Match of the Round
Belmont Swansea United 1-0 Broadmeadow Magic
Belmont Swansea United head coach Mick Stafford labelled Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Broadmeadow Magic at Blacksmiths Oval as the best win of his decade-long involvement with the club after his side secured a dramatic last-minute winner.
Both sides entered the match fully aware of its significance. For Belmont Swansea United, a victory in front of a vocal crowd would keep alive their hopes of reeling in Broadmeadow Magic, while the league leaders knew three points would all but secure an unassailable advantage at the top of the table.
Both teams looked to stamp their authority on the contest from the outset, with the match quickly developing into a fiercely contested, end-to-end battle.
BelSwans’ counterattacking threat, which has been a hallmark of their season, kept Magic on high alert throughout the opening half. Goalkeeper Daniel Axford and the Broadmeadow defence stood firm, while the visitors enjoyed more shots and corner opportunities as they looked to gain the upper hand.
The hosts’ backline continued to repel everything that came their way and the goalless scoreline at the break was a fair reflection of a tightly contested first half.
But the intensity lifted another level after half-time.
BelSwans continued to look dangerous on the break, with Marco Gueli and Andrew McGee becoming increasingly influential as they found space in attacking areas and drove the hosts forward.
But after weathering an early barrage of attack, Magic used their favourable field position as they gained several corners in quick succession to pin the hosts back.
As the match entered its final 15 minutes, the tension around Blacksmiths Oval became palpable. Broadmeadow, chasing a breakthrough, grew increasingly frustrated and began to make uncharacteristic errors, while BelSwans fed off the energy of the home crowd and started to sense a famous result was within reach.
Despite earning nine corners and forcing a string of important saves from Belswans goalkeeper Nathan Archbold, as well as desperate defensive interventions from Christopher Fayers and Adam Blunden, Magic could not find a way through.
With the contest seemingly destined to finish scoreless the decisive moment arrived in the final minute of regular time as McGee stepped up.
Fresh from defending a Magic corner, BelSwans launched a swift counterattack that would ultimately decide the contest. McGee surged into the penalty area and found a way past Axford, with his effort striking the woodwork before bouncing into the back of the net to deliver one of the most significant goals of the season.
With four minutes of stoppage time to navigate, Magic threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, having rescued late results on numerous occasions throughout the campaign.
But Archbold stood tall, producing a series of crucial saves to preserve BelSwans’ advantage. When the final whistle sounded, the home crowd erupted as players and supporters celebrated a memorable 1-0 victory.
The result sees BelSwans climb to second on the table, having successfully navigated a difficult fortnight that saw them claim points over Weston Bears the week before.
“I think that's the best win I've had, I've been involved [with] in the club in 10 years,” Stafford said.
“In my opinion, that's bigger than some grand finals in [HIT106.9] Northern League One.
“[Magic are] a top club. They're champions for a reason over the last few years. To hold them to a clean sheet and get the winner at the end, it's just hard work and determination. I couldn't be prouder.
“Anyone who was here could see the crowd we've got here and how spirited the performance was from the boys with the crowd behind them. They worked so hard for that win.
“The main thing to take away is the clean sheet. It's only our second one for the season and to get it against Magic, I think, is another box tick for us.
“We just keep building and keep dreaming.”
The result proved a devastating end for Magic, snapping an unbeaten streak that stretched all the way back to round one. Despite the disappointment, the defending champions still hold a five-point lead at the top of the table but know a big reply will be needed next week.
“Well done to Belmont [Swansea United],” Magic head coach Jim Cresnar said.
“[It was] a great result for them. It was a very disappointing performance for us.”
Magic will look to bounce back on Sunday when they take on Weston Bears at Magic Park, while BelSwans will head back on the road when they play Charlestown Azzurri at Lisle Carr Oval on Saturday.
Maitland FC 1-0 Newcastle Olympic
Newcastle Olympic’s head coach Alex Tagaroulias said he would take a lot of positives from the weekend despite his side going down 1-0 to a high-flying Maitland FC at Cooks Square Park on Sunday afternoon.
The two sides came into the game with markedly contrasting fortunes, the Magpies on a three-match winning streak with a chance to climb into second while Olympic battled to stay out of the relegation zone.
Things could hardly have started better for Maitland, who struck inside the opening three minutes. A corner caused chaos in the Olympic penalty area, with Joel Thompson reacting quickest to a favourable bounce off several defenders before arriving at the back post to head home and hand the Magpies an early 1-0 lead.
