Match of the Round
Lambton Jaffas v Edgeworth FC
Arthur Edden Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
Edgeworth FC coach Pete McGuinness believes his side are up for the test against Lambton Jaffas when they face off at Arthur Edden Oval on Saturday afternoon.
These two sides are presently the most two in form teams in the competition with, Jaffas not losing a game all season and the Eagles on a seven-game winning streak.
But the Jaffas were toppled for the first time this season, in their Tuesday night catch-up match against New Lambton where they had to settle for a 1-1 draw, while Edgeworth scored a dominant 7-0 victory over Adamstown Rosebud in their rescheduled fixture on Wednesday night.
Edgeworth enters the contest sitting fourth on the table, four points behind Charlestown Azzurri in third.
McGuinness acknowledged the impact that the draw will have on the Jaffas but remained confident that his side was ready to cause an upset on Saturday.
“It is a big game, it will be a big test,” McGuinness said.
“Lambton have been doing the business all year and they have a lot of good quality and experienced players amongst them.
“It will be a difficult task, but one that I believe we are up for.
“We’ve been on a bit of a roll with our performances and results.
“We are steadily improving; we just need to keep getting better as the season goes on.
“I thought that the draw for Jaffas was a bit of a surprise but at the end of the day what that will do to them is fire them up a bit more.
“I don’t think that one game would define a season but this one is a pretty important one for us for a number of reasons. Firstly, because we have been winning games and we have a bit of momentum which we are looking forward to a strong performance to test ourselves and test them. Also, a big result will help hold us in good shape for the rest of the season.”
The Eagles coach is thrilled with the recent form of his side and was pleased with how new signing Ryan Feutz has seamlessly slotted into his attack.
“He (Feutz) has been really good. He debuted with a hat-trick and then scored two against Olympic,” McGuinness said.
“Ryan is a talented young footballer with a really good work ethic and his combinations with the other boys already is really good.
“They are a fantastic group to work with. The comradery is very good and the work rate is magnificent. It is a privilege to work with them.”
Jaffas coach David Tanchevski was pleased that his side finally lost points this season and believed it would help to reignite their hunger going forward in the competition.
“It’s not a bad thing for the boys to get a draw to realign,” Tanchevski said.
“We have played the last few games and looked a little flat. It was the wake-up call that we needed. We were complacent and turning up to games expecting to win.
“We have been going into games nervous about the winning streak. Now we will be able to play a bit more freely.
“I think we will really get up for this match against Edgeworth. It may not be the week you want to play us after coming off a draw.”
But the Jaffas’ coach is expecting nothing less than a tough battle on Sunday and recognised Edgeworth’s strong form in recent weeks.
“The first time we played them (Edgeworth), I thought they were a strong team,” Tanchevski said.
“Edgeworth are always tough to beat. They are on a run and have high confidence as well.
“For Edgeworth, we know that we are going to have to be on our game and play at our best. They are the in form team in the competition.”
Jaffas may be without Shaun Pratt as he is battling illness and will also miss Sam Webb as he is slowly returning from injury.
A win for the league leaders would help them to extend their lead at the top further and start to secure their premiership title for a third time.
Broadmeadow Magic v Cooks Hill United
Magic Park, Friday 6:30pm
Broadmeadow Magic will look to make it five from five when they welcome Cooks Hill United to Magic Park on Friday night.
James Cresnar’s men have gone on a winning run after two straight defeats and will be eager to secure another win in their hunt for the premiership.
Magic sits second on the table, seven points behind league leaders Lambton Jaffas, with Charlestown Azzurri on their coattails by two points.
Broadmeadow leads the competition with goals scored as they have netted 42 in 12 matches, with Bailey Wells and Jayden Stewardson in the top five of the golden boot race.
But the side has also conceded more goals than any of the top four sides which is something that they have wanted to improve on.
The last time these two sides met in the competition in round three, Magic narrowly took all three points in a 4-3 thriller. Another hotly contested battle is expected again under Friday night lights as well as plenty of goals.
Cooks Hill continues to prove themselves against the best teams after they narrowly went down 3-2 to Jaffas last week in round 13.
The side sits ninth on the table with nine points and trails Maitland in eighth position by five points.
A win against Magic would be a big boost for Cookers as it would help them stay in touch with the teams above them, extend the gap with those below and reduce their risk of falling into the relegation zone.
