Match of the Round
Charlestown Azzurri FC v Edgeworth Eagles FC
Lisle Carr Oval, Friday 8pm
Charlestown Azzurri coach James Pascoe is hopeful that his playing group can use the frustration of the past few weeks to their advantage when they host the undefeated league leaders Edgeworth Eagles at Lisle Carr Oval on Friday night.
Azzurri have lost their past two league matches and was unable to bounce back last weekend when their round 10 match was washed out.
Pascoe thought his side deserved at least a point in a 1-0 loss away from home against Cooks Hill United in round nine and a 2-1 loss at home against Maitland FC in round eight, but admitted Azzurri were punished for not taking their chances in those games.
Pascoe expected one of their toughest tests of the season so far when they host the in-form Eagles on Friday and was hopeful that his men would be up for the challenge.
“It’s been a frustrating little period for us and those results add to the frustration. One aspect of that frustration is that both performances were good enough to get points out of those two games, but it didn’t go our way,” Pascoe said.
“The Cooks Hill game particularly. The corner count was about eight to one and the shot count about eight to two, but we lose in the 85th minute to a sucker punch. We’ve had to carry that frustration through a bit longer because we haven’t been able to get out on the pitch to remedy it.
“My hope is the boys turn that frustration into motivation and are really jumping out of their skin when we have the opportunity to get going again.
“Edgeworth will be tough. They are a good solid side and they’ve recruited extremely well. They have given themselves a chance to contend with the squad they’ve got.
“At this minute in time, they’re doing it better than anyone else when you look at all measures; obviously the points table and the for and against all say that.
“We go in with the intent to be the first team to beat them. We’ve been playing decent football and creating chances, but we’ll have to take our chances against Edgy, no doubt. We’ll have less chances against them than we’ve had against other teams, which will put an even bigger emphasis on taking the chances we do get.”
Charlestown will be the fresher of the two teams after their midweek Hahn Australia Cup match against Broadmeadow Magic was postponed after an issue with the lights at Magic Park.
Edgeworth hosted HIT106.9 Northern League One outfit Toronto Awaba FC at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Tuesday night in the Hahn Australia Cup and were victorious after 120 minutes.
A second-half Jarrod Purcell strike saw the visitors force extra time, but Edgeworth were too good in the end as a Ryan Feutz hat-trick guided them to victory.
Coach Peter McGuinness said that his club were always determined to put their best foot forward in the Cup and have been honoured to compete on the national stage and against A-League opposition in the past.
But their success in that competition will create a tricky schedule in the coming weeks.
All eyes at Edgeworth are locked firmly on Friday night’s battle against Azzurri as the Eagles prepare to face one of the competition's heavyweights.
“It’s always a tough game against Charlestown,” McGuinness said.
“They’re always well-drilled and well-coached, and they have some very good players in their team. They’re hard to break down and they’re also very threatening.
“In the regular season last year, we drew with them up there in the second round, and in the first round they beat us at home, then we knocked them out in the semis.
“They were all tough games against them and I don’t expect any different on Friday.”
The Eagles are unbeaten in nine matches so far after seven wins and two draws, while Charlestown are nine points behind them after four wins, two draws and three losses.
The two sides enjoy a competitive rivalry against one another, but it has been the Eagles who have come out on top in the matches that matter in recent history.
McGuinness’ side knocked Azzurri out of the NPLM NNSW competition in last year’s preliminary final and they also eliminated them from the Australia Cup knockout tournament in the 2023 campaign.
Weston Bears FC v Valentine FC
Rockwell Automation Park, Saturday 2pm
Valentine FC head coach Cas Wright believes her side has the firepower up front to score goals despite the departure of striker Carter Smith as they prepare for an away trip to Rockwell Automation Park to face Weston Bears on Saturday.
Smith arrived at Valentine from Cooks Hill this year and quickly became a fan favourite after scoring three goals in the side’s first three games, before he suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for several weeks.
He did return last month but has now played his last game for the club after leaving for Lambton Jaffas.
Experienced defender Carl Thornton has also departed the club, with Wright now looking to recruit in the coming mid-season window.
All of the club’s focus is on this Saturday’s game against one of the benchmark sides of the competition though, with the 11th-placed Phoenix looking to start climbing the table to get out of the relegation zone as the halfway point of their campaign approaches.
“Weston have been pretty consistent so far this season and they’re a good attacking team, so I expect them to be wanting to score goals against us,” Wright said.
“We’ve been working on our defensive structure, which will be key. We’ve got the players to score goals, so it’s just about getting in the right system of play and executing going forward.”
Valentine’s second Japanese import Kohane Yamakami is finally cleared to play and will line up against Weston after his initial debut game was washed out last Saturday.
Wright said that the club would be looking to bring some other new faces in during the window.
“At this stage we’re looking to recruit. We’re looking at a few options; some local and some not,” Wright said.
The Bears will be working hard this week to recover for Saturday’s clash against Valentine following a gruelling 120-plus-minute Hahn Australia Cup match at Darling Street Oval against Newcastle Olympic on Wednesday night.
Kew Jaliens’ men scored late in regulation time to make the score 3-3 and the two sides were then locked at 4-4 after extra time.