Buoyed by the breakthrough, Maitland continued to apply pressure and looked dangerous whenever they ventured forward. But the early setback appeared to jolt Olympic into action, with the visitors regaining their composure and tightening up defensively to withstand the Magpies' sustained attacking threat.
The visitors would only manage one attempt at the hosts’ goal late in the half, heading down the tunnel with work to do, the Thompson goal the only difference at half-time.
Olympic came out more confident, building into the game and playing with more security in the back. But chances on goal proved hard to come by early on, with Maitland continuing to threaten.
Chances for Olympic grew as the half went on, with the visitors growing bolder and unloading the bench in the final 10 minutes to produce an equaliser.
Despite both sides creating chances throughout the contest, neither could add to the scoreline, with Maitland's early goal proving decisive. The 1-0 victory secured the Magpies a fourth consecutive win and strengthened their grip on a top four position.
While the result was disappointing for Olympic, Tagaroulias took encouragement from aspects of his side's performance, believing there were positive signs that could provide a platform for improved results in the weeks ahead.
“We've got to take some positives out of the way the team came back,” Tagaroulias said.
“I thought in the latter part of the first half we started to get a foothold in the game. Then I thought [in] the second half, we dominated it.
“The last couple of weeks have been tough. We haven't got the results that we wanted. But the guys have responded well. They've trained well, they're a positive lot.
“We just have to keep working and see if we can become a bit more ruthless and a bit more efficient in certain areas of the park and hope that the results follow with that.”
Olympic will return to Darling Street Oval to take on Cooks Hill United on Saturday, while Maitland will travel to Fred Wright Oval to play Kahibah FC.
Cooks Hill United 3-3 Weston Bears
A high-flying Cooks Hill United and a rebounding Weston Bears could not be separated after an entertaining 3-3 draw at Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field on Saturday.
After a frustrating couple of weeks, the Bears made a positive start, taking the game to their opponents early and applying sustained pressure in attacking areas.
Cooks Hill held out and managed a few ventures of their own until the 32nd minute, when Chris Hatfield capitalised on a well-worked corner and a favourable bounce off the woodwork to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
It would barely last two minutes as the hosts, galvanised into action, equalised through a brilliant piece of work by Stephen Hoyle against the run of play. The veteran beat two defenders and the goalkeeper before calmly finishing to score.
The Bears replied through Luke McCormick who, after threatening from the midfield multiple times across the first half, was rewarded with a goal on transition to give his team a 2-1 lead at half-time.
The Bears' transitional game continued to work wonders, as a McCormick strike in the 55th minute, deflected by Daniel Eisenhauer, found an unmarked Brock Beveridge, who put the ball away easily to extend his side’s lead out to 3-1.
But the hosts gradually wrestled back control of the contest, using their territorial advantage and growing momentum to apply sustained pressure on the Bears' defence.
After both sides turned to their benches, the visitors' hopes of claiming all three points suffered a major setback in the 83rd minute.
A defensive lapse was punished from a corner, with substitute Liam Wilson reacting quickest to find the back of the net and set up a grandstand finish.
With momentum on their side, a 92nd-minute handball in the penalty area saw the referee point to the penalty spot, with Hoyle making no mistake to find the critical equaliser.
The Bears will stay on the road when they travel to face Broadmeadow Magic on Sunday.
Cooks Hill will play their rescheduled round seven match against Charlestown Azzurri on Wednesday before travelling to take on Newcastle Olympic on Saturday.
Lambton Jaffas 1-1 Adamstown Rosebud
Lambton Jaffas have held onto their top five position despite a determined performance from Adamstown Rosebud, the sides unable to be separated in their 1-1 draw at Arthur Edden Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Coming into the match fresh off a disappointing 5-1 loss to Broadmeadow Magic, the Buds started the game strongly, weathering several early forays by Jaffas into their end of the field.
Their hardworking defence was rewarded at the other end of the pitch in the 13th minute as a brilliant piece of transitional football saw Christopher Reay set up Taj Buck, the winger gliding the ball past goalkeeper Ben Kennedy to take the lead.
Undeterred, Jaffas remained committed to their game plan but the Buds’ defence proved a difficult unit to break down, with Dane Lawther and Tom Smart standing firm to limit the hosts to few clear sights of goal.
