Match of the Round
Valentine FC v New Lambton FC
Croudace Bay Complex, Saturday 5:30pm
Valentine FC coach Adam Hughes is positive his side can bounce back against New Lambton FC at Croudace Bay Complex on Saturday evening.
The Phoenix have hit a rough patch after a high-flying start to the season that saw them at the top of the table.
But after four consecutive defeats, they find themselves fifth on the table, 17 points behind league leaders Lambton Jaffas.
Hughes is confident that his players can turn things around and return to the winners’ circle.
“We are confident that we can rebound back,” Hughes said.
“There are some small details that we need to work on a little bit.
“It is not as if the whole package is wrong, we are scoring goals but conceding too many.
“Moving forward we need to stay positive with what we are doing.”
The Phoenix has parted ways with Mohammad Hossein Ellahi but has added Zachary Waddell from Northern Tigers FC, Aden Raftery from Grange Thistle FC and Ryan Clarke to their squad in the latest transfer window.
Each of the new recruits featured in the side’s round 12 match against Maitland FC last weekend.
Hughes was impressed with what he saw from his new signings in their match and is looking forward to see what they can bring to the squad.
“The new boys have come straight into the lineups and we have put them in the deep end.
“I think they each performed well.
“We have tried to do some video work with them but once we are able to get back to a weekly training pattern, they can understand more of what we are trying to do.”
The last time these two sides went head-to-head in the competition in round two, Valentine secured a 3-0 win.
But Hughes was expecting a much tougher battle this time around on Saturday.
“I think it will be a very tough game,” Hughes said.
“Everyone at this point has games under their belts and New Lambton will be completely different to the start of the season.
“We need to prepare that they will come out and put us under a lot of pressure. But it is up to us to deal with it and hopefully come away with the win.”
New Lambton will also want to break their string of defeats away from home this weekend.
The Golden Eagles have struggled to take flight this season and enter Saturday’s match off the back of three straight losses.
They sit 10th on the table with four points and are two points above bottom-of-the-table side Adamstown Rosebud but trail Cooks Hill United in ninth by five points.
Despite coach Aaron Stedman being vocal about wanting to secure some key signings during the May transfer window, the club made no changes to their squad.
New Lambton will be desperate to secure a crucial three points to lift them above the relegation zone and keep in touch with the mid-table teams.
But the side have proved that they can cause an upset and hold their own against the top teams so will be eager to continue to prove themselves away from home against the Phoenix on Saturday.
Charlestown Azzurri v Adamstown Rosebud
Lisle Carr Oval, Sunday 2:30pm
Adamstown Rosebud will search for their first win of the season with a new coach at the reins when they travel to Lisle Carr Oval to take on Charlestown Azzurri on Sunday.
Rosebud has found themselves at the bottom of the table with just two points after 12 rounds.
They announced this week that they had parted ways with coach Daniel Dawkins and recruited Chris Moylan to replace him for the rest of the season.
The Adamstown side will be desperate to snap their four-match losing streak and work way off the chopping block for automatic relegation.
Moylan was excited about his new role but was honest that standards need to improve if they are to avoid relegation.
“I feel pretty good and pretty relaxed,” Moylan said.
“I am looking forward to the challenge.
“We have sat down as a group and talked about what we haven’t been doing and worked out what we need to do to compete. We have identified the areas we need to be better.
In the transfer window, Rosebud has parted ways with Japanese international Taiju Watanabe as well as Mackenzie Alexander.
But the club has recruited Jacob Dundas from Weston Workers FC and Dylan Bozinovski from New Lambton FC to help boost the side.
Moylan has belief that he and his side can turn things around and take it to the Blues on Sunday.
“I am quietly confident that we can get something out of the game this weekend,” Moylan said.
“We have had a couple of good sessions.
“It would be huge for the players for us to get a win or a point.”
Narveen Richardson (hamstring) and Elijah Harrison (quad) will likely miss Sunday’s fixture through injury.
A win for Adamstown could see them launch up as high as tenth on the table if other results go their way.
Azzurri will hope to make it four from four after they secured a 1-0 win over New Lambton last weekend.
James Pascoe has departed ways with Lachlan Hilton but has promoted Harrison Weir into their first grade outfit.
They sit in third position on the table and are three points behind Broadmeadow Magic in second, which will add extra motivation to get the job done on Sunday.
Broadmeadow Magic v Lake Macquarie City FC
Magic Park, Friday 8pm
Broadmeadow Magic will hope to make it four on the trot when they welcome Lake Macquarie City FC to Magic Park on Friday night.
