Match of the Round
Lambton Jaffas 0-1 Maitland FC
Maitland FC head coach Adam Hughes is proud of his side’s ability to overcome difficult weather conditions as they defeated Lambton Jaffas 1-0 on Saturday afternoon to secure their sixth consecutive win.
The match quickly became a scrappy affair in the wet conditions, with the Magpies meeting the challenge posed by the hosts. The game became end-to-end, with breakouts and transitions occurring frequently, but with few chances on goal developing.
Transitions proved fruitful for Maitland on the half-hour mark as Cameron Jessup found himself in space following a defensive clearance from a corner. The Magpies defender produced a moment of brilliance, picking out Braedyn Crowley to give the visitors the lead.
Maitland took that advantage into the break but remained wary of a Jaffas side desperate for points to keep their finals hopes alive and armed with a strong bench.
Both teams continued to create opportunities in the second half, though disciplined defending at either end regularly halted promising attacks, while the wet conditions made life difficult for both sides.
The Jaffas turned to their bench on the hour mark, with Maitland also rotating its substitutes throughout the final 20 minutes as both teams searched for the momentum needed to find another goal.
Despite periods of possession for both sides, neither was able to seize control of the contest. With late chances going begging in stoppage time, the scoreline remained unchanged at the final whistle.
The result could prove a significant blow to the Jaffas’ finals hopes, but head coach David Tanchevski understands the ups and downs of a season as a seasoned campaigner and knows there is still plenty for his side to work on, regardless of whether it secures a finals berth in mid-August.
“It's another one, fine margins,” Tanchevski said.
“I've had a bit of a look back at our season and our last five games against top five teams, we've lost by one goal to every one of them. It's just been a story of our season this year.
“You get seasons like this. I've been around long enough to know that you can be on either end of it. We just haven't been able to put the goals in the back of the net and take points from the games when they matter.
“We probably come to the acceptance that we're not going to make the semi-finals this year. For us, it's just a matter of finishing the season off well. I'm really proud of our players.
“We'll keep pushing on. If we don't get this year, then we get to rebuild for next year and start again.”
The result will be a handy one to bank for Hughes, moving over Belmont Swansea United into third and heading into their Wednesday night Hahn Australia Cup round of 32 fixture against Fremantle City on a six-match winning streak.
“The conditions in themselves were tricky to adjust to. We'd never been on that surface before,” Hughes said.
“Lambton are a very strong side. We had to adjust on the run to adapt.
“It was a tough encounter, and we were fortunate enough to score in a good moment.
“The belief is there, and I thought it was like a stranglehold of a game in certain moments, [but we] were collectively very well organised on the park.
“They did have their moments, as did we. The way the group handled it, you can see the belief is there in their eyes.”
Lambton will travel to face Cooks Hill United on Saturday, while Maitland, after the Hahn Australia Cup fixture, will return home to welcome a dangerous Broadmeadow Magic outfit the same day in a top-of-the-table thriller.
Weston Bears 5-2 Kahibah FC
Weston Bears assistant coach Nathan Morris is excited by the momentum building as a first-half hat-trick by Chris Hatfield saw his side run out 5-2 winners over Kahibah FC at Hunter City Motor Group Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
One of only two matches to go ahead, the dreary conditions did little to trouble the Bears, who opened the scoring in the fourth minute. A Chris Hurley pass found Luke McCormick, who combined with Hatfield to put the hosts ahead early.
Hatfield doubled his tally 20 minutes later following a well-worked team move, with slick passing in the build-up followed by a composed finish leaving the Rams with plenty to do.
The striker completed his hat-trick just before the break, with brilliant support play from Blake Archbold and Brock Beveridge creating the opportunity. Archbold’s final pass into the path of a sprinting Hatfield caught the Rams’ defence off guard, sending the Bears into half-time with a commanding 3-0 lead.
The goals continued after the restart, with the Bears extending their advantage to 4-0 in the 49th minute. A quick transition allowed McCormick to unleash a strike from outside the box, with the skidding effort beating goalkeeper Jacob Zissis.
The Rams continued to fight despite the deficit and pulled one back in the 52nd minute. A long-range through ball from Robbie Turnbull found Daniel Byrne, who produced a brilliant finish to give the visitors hope.
The hosts quickly extinguished any chance of a comeback in the 65th minute, with Beveridge rising highest to meet a cross and, after a favourable deflection off the woodwork, secure the Bears’ fifth goal.
The visitors had the final say on the scoresheet, producing the goal of the match in the 68th minute as Byrne delivered a spectacular bicycle kick to give the travelling supporters something to celebrate.
The Rams now face a challenging run home as they look to create separation on the table and build a points buffer over Charlestown Azzurri.
For Morris, the Bears putting away both the Rams and Charlestown signals good signs, as they look to the Hahn Australia Cup and the rest of their NPL NNSW season.
“We don't take any teams for granted and especially not that side [the Rams],” Morris said.
“What they've done to sides at times throughout the year, their enthusiasm, their energy levels- they all work for each other. I think it massively contributed to why our preparation was so good. If you're not up for it, you get punished.
“We love to work hard, and we love challenges.
“It's infectious as well. When people are enjoying themselves, they're working harder, and it's just the flow. We were seeing that.
“We weren't so much seeing the results [earlier this year], but the training levels were always there. It was only a matter of time.
“We can go into this week and really prepare for this big game [Hahn Australia Cup] knowing that we're doing well in the league as well.”
The Bears will welcome A-League side Melbourne City to Hunter City Motor Group Stadium in their round of 32 Hahn Australia Cup clash on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Rams return home on Sunday to welcome a dangerous Belmont Swansea United.
Adamstown Rosebud v Valentine FC
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions and will be played on Saturday 1 August.
Cooks Hill United v Broadmeadow Magic
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
Newcastle Olympic v Belmont Swansea United
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
Charlestown Azzurri v Edgeworth Eagles
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.