But persistence from set pieces paid off in the 39th minute. A Mitchell Rooke free kick found defender Thomas Waller, who made no mistake in converting to level the scores at 1-1 heading into half-time.
The Buds responded strongly after the restart, making several early incursions into Jaffas territory but the hosts were quick to reply in kind as the match developed into an entertaining end-to-end contest.
With both sides well-matched defensively, the game ultimately became a test of efficiency in front of goal. Despite creating a number of opportunities between them, neither side was able to find a breakthrough, with the draw a fair reflection of a tightly contested and hard-fought encounter.
The result proved enough for the Buds to climb out of the bottom two. Adamstown will now turn their attention to Edgeworth Eagles on Saturday.
Lambton, after playing their rescheduled round 13 match against Edgeworth on Tuesday night, will travel to Croudace Bay to take on Valentine FC on Saturday.
Valentine FC 2-1 Edgeworth Eagles
Valentine FC emerged as the big winners of the weekend, securing their first home win of the year in a 2-1 result over Edgeworth Eagles on Saturday afternoon.
Both sides came into the fixture at Croudace Bay Complex with a point to prove, the visitors fresh off a shock home loss to Cook Hill United, while the hosts had turned a corner since their round nine win over Charlestown Azzurri.
It was a perfect start for the Eagles when, after applying early pressure, an Aaron Niyonkuru free kick found defender Matthew Jones in the box, his header going past goalkeeper Brodie Volkiene to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
It proved to spark the Phoenix into action, the side settling in the midfield and easing themselves into the game.
The match turned into a brilliant end-to-end contest, as Valentine started to threaten at the end of the half but the Eagles held on to head into the sheds with their lead intact.
The match restarted in much the same way as it ended, as the Eagles looked for the final breakthrough to give themselves some breathing space.
But as the visitors made several changes at the 70th minute, the Phoenix began to spend more time in Edgeworth’s territory, their confidence growing of finding an equaliser.
Their injection of substitutes tipped the scales in the 82nd minute, as a transitional play from deep in their own half saw Ethan Vidler find substitute striker Kurtis White, who produced a bullet of a strike to draw the Phoenix level.
With the crowd behind them, the hosts’ energy rose, and White’s effort was bettered in the 88th minute when an attempted Eagles clearance found midfielder Joseph Melmeth, who ended a strong night with a strike from outside the penalty area to give Valentine their first home win.
The result sees Valentine climb to eighth and equal their total number of wins last year with six rounds still to play. They will host Lambton Jaffas on Saturday, while Edgeworth, following their rescheduled round 13 match against the Jaffas on Tuesday night, will host Adamstown Rosebud at home on Saturday.
Kahibah FC 4-1 Charlestown Azzurri
Kahibah FC delivered a massive 4-1 win at home over Charlestown Azzurri in the final match of the weekend on Sunday afternoon.
Both sides came in desperate to turn their recent form around, the Blues coming in off a three-match losing streak, while the Rams snapped a five-match losing streak in their 3-3 draw last week with Newcastle Olympic.
Rams striker Jilles Bos netted his side’s first off some brilliant transitional work in the 19th minute, his strike bouncing favourably off the woodwork to take the lead.
But it would last barely 20 minutes, as Azzurri’s Jackson Frendo mopped up a messy corner with an equally brilliant strike in the 35th minute, the sides heading into the break with a 1-1 scoreline.
After an entertaining first half that threatened to see a flurry of goals, the second half delivered.
A Blues defensive error in the 53rd minute, saw substitute Rams striker Daniel Byrne set up Jackson Burston in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Samuel Esquilant, the Kahibah forward making no mistake.
The injection of Matthew Homer into the midfield with Billy Eick and Robbie Turnbull proved effective, their work rate seeing the Rams survive several attacking efforts from the Blues.
In the 65th minute, Eick and Burston set up Byrne off a slick attacking move, the resulting goal giving the Rams some breathing space.
In the 88th minute, a moment of brilliant counterattack secured the Rams fourth and final goal, with Burston’s build up work setting up Byrne off a cross, the substitute striker’s header making the win comprehensive.
The result sees the Rams climb off the bottom of the table, with the Blues taking their place thanks to several other results across the weekend.
Kahibah will play their rescheduled round 13 match against Adamstown Rosebud on Wednesday night before they host Maitland FC on Sunday.
The Blues, who also have a rescheduled round seven match against Cooks Hill United on Wednesday night, take on Belmont Swansea United at home on Saturday.