Match of the Round
Broadmeadow Magic FC 4-0 New Lambton FC
Broadmeadow Magic’s head coach Jim Cresnar declared that his side underperformed but was pleased with a second clean sheet in four days when they defeated New Lambton FC 4-0 at Magic Park on Friday night.
Backing up after a 2-0 win away from home against Valentine FC in a rescheduled round 10 match on Tuesday night, Magic scored two goals either side of the half-time break in the match of the round and managed to keep their third clean sheet of the campaign.
The Golden Eagles created the best chance of the opening 20 minutes when Kent Harrison swooped on a misplaced Magic pass in his attacking third and forced a save out of Lewis Alvarez with a shot from a tight angle, but that was the visiting side’s only shot on goal all game.
Magic’s left fullback Will Ingram scored his second goal in as many games in the 26th minute when he blasted in a volley from an even tighter angle and he doubled his side’s lead in injury time with a back-stick tap-in after New Lambton failed to deal with a Riley Smith cross from the right.
The away side’s hopes of securing their first win of the campaign took a hit five minutes into the second stanza when Caleb Reed was red-carded after a clumsy challenge on Cody Nancarrow and they went down to 10 men for the fourth time in 10 games.
The Golden Eagles managed to lift after the send-off but Smith ensured Magic would secure all three points when he stormed into the penalty area and buried a strike into the bottom-left corner in the 76th minute.
Magic substitute Jayden Stewardson then added the fourth and final goal of the game with a powerful volley from outside the box a minute into injury time to make the final score 4-0.
Despite the one-sided scoreline, Cresnar was not overly convinced with his side’s performance and commended New Lambton on the way they played.
“I think at times we struggled and they [New Lambton] outplayed us and we were lucky enough to get a result,” Cresnar said.
“We got lucky with some things that went our way but we managed to score four goals.
“We’re not playing well at the moment. We’re just struggling. Our backline was solid I thought. There were some good individual performances but as a team we struggled.”
New Lambton’s coach Shane Pryce thought his side impressed in patches but were punished by a quality side in moments when they were not at their best.
“In patches again we were pretty good, but it’s just those moments where we’re not that we get punished,’ Pryce said.
“I thought that their first goal, from that angle, was a great strike but we could have dealt with it better, and the second goal, the way they got in behind was the first problem and then we didn’t deal with the cross again.
“Magic dominated field position and possession, which is what we knew they were going to do. They’re the number one side in the competition. But I just think their first two goals, we could have been better.
“The red card six minutes into the second half, I don’t think it would have changed the way the game went too much, but it definitely took away our spirit.
“We did actually have a good patch with 10 players for a while. I can’t fault my players’ attitude and the way they approached going down to 10 men.
“If we can approach upcoming games with that vigour, we’ll be competitive.”
New Lambton are still last on the table with two points, six behind 11th-placed Valentine FC. Their next match is a rescheduled round 10 clash against Newcastle Olympic at Darling Street Oval on Wednesday, June 11.
Broadmeadow remain on top of the table after scoring their ninth straight win and will be in action this Saturday in the Australia Cup when they meet Maitland FC at Cooks Square Park.
Belmont Swansea United FC 2-1 Valentine FC
Belmont Swansea United coach Mick Stafford could not have been any prouder of his men after they scored their second win of the season on Saturday night, defeating Valentine FC 2-1 at Croudace Bay Complex.
A match that was scheduled to be played on BelSwans’ home soil was relocated to their opponent’s turf as Blacksmiths Oval was still affected by the recent wet weather.
Valentine capitalised on the home-ground advantage as they went into the half-time break with a 1-0 lead after Dean Pettit opened the scoring with a classy volleyed chip in the 25th minute.
BelSwans’ newest signing Drew Patterson impressed in his first game for the club and the American import created the equaliser in the 57th minute when he crossed the ball to Kane Woolston for a tap-in.
Young gun Ian Matthews then scored a pearler of a goal that was worthy of being a match-winner in the 75th minute when he buried a strike from well outside the box into the bottom-right corner to make the score 2-1.
That was the way the score remained at full-time as BelSwans held on to their second win of the season.
“That goal is just Ian Matthews. It was a top draw finish,” Stafford said.
“He’d probably be the best young player in the whole competition. We’re so excited he’s with us. He’s one of our best players and that goal doesn’t surprise us. At that time in the game, we needed someone to step up, and he did.
“The way we played was very pleasing as a coach, especially after the squad hadn’t played in five weeks.
“We’re very mentally strong and we have belief in each other as a group and what we want to do. We’ve worked hard all year on a fitness to be able to run over the top of teams, and we did that this time. The pleasing thing was we completed the task and didn’t concede late.
“The win was huge for us. We’re undefeated in four games now but we hadn’t sung the team song in over three months since round one. It was a great reward for the effort everyone has been putting in.
