Match of the Round
Maitland FC 2-3 Charlestown Azzurri
Charlestown Azzurri’s new head coach Josh Rufo lauded his players’ determination and effort as the Blues turned around one of their most difficult weeks in recent memory to stun Maitland FC 3-2 at Cooks Square Park on Saturday.
After head coach James Pascoe and assistant Scott McCarter departed the club during the week, Rufo had a massive assignment on his hands with only one training session with the squad ahead of the fixture.
But the Blues started well, moving as a block to not give the hosts many opportunities up front.
The Magpies aimed to play from the back, playing direct with the wind and finding success around the flanks. But they struggled to get many chances on goal inside the first half hour.
As half-time approached, the possession and territory began to build up and fatigue set in.
When Matthew Smale was rewarded with a goal off a corner in the 39th minute and Braedyn Crowley added to his tally less than five minutes later off a brilliant counterattack, things were looking ominous for the Blues, going into the break down 2-0.
But the visitors came out a different side and when Matthew Cahill scored a brilliant goal off a cross in the 49th minute, a shift occurred.
Lapses began to emerge in the Maitland defence as the Blues locked up the midfield. But when Nicholas Martinelli came on in the 56th minute, the visitors’ attack went into overdrive.
After several attempts struck the woodwork, a 62nd-minute header from Cooper Vimpani saw the visitors draw level.
As the final minutes elapsed, the Magpies tried to rally to find a matchwinner, with both sides trading attempts on goal.
But with momentum on their side, the Blues completed a stunning comeback when, off a corner in the final minute, Martinelli headed the ball past Taylor Pate to send the travelling fans into a rapturous applause.
The result was the perfect tonic to end a difficult week, with the Blues also snapping a three-match losing streak.
Rufo was proud of how his side bounced back from a difficult situation and for already incorporating several elements from their one training session together.
“All credit needs to go to the players,” Rufo said.
“To be very honest, they have done everything that I asked of them. I asked them to try a few different things in the way we were set up and they did that. The effort and the work rate were bang on.
“We really didn't change much [at half-time]. We just strongly encouraged the players to stick to what we're trying to do, to be positive. Keep it simple, get it forward quickly, showcase your ability.
“They stuck to the principles. That's what changed the game, [the] more positive approach.
“It has been a couple of weeks now without a win. I've encouraged the players to enjoy the win, get some rest and recovery and remember this feeling.”
Contrastingly, Maitland head coach Adam Hughes was left with plenty to ponder, his side notably off the pace in the second half.
“Performance-wise, it was below our level that we know that we can perform at,” Hughes said.
“Coming out in the second half, I really can't point my finger at what it was.
“We did look lethargic. The ball speed wasn't quite there. The movements weren't quite there. We gave opportunities from our mistakes. We need to nullify that and be better in those moments.
“We're going to have a frustrated group after this result. We'll look to try and turn this negative into a positive, going into a quick turnaround.
“Tactically and technically, they know what they've got to do. It's just really a mental challenge now for the players to step up and be prepared come Tuesday.”
After both sides play Hahn Australia Cup fixtures early next week, the Blues will return home to host Broadmeadow Magic on Sunday, while Maitland will travel to face Edgeworth next Saturday.
Weston Bears 2-2 Edgeworth Eagles
Weston Bears head coach Damian Zane has praised his squad's depth and resilience as the table leaders showed great resilience to come from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Edgeworth Eagles at Hunter City Motor Group Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Coming into what was their third game in seven days, having defeated Adamstown last weekend and Broadmeadow Magic in a Hahn Australia Cup match on Wednesday night, the Bears’ fatigue began to show after matching the visitors in an entertaining opening half hour.
The Eagles capitalised in the 32nd minute, when a throw-in saw Aden Gardner head the ball over Gerard Roebuck, stunning the Weston supporters with the first goal of the match.
The score galvanised the hosts, with Blake Archbold returning fire in the 41st minute off a well-orchestrated piece of attack to see the scoreline 1-1 at half-time.