The Bears converted all of their penalties during the shootout, with skipper Chris Hurley scoring the winner following another standout performance in the backline.
Gun striker Chris Hatfield was red-carded in that match and will miss this Saturday’s clash with Valentine.
Cooks Hill United FC v Broadmeadow Magic FC
Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field, Saturday 3:45pm
Broadmeadow Magic boss Jim Cresnar said his side’s fixture against Cooks Hill United at Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field on Saturday evening will be a great opportunity for Cody Nancarrow, who returns to face his former club for the first time.
Nancarrow started the season in black and white and scored three goals in as many matches before departing for the defending champions.
He was able to switch teams outside the May mid-season window as he is an under-20s player.
Cresnar said the gun attacker had fit in well at Broadmeadow and was playing good football at the club, and Saturday’s clash against his former teammates is a challenge he expects the youngster to relish.
Broadmeadow are eager to get back onto the park after their past two league matches were washed out and a midweek Hahn Australia Cup match at home was postponed due to an issue with the lights at Magic Park.
Broadmeadow are expected to still be without star midfielder Bailey Wells as he continues to deal with a quad injury.
Cooks Hill were one of seven NPL NNSW clubs that played Hahn Australia Cup matches during the week and were one of the two that only required 90 minutes to progress as they beat Wallsend FC 8-1 at The Gardens on Wednesday night.
Chris Zoricich’s men are now looking to return to winning ways in the league following a 3-2 loss away from home against Lambton last Sunday.
They will be without Xavier Williams after he was red-carded against the Jaffas. He was given a two-match ban and served one of those in the Cup game.
Maitland FC v Lambton Jaffas FC
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 5pm
Two sides that are starting to get on a roll will go head-to-head at Cooks Square Park on Saturday night when Maitland FC hosts Lambton Jaffas.
Lambton can make the jump into the top five this weekend if they are able to win their third game on the trot.
They are unbeaten in their past five league matches after a tough start to the season and have started to find some form in front of goal, as they have found the back of the net six times in their past two outings.
Maitland’s start to the Adam Hughes era got off to a slow start in 2025, but a quality coach and roster are now beginning to show their true potential.
The Magpies have been washed out in their past two league games, with their most recent appearance being a 2-1 win over the fourth-placed Charlestown Azzurri.
Each of these sides played Wednesday night Hahn Australia Cup matches on home soil this week, with Maitland defeating Croudace Bay United 4-0 and Lambton edging out Adamstown Rosebud 2-1 in 120 minutes after extra time.
Jaffas' coach David Tanchevski said his side would be without Jimmy Oates (hamstring) on Saturday and could also be missing Tom Waller (calf) and Riley McNaughton (groin) after they all suffered injuries on Wednesday.
They will also be without Pat Bond, who has one game left on his suspension after he was red-carded against Cooks Hill United last Sunday. He was given a two-match ban and served one of those in the Cup game.
Newcastle Olympic FC v Belmont Swansea United FC
Darling Street Oval, Sunday 2pm
Newcastle Olympic will return to Darling Street Oval on Sunday, where they will host Belmont Swansea United off the back of a gruelling 120-plus-minute midweek contest in the Hahn Australia Cup.
Olympic went down in a penalty shootout against Weston Bears on Wednesday night after the sides were locked at 3-3 at the end of regulation time and 4-4 at the end of extra time.
A handful of Paul DeVitis and Mick Bolch’s men played from the first minute until the last and will be focusing on their recovery over the next few days to get themselves right for Sunday’s clash.
One Olympic player who will not feature against BelSwans is Zach Thomas, after he was sent off in the Cup game following an altercation.
There are question marks over fellow defender Jye Rodway after he left the field injured before extra time, so Olympic may need a full defensive reshuffle come Sunday.
They are fifth on the table and can climb as high as third this weekend, but they will need to beat a BelSwans side that is unbeaten in its past three matches.
Mick Stafford’s men are ninth and although they are winless in their past eight games, they have drawn five of those as the NPL NNSW newcomers continue to prove to be tough to beat.
They will be looking to capitalise on Olympic’s midweek marathon and get back in the winner’s circle when they travel to Darling Street Oval on Sunday.
New Lambton FC v Adamstown Rosebud FC
Alder Park, Sunday 4:30pm
New Lambton FC coach Shane Pryce labelled his side’s fixture on Sunday a must-win match as they prepare to welcome Adamstown Rosebud to Alder Park.
The Golden Eagles are last in the table and at highest risk of automatic relegation, with just two points after two draws and seven losses in their nine games.
They are six points adrift of the three sides ahead of them.
The halfway point of the 22-game season is fast approaching and Pryce declared that his side needed to enter every game with the attitude that they are playing to stay alive, or the opportunity to fight to stay in the competition might quickly get away from them.
Eighth-placed Rosebud are seven points clear of New Lambton and can stretch that margin to 10 at Alder Park, but how they bounce back from a 120-minute midweek Australia Cup contest could determine how they fare on Sunday.
Chris Moylan’s men took on Lambton Jaffas at Arthur Edden Oval in the Hahn Australia Cup on Wednesday night and went down 2-1 in extra time after they were locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes.
Adamstown have the longest recovery time of the seven clubs that played during the week and they will be looking to utilise that as they go in search of their fourth win of the campaign.