“It puts us in a really good position now and creates a bit more freedom in how we want to play and what we want to do moving forward.”
The win saw BelSwans jump Adamstown Rosebud into ninth place on the table. They are now one win outside the top five and could enter it if they beat fifth-placed Newcastle Olympic in a rescheduled round 11 match this Friday.
Valentine remain 11th with eight points, and their next match is also against Olympic when they travel to Darling Street Oval in round 15 on Sunday, June 15.
Lambton Jaffas FC 0-2 Edgeworth Eagles FC
A Ryan Feutz brace ensured Edgeworth Eagles stretched their unbeaten start to the season to 10 matches as they took down Lambton Jaffas 2-0 at Arthur Edden Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The reigning golden boot winner and current leading goal-scorer netted each of his goals in the final half-an-hour and could have had a third, only for a brilliant save from Lambton shotstopper Jack Pandel and then later an offside flag.
Feutz opened the scoring in the 69th minute when he beat Myles Gaffney to a bouncing ball in the middle third and charged away before burying his one-on-one strike. He then doubled the lead in the 83rd minute from the penalty spot after he had gotten in behind again and was brought down by Pandel.
The Jaffas created the best chance of the opening half when Shusuke Kirihara got free in the box in the 29th minute, but he could not get his strike on target as Lambton continued to rue missed opportunities in the front third.
Edgeworth’s solid backline didn’t give the hosts too many more chances and the second-placed Eagles kept their seventh clean sheet of the campaign to remain a point behind league leaders Broadmeadow Magic. They have now won eight games and drawn two compared to Magic’s nine wins and one loss.
The Eagles will not be in action this weekend after Bangalow SC forfeited their Australia Cup clash, so their next match will be in the Cup next week against the winner of Saturday’s clash between Weston Bears and Lambton.
The Jaffas are now seventh on the league ladder following their round 14 loss.
Maitland FC 3-1 Adamstown Rosebud FC
Maitland FC continued their ascent with a 3-1 victory against Adamstown Rosebud in front of a home crowd at Cooks Square Park on Saturday night.
The Magpies began the month of May in 10th position on the table but finished it in sixth, level on 14 points with fifth-placed Newcastle Olympic, after holding out a determined Rosebud outfit that made them work until the final whistle.
The hosts opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when skipper Braedyn Crowley charged into the box onto a Daniel McFarlane pass and guided a chipped volley over the head of Adamstown keeper Thomas Jenkin into the back of the net.
Isaac Collins then produced a similar finish from even further out just before the half-time whistle sounded to send Maitland into the break ahead 2-0.
Adamstown’s captain Dino Fajkovic finished off a blistering counter-attack with a composed one-on-one finish in the 68th minute to make the score 2-1.
The Buds lifted and pushed hard for an equaliser during the final 20 minutes, but Crowley put the game to bed in injury time as he added a second goal to make the final score 3-1.
The Magpies are unbeaten in their past four games and have won their past three, and will look to continue their momentum in the Australia Cup this Saturday when they host Broadmeadow Magic.
Adamstown slipped to 10th after their fourth straight loss and will look to bounce back at home this Saturday in a rescheduled round 10 clash against Charlestown Azzurri.
Charlestown Azzurri FC 3-2 Newcastle Olympic FC
The best was left until last with a five-goal thriller on Sunday as Charlestown Azzurri prevailed 3-2 over Newcastle Olympic at a wet and muddy Lisle Carr Oval.
Olympic coach Paul DeVitis was searching for a fast start from his men but they conceded another early goal as Harry Frendo pounced to fire home at the front stick in the second minute to give Azzurri a 1-0 lead after Reece McManus had carved up down the right edge and whipped in a low cross.
Roy O’Donovan showed his class up front for Olympic with a bicycle kick on target in the eighth minute. He then scored the equaliser from the penalty spot in the 12th minute after Kale Bradbery was brought down in the box and had the chance to edge ahead with a volley that struck the crossbar in the 24th minute.
Fellow former Newcastle Jet Taylor Regan then brought the home crowd alive two minutes into stoppage time when he got onto a curling Matt Hoole corner kick and headed Charlestown back in front.
An Olympic handball inside the penalty area the 55th minute gave the hosts a penalty kick and Tyran Cousins buried it to put his side in front 3-1.
But Olympic hit back again in the 76th minute when Jye Rodway stormed onto a Bradbery cutback and picked out the bottom-right corner.
The visitors pushed hard for an equaliser in the final 10 minutes but Azzurri held on to prevail 3-2 and finish the round in fourth place.
Each side will be in action again this week, with Olympic hosting Belmont Swansea United at Darling Street Oval in a rescheduled round 11 match on Friday night before Azzurri travel to Adamstown Oval to challenge the Rosebud in a rescheduled round 10 clash on Saturday afternoon.
Cooks Hill United FC v Weston Bears FC
This match was postponed due to wet weather.