The match-up will see second-placed Magic on the table go up against the second-bottom team Lakes in the fight for a crucial three points for both sides.
The last time these two sides went head-to-head in round two, Magic returned from Macquarie Field with three points after a 4-1 win.
Magic’s men are second with 27 points and trail league leaders Lambton Jaffas by six points.
A win for Broadmeadow would help to keep them in touch with the top spot and maintain a three-point gap between them and Charlestown Azzurri.
Jim Cresnar made no changes to his squad during the transfer window as he looks to continue building and chasing down Jaffas in the premiership fight.
But Pete Preston and his coaching staff have made some key changes in personnel for the Roosters.
Lakes has parted ways with Guilherme Evangelista Dos Santos, Sotirios Moratidis and Darcy Hall but has brought on Theodor Skarp from Edgeworth. Jordan Lennon was also signed from Edgeworth but has already parted ways with the club last Friday.
Lakes have found themselves in 11th on the table with three points and need a result to keep them from being at risk of relegation.
Maitland FC v Weston Workers FC
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 2:30pm
Two teams who are desperate for some consistency will go head-to-head when Maitland FC hosts Weston Workers FC at Cooks Square Park on Saturday afternoon.
The last time these two sides met Weston ran away with a 5-1 victory, which is one that Bolch and his men won’t want to repeat.
The Magpies secured an important 4-2 win over Valentine FC but have struggled to get on a run of results so far this season.
Mick Bolch and the club have attained brothers Dylan Burston and Jackson Burston from Newcastle Olympic in the transfer window, with Jackson featuring in last weekend’s win.
The side sits sixth on the table with 14 points and could jump up into fifth if they can score three points against the Bears.
Maitland will be eager to harness the confidence from their latest win and new recruits to grind out another result.
The Bears have also had difficulty in cementing continuous results and enter Saturday’s match off the back of consecutive defeats.
Weston has lost Mitch Dobson to Cooks Hill, Jacob Dundas to Adamstown Rosebud and Nicholas Turkington but has recruited international player Yuta Konagaya who Kew Jaliens will hope can inject some energy into the side.
The Bears sit in eighth position, one point behind Maitland and with a congested middle of the table, a win could see them sail into fifth spot.
Edgeworth FC v Newcastle Olympic
Jack McLaughlan Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
Edgeworth will look to make it six from six when they host Newcastle Olympic at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The last time these two sides met, the points were shared after a 1-1 draw but they each will be eager to secure all three points this weekend.
The Eagles have flown their way up the table into fourth position after a great run of form in recent results.
Edgeworth has parted ways with Jordan Lennon and Theodor Skarp but has recruited Ryan Feutz from Eastern Suburbs FC in New Zealand to help boost the side.
Olympic is also on an undefeated streak and will hope to make it four matches without a loss against the Eagles.
Paul De Vitis and Neil Owens’ side sit seventh on the table with 14 points but only trail their opponents by three points.
Olympic will hope that defender Jacob Pepper can make his return to the pitch after being sidelined with a calf injury for several weeks.
The side has lost Dylan and Jackson Burston who made the move to Maitland in the transfer window, but Olympic’s coaches were confident in the depth of their squad to fill in any gaps left by departures or injuries.
A win could see Olympic move up as high as fifth if other results go their way which will add extra motivation for the side to return home with all three points.
Cooks Hill United v Lambton Jaffas
Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field, Saturday 4:30pm
Cooks Hill United will hope they can cause the biggest upset of the season when they host league leaders Lambton Jaffas at Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field.
The home side will enter Saturday’s clash off the back of a win and a draw with momentum in their favour. But they will have a big fight ahead of them when they go up against heavyweights Jaffas who have won every game this season.
A win for Cooks Hill would move them one point behind Weston Workers FC and keep them in touch with the top half of the table.
Chris Zoricich has brought in Mitch Dobson from Weston Workers FC and Jay Kitcher to help boost the squad in last week’s signing window.
Jaffas continue to hold a six-point lead at the top of the table and are already premier favourites for the third year in a row.
Nikolai Topor Stanley remains in doubt for the Jaffas after he suffered a quad injury against Adamstown in round 11.
David Tanchevski and the club have parted ways with Jagger Wholert, Finnegan Todhunter and Ethan Eames in the transfer window.
But the side added Alex Bozinovski from New Lambton FC and Japanese international player Yuhei Sato to further bolster the side.