to sixth following victory in their rescheduled round five match against Adamstown Rosebud on Wednesday night, with substitute Tom Parkes’ brilliant 84th minute winner securing another valuable three points for Jaffas.
If the Jaffas have any hope of making it into the finals, they will have to start to pull big wins over higher-ranked sides and that starts with the big improvers of 2026 in BelSwans.
Fresh off a month-long stint at home that netted three wins and a draw, BelSwans’ mammoth six-goal haul over Kahibah has seen them score an impressive 25 goals in nine matches, the best attacking form of the competition so far.
Third-placed BelSwans have already overtaken its total number of victories in 2025 and, despite it being early in the season, look set to push deep into the competition.
But despite the clear form at home, a big victory on the road changes things for BelSwans.
Mick Stafford’s side have managed a 2-2 draw against Broadmeadow and a 2-1 win over Valentine on the road but should they blow away last year’s runners-up on their home turf, it changes the equation considerably as to how high their ceiling is this year.
Valentine FC v Newcastle Olympic
Croudace Bay Complex, Saturday 4.30pm
After getting out of the bottom two with a crucial win over Charlestown last week, Valentine FC will be determined to continue that form and reward their home fans when they face a desperate Newcastle Olympic at Croudace Bay Complex on Saturday afternoon.
After a disappointing fortnight that saw resounding losses to Kahibah and Adamstown, the Phoenix’s young side finally delivered last week, stunning the Blues with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Lisle Carr Oval.
The result came at a much-needed time for Valo, with the club sitting in last at the time and with a disappointing record in attack.
Head coach Lee Sterrey will be looking to keep the momentum going, especially with plenty of backup options at his disposal in a firing reserve grade. A key result will be that elusive first home win.
A last-gasp draw with Maitland has been the best result the Phoenix’s fans have seen so far this year, with Croudace Bay Complex seeing several ugly blowouts, especially against Cooks Hill and Adamstown.
Now looms as a good time for Valo to end that run, with Newcastle Olympic arriving desperate to jumpstart their season.
Olympic have not walked away with three points from a match since their round four win over Kahibah, with four draws and a loss to Broadmeadow highlighting a frustrating time.
Even worse has been the late goal concessions, their 93rd-minute draw with Edgeworth saw them concede leads late in consecutive weeks, having also conceded a goal at the death against BelSwans.
With such a tight middle of the table Olympic will want nothing less than three points this weekend, as another draw or a loss could see them slip down the table quickly.
Cooks Hill United v Adamstown Rosebud
Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field, Saturday 4.30 pm
Adamstown Rosebud find themselves in a second cellar dweller clash in three weeks, as they travel to face a desperate Cooks Hill outfit at Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field on Thursday.
After snapping their losing streak against Valentine and climbing up the table, the ANZAC Day weekend saw the Buds tumbling right back down, their 2-0 loss to Weston at home coinciding with other surprise results.
Despite the setback, the return of key players has come at a good time for Adamstown, the side asking plenty of questions of the table leaders in the second half.
While they went down 2-1 to Lambton in their rescheduled round five clash on Wednesday night, May’s fixtures present a great opportunity for the Buds to gain some momentum and bounce back. If they wish to do that, they need three points this weekend.
Cooks Hill come into this match amidst a dire run of results, with a draw against Olympic the high point of the last five weeks.
The drop off has been particularly concerning in the last fortnight, with Cooks Hill conceding 10 goals in their losses to Broadmeadow and Lambton, with six coming in the first half at Magic Park.
But with a new week comes a chance to reset and, with a Hahn Australia Cup fixture against Wallsend FC on Wednesday night and returning home for the first time in a month in the NPL, now looms as a good opportunity for the hosts.
Despite having dropped to last, Cooks Hill still have plenty of experienced campaigners at their disposal who could pull off a moment that ends their difficult run of results.
Desperate times can often bring great football out of players and Cooks Hill need those players this weekend.
Kahibah FC v Broadmeadow
Magic Fred Wright Oval, Sunday 1pm
Kahibah will look to snap a two-game losing streak when they welcome defending champions Broadmeadow Magic to Fred Wright Oval on Sunday.
The league’s newcomers have had a difficult run of games since their drought-breaking home win over Valentine in round seven, going down swinging against Weston Bears before a nine-goal shootout at Blacksmiths Oval saw them lose to BelSwans.
Navigating this period of the season was always going to be a tough assignment for the Rams but they have shown glimpses that they can trouble the league’s best.
Fred Wright Oval has proven a hard place for sides to come away with a win but if there is any side that can adapt well to the conditions, it’s Broadmeadow.
The defending champions have kicked into gear following their victory over Weston before the Easter break, brushing aside rivals Newcastle Olympic and Cooks Hill before coming from behind with a last-gasp draw against an in-form Maitland side.
Jim Cresnar’s side has shown glimpses of their best, boasting the best defence in the league, plus a firing attack featuring Jakob Cresnar and newcomer Luis Lara Delgado, who has become one of the players to watch this year.
It has already been a tough week for Broadmeadow, with Weston Bears eliminating Magic from away the Hahn Australia Cup on Wednesday night.
Even with this, Magic will come into this match as favourites and with a favourable goal differential know they can claim top spot on the table if they win and the Bears lose to Edgeworth at home.