HIT106.9 Northern League One Round 18 Review: Stags extend lead at the top, Goodchild hat-trick fires Bluebells into third
Match of the Round
Toronto Awaba FC 4-0 Singleton Strikers FC
Toronto Awaba FC have gone 10 points clear at the top of the table with two thirds of the 2023 season now complete after capitalising on a fast start to defeat Singleton Strikers FC 4-0 in the weekend’s Match of the Round on Saturday.
The home side scored two early goals at Lyall Peacock Field as Jarrod Purcell struck first in the 14th minute and then Nick Roberts doubled the Stags’ lead four minutes later.
The two goal-scorers combined in the 36th minute when Roberts doubled his tally to make the score 3-0 after getting onto the end of a Purcell cross.
Singleton changed their shape after that goal and got themselves into the game, and they came out firing as they pushed hard to get on the scoresheet.
But Toronto Awaba weathered that storm and went further ahead in the 68th minute when left wing back Harrison Relf found the back of the net to make the score 4-0.
Toronto Awaba coach Jarrod Hiles was pleased with his team’s performance after they produced one of the best opening 45-minute periods he had seen from them.
“In the first half we were brilliant. It was probably one of the best first halves we’ve played,” Hiles said.
“Our ball movement was good and there was good combination play and good movement, which warranted a 3-0 lead.
“I thought we controlled most of the game. In saying that though, the first 20 minutes of the second half, Singleton came out and had changed their shape and were quite good. But when we got our fourth goal, that was it.
“Our keeper did make some good saves when he had to as well.”
The Stags went into the round on top of the table with a seven-point lead over the Strikers. The victory saw them move 10 points clear at the top as they now sit first on 38 points over second-placed Singleton and third-placed West Wallsend, who are both on 28 points.
“I’m very happy, but we now play West Wallsend on Sunday,” Hiles said.
“You’ve only got to lose one or two games and those 10 points can be eaten away quite quickly. We’d rather be up there than not, but we’ll keep our feet on the ground and take it game by game and turn up against West Wallsend.”
Strikers coach Mick Jarvis lamented too many missed opportunities at Lyall Peacock Field on Saturday but conceded that Toronto Awaba were the better side on the day.
“It was always going to be a tough game for us with no Joe Civello, no Brad Cox, no Jackson Cox, no Marcus Morris. We knew we were relying on a depleted squad,” Jarvis said.
“We then had three come of injured during the game too.
“But we were outplayed. Their energy levels were better than ours. We had the bulk of the possession but just didn’t do enough with it. After half-time, for about 25 minutes, we basically controlled the game. Then they go down our end once and score. They were just more clinical in front of goal.”
Jarvis was pleased with the way his side made a tactical adjustment after the Stags scored their third goal and was also impressed with the performance of Hayden Moorcroft.
Toronto Awaba’s match against West Wallsend SFC will be the only match played on Sunday this weekend as the Stags have a chance to extend their lead even further. The Strikers will host Cessnock City Hornets FC at Howe Park on Saturday.
Thornton Redbacks FC 2-1 Belmont Swansea United FC
Thornton Redbacks FC have finals aspirations in 2023 and they took a positive step towards achieving their goal when they earned a 2-1 victory against Belmont Swansea United FC at Thornton Park on Friday night.
Neither side was able to find the back of the net in the second half as the half-time score remained intact when the final whistle blew.
Diego Cerda opened the scoring in the 37th minute and fellow front man Coby Jenkinson doubled Thornton’s lead a minute later.
“Both goals were nice build-up, multiple passes, nice and direct, which I was pleased to see,” said Nikfarjam.
“We stuck to the process and made those chances to score.”
BelSwans hit back just before half-time when central midfielder Isaac Watts netted a 45th-minute strike to reduce the visitors’ deficit to one.
They were unable to find an equaliser in the second half as the Redbacks held on to secure the three points and leapfrog Cessnock City Hornets FC into eighth on the nine-team ladder.
But Cessnock won 4-2 at home against Wallsend FC on Sunday to overtake both Thornton and BelSwans, which saw the Redbacks finish the weekend at the bottom of the table.
Despite sitting last, Nikfarjam’s men are just two points behind the team ranked fifth as the weekend’s results saw the competition get even tighter heading into the final third of the campaign.
The Redbacks return to Thornton Park for another Friday night game this week when they host South Cardiff FC under lights. BelSwans will be back at Blacksmiths Oval for the first time since May when they welcome Kahibah FC to town on Saturday.
West Wallsend SFC 4-3 South Cardiff FC
West Wallsend SFC and South Cardiff FC produced one of the games of the season at Johnston Park on Sunday with the hosts securing all three points with a 4-3 victory.
A Kane Goodchild hat-trick laid the foundations for the win and a Spencer Clarke strike with two minutes remaining capped it off as the Bluebells scored a memorable comeback victory.
The sides went into half-time locked at 1-1 after Kane Goodchild opened the scoring to give West Wallsend the lead and then the Gunners equalised through Brendon King.
South Cardiff came out firing in the second half and scored in the 47th minute when Jordan Clark found the back of the net, before Anthony Carter gave the visitors a 3-1 lead eight minutes later from a scramble following a corner kick.
Goodchild pulled one back when he got on the end of a brilliant Luke Willard cross and headed the ball home. Goodchild then equalised from the penalty spot after substitute Thomas Sparre was taken down in the box after taking his first touch of the contest.
West Wallsend left it late but got the job done in injury time when they found the winner through Clark, who brought down a Sparre cross in the box and buried it to make the final score 4-3.
“It was an unreal feeling,” Cox said.
“We were all over them in the first 25 minutes but in the middle section of the game, either side of half-time, we dropped off heaps and Southy really owned it.
“Then the last 25 we were all over them again. Willard whipped in a nice pill and Goody headed it in at the back stick and we went on from there.
“The ticker we showed was what I was most proud of. We were honestly rubbish in the 20 minutes after half-time and we were 3-1 down but we didn’t give up.”
West Wallsend climbed the ladder above Kahibah FC into third place following that win and now trail second-placed Singleton Strikers FC only on goal difference, while South Cardiff remained fifth.
The Gunners will be hoping to bounce back this Friday night when they travel to Thornton Park to challenge the Redbacks. West Wallsend will also play away from home when they meet ladder leaders Toronto Awaba FC at Lyall Peacock Field on Sunday.
Cessnock City Hornets FC 4-2 Wallsend FC
Cessnock City Hornets FC won a six-goal thriller on home soil at Turner Park to move off the bottom of the ladder when they defeated Wallsend FC 4-2 on Sunday.
The Hornets entered the round ranked eighth in the nine-team competition but dropped to last on Friday night after Thornton Redbacks FC climbed off the bottom with a 2-1 win over Belmont Swansea United FC.
But Cessnock knew they would overtake Thornton, BelSwans and Wallsend if they got the job done.
The Hornets led 2-1 at the half-time break and then scored two quick goals close to the hour mark to go ahead 4-1.
Wallsend added a second goal late in the game but the Hornets got the job done.
Cessnock are now sixth and can break into the top five this Saturday when they meet Singleton Strikers FC at Howe Park. Wallsend dropped to seventh and have the bye this weekend.
Bye – Kahibah FC
