Match of the Round
Charlestown Azzurri v Weston Bears
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
Broadmeadow Magic 2-1 Lambton Jaffas
Broadmeadow Magic head coach Jim Cresnar believes his side has a lot to work on but viewed their last gasp 2-1 victory over Lambton Jaffas at Magic Park on Sunday as a valuable result for their season.
Facing off for the Elders Real Estate Charity Shield, it was clear from the outset that the defending champions would be in for a difficult afternoon, the visitors form over the last few weeks seeing them hit the ground running.
While the Jaffas’ attack generated chances, the defence and midfield also held their shape well, with James Oates and Lawson Weeks proving up to the task of wrangling dangerous striker Luis Lara Delgado.
Despite this early dominance, it would be Magic who would get on the board first in the 20th minute, as a brilliant move from Ezra Palombini saw Riley Smith get the ball past goalkeeper Ben Kennedy.
Jaffas kept up the rage with Oates proving particularly effective at launching attacks from deep, but the hosts held out a late surge through some brilliant saves from goalkeeper Daniel Axford to lead 1-0 at half-time.
Jaffas started the second half frenetically, bombarding the Magic box for the opening ten minutes of the half but they encountered fierce resistance from Tom Beecham, Will Ingram and Ben Diamond.
After 11 corners and 15 shots on goal, the visitors still couldn’t find their equaliser, getting increasingly desperate as Magic tried to break out, looking to find their second goal to reward their tenacious defensive effort.
In the 92nd minute, a Jaffa corner saw Oates hit the woodwork, but Joseph Langlois, who’d been in a tense matchup with Jeremy Wilson in the midfield, found himself in the right place to finally get the ball past Axford to equalise at the death.
But with the final play of the game, Magic's Josef Cresnar whipped in a cross that found substitute striker Jarred Baker, who buried the ball in the bottom corner to break Jaffa hearts.
It was a devastating end to an incredible effort from Lambton, with head coach David Tanchevski lamenting the result as one that got away, even though it showed how much his side had improved in their playing intensity and form.
“[It was] disappointing. I thought we were the better team today to be honest,” Tanchevski said.
“We fought so hard to get back into it, and then just a lapse of concentration the last minute. [It was a] pretty cruel way for our boys to lose a good battle, they put a lot of effort into it.
“But, really happy with the performance. They [Magic] were dangerous on transition, apart from that we limited their chances. We just didn't take the chances that we needed to and [we had] a few slip ups at the wrong time.
“We wanted to see where we are [with] the benchmark of the best team in the comp at the moment. I thought we at least matched them, if not bettered them today.
“That's a good stepping block for us to move into next week.”
While Cresnar acknowledged the Jaffas effort, he was impressed with the defensive effort shown, the result opening a critical five-point lead for his side at the top of the table.
“We just didn't play well today,” Cresnar said.
“They [Jaffas] outmatched us in certain parts of the game, and they had probably a bit more enthusiasm than we did.
“[But] overall, it was great to get the result, I thought the defence really held up very, very well. Proud of our defensive line, [Tom] Beecham, Ben Diamond, Will [Ingram] and Adam [Sherratt] as well. We held them really well.
“I think the weather's going to play a part going forward because the conditions will change in terms of how you can play. We're going to try to balance that out.”
Magic will have to prepare for a busy fortnight on the road as they play a catch-up game against Valentine FC next Saturday, while Jaffas will have next week off, returning to action when they travel to take on Charlestown Azzurri.
Adamstown Rosebud 2-0 Newcastle Olympic
Adamstown Rosebud head coach Chris Moylan was impressed with his side’s game plan execution as they overcame Newcastle Olympic 2-0 at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday night.
Coming into the weekend looking to achieve consecutive wins for the first time this year, the Buds didn’t have to wait long to get on the scoresheet.
Taj Buck applied pressure to win possession in a dangerous area before picking out Nicolas Gismero with a cross. Gismero made no mistake to give his side a 1-0 lead.
Things quickly spiralled for Olympic when striker Jared Muller and defender Tom Smart were yellow carded in the 27th minute.
Olympic found themselves reduced to 10 players when Muller received a second yellow two minutes later for a clumsy tackle on Dane Lawther.
The Buds pounced off a corner seven minutes later, Kayden Soper capitalising on a ricochet off goalkeeper George Stephens to give the hosts a 2-0 lead going into half-time.
The Buds came out looking for a third goal as they pinned Olympic back in their own half, aiming to put the match beyond doubt.
Olympic’s defence held firm with some strong saves from Stephens, the side making three changes off the bench on the hour mark to try and regather some sort of momentum.
Ultimately, efforts on goal proved few and far between for the visitors, with the Buds maintaining their score to post consecutive wins for the first time this year and climb over Valentine into 10th on the table.
“We stuck to the game plan. It was probably the best half of football we've played,” Moylan said.
“We were very disciplined, and that includes how we wanted to defend from the front, and we got the rewards for that.
“I think we've now got a lot of confidence and belief. It was enjoyable to see the boys perform the way they did.
“That's the most enjoyable thing from a coaching perspective. You can see the hard work starting to pay off. We'll look forward to the next few weeks.”
It was ultimately a match to forget for Olympic, the side slipping to their third consecutive loss, and now losing one of their star strikers for round 15.
They will return home to face a similarly desperate Kahibah FC on Sunday fortnight, while Adamstown prepares for a Hahn Australia Cup showdown with the Rams next Saturday at Fred Wright Oval, before facing Broadmeadow Magic in round 15.
Maitland FC 2-1 Belmont Swansea United
Maitland FC have continued their resurgence in form, overcoming a strong finish from Belmont Swansea United to win 2-1 at Cooks Square Park on Saturday, snapping a two-game losing streak at home.
Maitland came into the match fresh off a win over Weston Bears and faced a BelSwans side that was undefeated on the road, with the home side focusing on maintaining its shape in the opening exchanges as both teams duelled in midfield.
BelSwans’ attack began to grow in confidence, pushing deep on several occasions, but the hosts attempted to counterattack with several long longe range efforts.
Off a Daniel McFarlane free kick in the 42nd minute followed by an Angus Muddle cross to James Thompson, Maitland would get past BelSwans goalkeeper Nathan Archbold to take a 1-0 lead going into the break.
After a seesawing contest, it was a long-range kick ahead from Braedyn Crowley in the 73rd minute that put the nail in the coffin.
Crowley's ball over the top found Regan Lundy, catching Archbold and the defence out of position. Lundy then lobbed the goalkeeper, with the ball dribbling into the net to give the Magpies some breathing space.
BelSwans Marco Gueli would pull one goal back in the final minute of stoppage time off a free kick after some good build-up work from Ian Matthews but ultimately, the visitors would run out of time to pull an equaliser.
Maitland will stay at home for a Hahn Australia Cup clash with Northern Storm next week, while BelSwans will play their round 13 catch-up match away against Cooks Hill on Friday.
Cooks Hill United v Valentine FC
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
Edgeworth Eagles v Kahibah FC
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.