Match of the Round
Belmont Swansea United v Broadmeadow Magic
Blacksmiths Oval, Saturday 3pm
Belmont Swansea United head coach Mick Stafford is encouraged by his side’s recent form as they prepare to host high-flying Broadmeadow Magic at Blacksmiths Oval on Saturday afternoon.
BelSwans return home after three consecutive weeks on the road, carrying strong form as they continue their push for a maiden finals appearance in just their second season in the NPL NNSW.
After going down to Maitland FC to sustain their first loss on the road, Mick Stafford’s men have bounced back well in the last fortnight, defeating Cooks Hill United 3-1 at home before leaving Weston with a 2-2 draw last week.
The BelSwans head coach isn’t resting on his laurels, however, implementing a rotation strategy to keep up the high intensity work rate and keep his side’s legs fresh.
Stafford knows the opportunity to close the gap on Magic and leapfrog Weston Bears into second place is one his side cannot afford to miss. But with Magic setting the pace at the top of the table, he believes the pressure will be on the visitors to maintain their momentum.
“We're excited. We're proud to be where we are,” Stafford said.
“It's through sheer hard work and determination, but it's pretty exciting to say after 15 rounds in that we’re right behind Magic and playing for something important at home on a Saturday afternoon.
“We have belief in our group. I'm urging them to enjoy it and play with freedom.
“We're just really going out there and putting our best foot forward, sticking to our principles, really being present and enjoying where we are. There are another 10 clubs behind us that would just dream to be where we are at the moment.
“All the pressure is on Magic to get a result against a smaller club like BelSwans, we will play with total freedom and work harder than before to create another upset.”
Despite opening up an eight-point lead at the top of the table, Magic are set for the most critical fortnight of their entire regular season when they take on BelSwans and Weston in back-to-back weeks.
The side responded well to their 1-1 draw with Valentine FC in round 14, overcoming a determined first-half challenge from Adamstown Rosebud before running out 5-1 winners at Adamstown Oval last weekend.
Head coach Jim Cresnar has plenty to ponder about, with Jeremy Wilson working his way back to full fitness and Keanu Moore also working his way back from injury.
On the flipside, the Magic coach also has a strong contingent of weapons to call upon as he looks to consolidate Broadmeadow’s top-of-the-table position and expects a big challenge from the hosts after the two sides walked away with a 2-2 draw in their last encounter.
“The next two weeks are crucial for us, but we've got to take it week by week,” Cresnar said.
“The game against BelSwans, if we get a good result, will make it difficult for them in terms of result-wise or points-wise.
“They've got a really unique style [in the way] they play, they’ve got their strengths, and they've got some good players.
“We've got to make sure we match that, and there are areas that we need to work on in particular.”
Maitland FC v Newcastle Olympic
Cooks Square Park, Sunday 1pm
Maitland FC head coach Adam Hughes knows no results are going to come easy in 2026 when his side welcomes a desperate Newcastle Olympic to Cooks Square Park on Sunday.
The Magpies climbed into fourth on the table over the weekend after overcoming a determined Valentine FC 1-0 at home, the win marking their third consecutive three-point result.
The side now only sits two points behind Belmont Swansea United and Weston Bears, and should either side lose, Maitland has the potential to climb as high as second place.
Maitland will be optimistic of a result given their effort off the park and recent success, but Hughes isn’t getting ahead of himself, having navigated similarly difficult results last year before only just sneaking into the finals.
“The group are very well connected at the moment,” Hughes said.
“The way that they're working at training and in games, it's evident. We've put our heads down and just keep working hard. It's good to see the group in this type of form at the moment.
“The message is it's one game at a time. We don't get ahead of ourselves; we’re focused on Olympic.
“They've got quality all over their team. It's something that we are not going to take lightly, that's for sure.
“We have to keep turning up week in, week out and putting in a top performance because, from top to bottom, there's not a lot of difference. You can turn up on a match day and not get the result because it could be you haven't worked hard enough.
“We have to prepare well. We have our style of play, they have theirs. It's something that hopefully we're on the better end of it at the end of the contest.”
Newcastle Olympic finally ended their three-match losing streak last week, their 3-3 draw with Kahibah FC giving the side a valuable point to climb over Charlestown into eighth on the table.
But given how intense the log jam is in the middle of the table, new head coach Alex Tagaroulias knows the side cannot rest on its laurels, with only three points separating them from the bottom of the table.
With the side set to face off against an improving Cooks Hill United side, BelSwans and Broadmeadow Magic inside the next month, Olympic will likely look to target this fixture and see if they can take a surprise three points back down the New England Highway.
Cooks Hill United v Weston Bears
Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field, Saturday 2pm
One of the round’s most compelling matchups takes centre stage on Saturday afternoon,
as a firing Cooks Hill United welcome Weston Bears to Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field.