With both sides trading efforts at goal as the match crossed the hour mark, the Eagles turned to their bench in the 68th minute, the fresh legs proving effective.
Attacking pressure saw the Bears concede a corner in the 72nd minute, and former Weston player Aaron Niyonkuru once again delivered a brilliant cross to catch the Bears out of position, the ball bouncing off a Weston player into the net.
Faced with the prospect of a third loss at home and losing top spot on the table, the Bears found another gear, with Carson Wood pouncing on an out-of-position defence to find an unlikely equaliser in the 75th minute.
It would prove to be the end of the scoring with the two sides unable to be separated after four minutes of extra time.
Zane was quick to commend his side for coming from behind against a quality opposition after a busy week of action and praised the growing depth of the squad for stepping up.
“If you want to be playing cup football, you need a strong squad and depth in that squad,” Zane said.
“We're getting there. We picked ourselves up, capitalised on an error from them and I think we probably looked more likely [to score a winner] at the end.
“I came into the sheds after the game and it was like a morgue. But I said [to the players], I don't mind that. If we're being honest, we've progressed in the [Hahn Australia] Cup. We beat Adamstown.
“We've had a draw with a good football team [in Edgeworth] and we've held top spot [in NPLM NNSW]. It's been a good week.
“I still think we're growing as a team but the boys, they're on the right track.”
Edgeworth will have a six-day turnaround as they return home for a crucial clash with Maitland FC next Saturday, while Weston will stay at home and welcome Valentine the same day.
Lambton Jaffas 1-2 Belmont Swansea United
Lambton Jaffas’ hopes of three victories on the trot were dealt a reality check thanks to a last-minute goal from Belmont Swansea United, the visitors walking away with a 2-1 win at Arthur Edden Oval on Saturday.
Fresh off victories over Cooks Hill and Adamstown, Jaffas weathered several early threats from BelSwans’ attack, producing several attempts on goal in the first half hour.
The visitors broke the deadlock through the ever-reliable counterattack of Marco Gueli in the 36th minute. But the hosts struck back quickly through Joseph Langlois two minutes later, the sides going into the break at 1-all.
With all the numbers dead even between the sides and the well-balanced contest continuing into the second half, it was clear someone was going to have to produce a piece of individual brilliance to win the match.
Both sides emptied their benches inside the final half hour to try and wrestle the momentum and in the 89th minute, it paid off for the visitors as a counterattacking play saw Gueli set up substitute Joe Kable for the match-sealer, breaking Jaffas fans’ hearts.
The result proved a frustrating end to a positive performance for the hosts but also further strengthened BelSwans’ case that they are a side that looks set to push deep into the 2026 season.
Lambton will travel to Darling Street Oval to take on Newcastle Olympic on Sunday, while BelSwans will look to solidify their position in the top three when they travel to face Adamstown on Saturday.
Valentine FC 1-6 Newcastle Olympic
Newcastle Olympic’s frustrating wait for a three-point result came to an emphatic end as they put Valentine FC to the sword, winning 6-1 at Croudace Bay Complex on Saturday.
Coming into the match fresh off a win over Charlestown and determined to turn around a disappointing string of results at home, Valentine found themselves in trouble in the 18th minute as Jared Muller got the visitors on board.
The Phoenix started to amass some pressure in the penalty area and in the 32nd minute found their equaliser, a free kick finding the boot of defender Myles Gaffney.
But as half-time approached, Wil Southcombe produced a piece of individual brilliance to give the visitors back the lead in the 41st minute.
The hosts’ concentration lapsed and Kale Bradbury scored his first of the night in stoppage time, a beautiful shot from the edge of the box seeing Olympic hold a 3-1 lead at half-time.
Any hopes of Valo regaining momentum were snuffed out three minutes into the second half, a cross finding an unmarked Bradbury to score his second in the 46th minute, with the striker completing a hat-trick two minutes later in similar circumstances to see Olympic lead 5-1.