It will be important for Cooks Hill’s defensive unit to shut down the onslaught of attacking options Magic have as they search to keep their first clean sheet of the season.
Lake Macquarie City FC v Charlestown Azzurri
Macquarie Field, Saturday 4pm
Lake Macquarie City FC will be looking to cause an upset when they host Charlestown Azzurri at Macquarie Field on Saturday.
The last time these two sides went head-to-head in the competition, Azzurri walked away with a 4-1 win.
The Roosters have shown big signs of improvement as the competition has progressed but have failed to pick up the points to show for it, which will be something that they are eager to change this weekend.
Pete Preston’s side put it to Broadmeadow Magic FC last week in round 13 after they went 1-0 up against the second-placed side. But they were unable to hold onto their lead and went down 3-1 in the end.
But Preston has been pleased with how much his side has improved and is hopeful that they can work their way out of the relegation zone and move up the table. They sit 11th on the table with three points but could move up to 10th if they can secure a win and other results go their way.
Azzurri looked to have well and truly returned to form after a small dip in results and enters Saturday’s match off the back of five games undefeated.
James Pascoe’s side sits third on the table, nine points behind league leaders Lambton Jaffas and trails Broadmeadow Magic in second by two points.
Valentine FC v Adamstown Rosebud FC
Croudace Bay Complex, Saturday 5pm
Valentine FC will look to make it back-to-back wins when they host bottom-of-the-table side Adamstown Rosebud FC at Croudace Bay Complex on Saturday afternoon.
The Phoenix snapped their five-game losing streak last weekend after a 2-0 win over New Lambton FC.
Adam Hughes was pleased with his side’s resilience to bounce back and acknowledged the impact his new recruits have already made on his side.
A win for the Pheonix could see them leapfrog Edgeworth back into fourth position on the table if other results go their way.
Adamstown finds themselves at the other end of the table and is desperate to pick up points to avoid relegation at the end of the season.
Rosebud continues to sit at the foot of the table with two points and are one point behind Lake Macquarie City FC in 11th position.
The side has had some big changes in the last couple of weeks including a new head coach Chris Moylan and new players recruited.
Since taking over as head coach, Moylan’s side has had a 2-0 loss to Lambton Jaffas in the Australia Cup, a 4-0 loss to Charlestown Azzurri and a 7-0 loss to Edgeworth FC.
Moylan and everyone at the club will be hopeful that they can turn their fortunes around and score a vital upset against Valentine away from home.
Maitland FC v New Lambton FC
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 5:30pm
New Lambton will hope to rock the boat for a second time this week when they travel to Cooks Square Park to take on Maitland FC on Saturday.
The Golden Eagles will enter the match full of confidence after they had a 1-1 draw with league leaders Lambton Jaffas. They are the first side in the competition to take points off the Jaffas in the 2024 season.
Shane Pryce’s side continues to sit 10th on the table with five points and trails Cooks Hill United by four points.
New Lambton will be eager to secure a vital three points for their campaign and close the gap between themselves and the rest of the competition.
The last time these two sides met in round three of the competition, Maitland came from behind to secure a last-minute 2-1 victory with two stoppage-time goals.
Maitland also has a quick turnaround between games as they went head-to-head with Charlestown Azzurri to score a 2-2 draw on Wednesday night.
Mick Bolch’s side has had mixed results so far this season and find themselves in the middle of the table.
A win will be crucial for the Magpies to keep up with the congested table and begin to build their way into finals contention.
Newcastle Olympic v Weston Workers FC
Darling Street Oval, Sunday 2:30pm
Newcastle Olympic will be eager to bounce back when they host Weston Workers FC at Darling Street Oval on Sunday afternoon.
Olympic suffered their worst loss of the season in round 12 after they went down 4-0 to Edgeworth FC.
They will be desperate to regroup before Sunday’s match-up and return to the winner’s circle to keep up with the congested finals race. A win for Olympic could see them move up to fifth on the table if other results go their way.
The last time these two sides went head-to-head in the competition, Olympic walked away with a 1-0 win away from home. The Bears will want to get their revenge at Darling Street and return back to Rockwell Automation Park with nothing less than a victory.
Weston has continued to have an inconsistent season but will enter this weekend’s match with some confidence after a 1-0 win over Maitland FC in round 13.
They are seventh on the table but three points could see them climb back up the table and ease the pressure of the teams chasing them below.
With one point separating the two sides, the two sides will be desperate to secure three points.