The Bears sit in second coming into the fixture, with only goal difference separating them from Belmont Swansea United to stay in that position, after the sides managed a 2-2 draw in Weston last week.
The side is set to head into a difficult period of the season, with this weekend kickstarting a month that will see them play Broadmeadow Magic and Lambton Jaffas in back-to-back weeks.
Weston has only achieved one victory in their last five games, but the law of averages and results suggest the visitors has the firepower to put teams away, and they will need to be at their best to put down a rampaging Cooks Hill.
The hosts, by comparison, have won four of their last five games, the only blemish being their 3-1 loss to BelSwans in early June.
But the Jamie Dunning-coached side bounced back in impressive fashion, claiming a 1-0 win over Edgeworth Eagles in one of the results of the round.
Thanks to that result and Jaffas' win at Charlestown, the hosts are only three points outside of finals calculations, and with a favourable run of games in the next fortnight, if there is ever a time to spring a critical win on the likes of a top-three side like the Bears, it is now.
Lambton Jaffas v Adamstown Rosebud
Arthur Edden Oval, Saturday 2pm
After climbing above Edgeworth Eagles into the top five, Lambton Jaffas head coach David Tanchevski is focused on his side maintaining their momentum when they welcome Adamstown Rosebud to Arthur Edden Oval on Saturday.
Following a slow start to the season, the Jaffas appear to be finishing strongly once again, with three wins from their last four matches as they head into the final six weeks of the campaign.
Lambton will have a tricky four weeks ahead, taking on the likes of improving sides in Valentine FC, as well as consecutive games against Weston Bears and Maitland FC.
While they will go into the weekend with the edge on paper, it would be a mistake to underestimate the Buds, and the hosts are likely well aware of that.
Despite the heavy scoreline against Broadmeadow Magic last week, Adamstown have been solid over the past month, picking up wins over Charlestown Azzurri and Newcastle Olympic, as well as a draw with BelSwans.
They are likely to be well prepared for a physical contest, particularly after things unravelled late against Magic, and will see this fixture as an important opportunity before a challenging fortnight against Edgeworth and Maitland.
Valentine FC v Edgeworth Eagles
Croudace Bay Complex, Saturday 4.30pm
Valentine FC will be a team on a mission for multiple reasons when they welcome Edgeworth Eagles to Croudace Bay Complex on Saturday afternoon.
Currently sitting in 11th on the table, the last few weeks have seen the Phoenix deliver improved performances, claiming their third win of the year against Weston Bears, and draws against Belmont Swansea United and Broadmeadow Magic.
But despite offering plenty of competition, the young side finally stumbled against Maitland FC last week, a momentary defensive lapse capitalised on by the Magpies the only moment that separated the sides.
Although the hosts were dealt a setback last week, their form has remained solid, and with just two points separating them from eighth-placed Olympic, the Phoenix need another big scalp to build momentum for a positive run home.
The Eagles would represent a valuable scalp as the hosts chase their first home win of the year, but the visitors will arrive at Croudace Bay knowing they need a result, particularly after back-to-back defeats to Magic and Cooks Hill United.
The losses have seen Edgeworth slip out of the top five, with Maitland and Lambton Jaffas both overtaking them in quick succession, having only recently been closing in on BelSwans.
It is not panic stations for Edgeworth just yet, with three of their next four matches coming against sides below them on the table, but head coach Peter McGuinness will know they need to capitalise to get back to where they want to be.
Kahibah FC v Charlestown Azzurri
Fred Wright Oval, Sunday 3pm
Closing out the weekend’s action is arguably one of the most important fixtures of the season for both sides, as Kahibah FC begin a busy fortnight at home when they welcome Charlestown Azzurri to Fred Wright Oval on Sunday.
Blues head coach Josh Rufo called this upcoming fixture a contender for Charlestown’s biggest game of the year and looking where it sits in the context of their season, it is hard to disagree.
The Blues face a demanding stretch, starting this weekend before Cooks Hill United midweek, followed by matches against Belmont Swansea United, Newcastle Olympic midweek and Cooks Hill again.
With the side only one point away from the relegation side of the table, every win counts, and that is even more so the case for Kahibah.
The Rams will be glad to be back at home after snapping a five-match losing streak with a 3-3 draw against Olympic, ending a fortnight of being held scoreless.
But if the newcomers are to survive for a second year in NPL, the next month is the most critical.
In addition to the Blues, the side will also host Adamstown Rosebud in a catch-up fixture and Maitland FC next week, before an away trip to Valentine FC the following week, meaning results need to come quickly.
Kahibah arguably have the most difficult final four rounds of the season in consecutive matches against Weston Bears, BelSwans, Magic and Cooks Hill.
There are no ifs or buts: their push to build momentum and secure their NPL NNSW position starts now.