The visitors pinned the hosts back in their half and with Valo running out of steam, a sixth Olympic goal to substitute Yuhei Sato in the 82nd minute served as icing on the cake of a comprehensive victory.
The result sees Olympic move back into finals contention, leapfrogging Charlestown on goal differential, with the Phoenix now back to a precarious position in the relegation zone.
Valentine will host Maitland on Tuesday in a Hahn Australia Cup clash before a gruelling away trip to play Weston Bears next Saturday, while Olympic return home to take on Lambton Jaffas next Sunday.
Cooks Hill United 3-1 Adamstown Rosebud
Cooks Hill United have ended a difficult run of losses in the NPL, brushing aside Adamstown Rosebud 3-1 at Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field on Saturday afternoon.
Coming into the match sitting last and losing four of their last five matches, Cooks Hill started with an attacking mindset, asking plenty of questions of the Buds’ defence early.
Adamstown, themselves determined to return to form after losing earlier in the week to Lambton, matched the hosts’ energy, both sides having several attempts on goal as the match was played at a frenetic end-to-end pace.
But it would take a Cooks Hill set piece to trouble the scorers, as Nick Curran found himself in the right position off a corner to score on the half-hour mark, the goal proving the only difference between the sides at half-time.
As the even contest continued in the second half, it was clear that the next goal would be the most critical of the match.
It would be the hosts who would finally win the arm wrestle, a disastrous fumble from Buds goalkeeper George Scorer off a Stanley Manning-Lourey corner in the 71st minute giving the hosts a 2-0 lead.
Sensing the kill, Cooks Hill kept the visitors in their own third. Buds were able to break out in the final 10 minutes but it proved too late to salvage a win, with Manning-Loury scoring in the third minute of added time to seal the result.
Buds defender Michael Byrnes would get a brilliant consolation goal two minutes later for the visitors, a bright spark to end a disappointing evening.
Cooks Hill will have a six-day turnaround but will stay at home when they welcome Kahibah on Friday night, while Adamstown will play a Hahn Australia Cup game on Wednesday, then face an in-form BelSwans outfit at home on Saturday.
Kahibah FC 1-3 Broadmeadow Magic
Broadmeadow Magic have put a frustrating week behind them, closing the gap on Weston at the top of the table after overcoming a spirited Kahibah FC 3-1 at Fred Wright Oval on Sunday.
Coming into the game off a draw at home against Maitland before going down to Weston Bears 2-1 in the Hahn Australia Cup on Wednesday, Magic were in no mood to mess around, with Riley Smith netting their first goal inside the second minute of play.
The goal saw a swift response from the hosts, with Jackson Burston catching Magic’s defence out of position in the 15th minute to easily lob the ball over Jeremiah Cleur and score their first of the afternoon.
The match became a physical encounter, with both sides receiving yellow cards from the referee but despite the attempts on goal leaning in Magic’s favour, the Rams' defence held on for a one-all score at half-time.
The trend continued for the opening 15 minutes of the second half. But as Magic continued to press, the question arose of how long the Rams' defence could hold firm.
Kahibah’s balancing act of a physical defence came undone just past the hour mark, as a tackle on James Cresnar inside the box saw the referee point to the penalty spot, with Luis Lara Delgardo making no mistake to give the defending champions the lead back.
The goal saw the Rams' concentration lapse and an injection of fresh legs saw the visitors get some breathing space three minutes later. Delgardo pounced on some brilliant build-up work from Keanu Moore to score his second, Broadmeadow’s third and the match-winner.
Despite asking questions, Kahibah struggled to find a way past Broadmeadow’s relentless defensive line, suffering their third consecutive loss.
Magic will travel to Lisle Carr Oval on Sunday to face Charlestown Azzurri, while Kahibah will have a five-day turnaround before they travel to face Cooks Hill United on Friday night.