Match of the Round
Charlestown Azzurri FC v Adamstown Rosebud FC
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility Field Two, Sunday 6pm
Adamstown Rosebud coach Chris Moylan has demanded a positive response following what he described as his side’s worst performance of the season as they prepare to challenge Charlestown Azzurri at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Sunday night.
Adamstown hosted Belmont Swansea United in a relegation battle at Adamstown Oval last Sunday and went down 2-0 to remain in 11th place.
That position on the table is the one that sees an NPL side join three Northern League One teams for a promotion and relegation playoff series, which Adamstown are fully aware of after they featured in it last season.
Moylan said his men were confident they can climb out of that zone before the season’s end, but he knows they will need to go to another level against Azzurri this Sunday.
“I think it’ll be exactly like the first round when we drew 2-all. It’ll be tight,” Moylan said.
“We’ve obviously got a lot to play for, and it’s certainly a game we can look to get points from.
“I enjoyed playing against Charlestown last time. They have some former Buds boys, which makes it interesting.
“Playing out at Speers Point will be good too. We don’t mind playing out there.”
Adamstown were five minutes away from taking the pitch for their rescheduled round 11 match against New Lambton FC at Alder Park on Wednesday night, but that match was called off due to the condition the field was in after the reserve grade clash.
Moylan said his men looked sharp and hungry heading into that clash, which he hoped they would take into this weekend’s game.
“We were so poor against BelSwans. It was probably our worst performance of the season,” Moylan said.
“The conditions weren’t great, but both teams had to play in them, so you can’t take anything away from BelSwans.
“We just didn’t execute, and we didn’t handle the wind or the pitch or anything at all.
“The warm-up last night before we got washed out at New Lambton was probably our best warm-up of the season. The boys were ready to prove a point, trust me.”
Charlestown’s second half of the season slump continued Wednesday night when they lost 2-1 in a rescheduled round 12 clash away from home against Weston Bears.
Kieran Hayes headed in the opener in injury time just before the break, but goals to Blake Archbold in the 62nd minute and substitute Jye King in the 90th sunk Azzurri as they lost their fourth match on the trot and fell from sixth to seventh.
Their finals hopes are almost completely lost following that defeat, but they are still a chance mathematically if they win their two remaining matches.
They will have to do so without several key players, including the injured Taylor Regan, who aggravated a cork against Maitland FC earlier this month, and Tyran Cousins after he was sent off in the loss against Weston.
Coach James Pascoe said no matter who lines up for Azzurri this Sunday, they would be fired up to snap their losing streak.
“Last night’s game is the story of the second half of our season,” Pascoe said.
“The first half was decent, but the second 45 not as good, even though we had some moments. We had three really clear-cut chances at 0-0 and 1-0 up, but when you don’t take them, you leave teams an opportunity. As it turned out, we got done on the bell again.
“It’s disappointing and frustrating, but we also understand the issues we have from a personnel point of view.
“We know now we need to win both games and we need results to go our way, but there’s hope there. The group’s mentality is good. We’re just frustrated with everything that’s been logging up.”
New Lambton FC v Newcastle Olympic FC
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility Field One, Saturday 4pm
Newcastle Olympic coach Paul DeVitis is confident his side will take momentum from a dominant mid-week win into this Saturday’s match against New Lambton FC at the
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility as they look to stay in the finals race.
Olympic took on Cooks Hill United in a rescheduled round 12 clash at the Speers Point facility on Wednesday night and secured a 4-1 victory to climb from seventh into sixth and finish the night three points outside the top five.
Adam Zervas opened the scoring in the third minute with a strike from outside the 18-yard box, but Cooks Hill struck back six minutes later when Josh Benson capitalised on a defensive error.
Jesse Fitzgerald marked his first grade starting debut with a goal that put Olympic back in front in the 29th minute, and Kale Bradbery (77’) and Jye Rodway (86’) then netted classy second-half goals to secure the three points.
The win was Olympic’s second in their past 11 matches, and DeVitis is confident they can now make it two on the trot for the first time since rounds four and five back in March.
“It’s about time,” DeVitis said following the game.
“I thought the game was very good from both teams. We started well and finally managed to score an early goal, which has been something we’ve struggled with this year. It’s happened against us multiple times, so it was nice to score first and set the tempo.
“We scored some good goals, and it was a really good win in the end.
“Now, having just played at Speers Point, playing there this weekend should suit us. In saying that, it’s hard on the body playing on that surface, especially twice in three days, but our players know that we have to win our games by any means necessary, and I think that’s enough motivation to push through any kind of pain they have.”
Olympic were without Roy O’Donovan for the win over Cooks Hill due to a hamstring strain, but they will likely have him back in the side for this Saturday’s clash.
New Lambton’s rescheduled round 11 match against Adamstown Rosebud at Alder Park was washed out on Wednesday night, so they are still last with seven points.
This Saturday’s game is one of three they have remaining, all of which they must win if they are to avoid automatic relegation.
Broadmeadow Magic FC v Valentine FC
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility Field One, Friday 8pm
Broadmeadow Magic have one hand on the premiership and could potentially lock in a first-place finish when they challenge Valentine FC at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Friday night.
This match will kick off round 21 and Broadmeadow enters it three points clear of Edgeworth Eagles with just two matches to play.
A win would extend that gap to six, which would mean Edgeworth would need to beat Weston Bears on Saturday night to push the premiership race out to the final round.
Jim Cresnar’s men have well and truly been the team to beat this season. They lost their round one grand final rematch 1-0 away from home against the Eagles and are undefeated in 19 matches since, with 17 wins and two draws.
They are currently on a five-game winning streak, which is the longest active streak in the league, and it does not look like ending as they now come up against a Valentine side that have conceded 13 goals in their past two games.
The Phoenix are fired up and are eager to avoid a relegation playoff as they prepare to throw everything, they have at the league leaders.
Cas Wright’s side are currently ranked 10th but are just two points clear of the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off series zone, and 11th-placed Adamstown Rosebud have a game in hand on them.
A win or even a draw would boost Valentine’s chances of survival, but they are going to need to produce a performance beyond anything they have been able to put on the park all season if they are to deny Broadmeadow the three points.
Maitland FC v Belmont Swansea United FC
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility Field Two, Saturday 4pm
Maitland FC will be looking to continue an impressive second half of the season run when they meet Belmont Swansea United at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday evening.
This is the only match played across the weekend between two teams coming off a win, and they are both fired up and eager to score another one.
BelSwans’ 2-0 victory away from home against Adamstown Rosebud on Sunday saw them snap a seven-game winless run and secure their second clean sheet on the trot, while also boosting their hopes of survival as they moved five points clear of the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off series spot.
But their defence will need to go to yet another level this weekend against a Maitland side that have netted 13 goals in their past four games and have won three of them.
The Magpies are currently ranked fifth with three games left to play, and they could finish this weekend as high as fourth or as low as sixth.
They took down Belmont Swansea 3-1 when they travelled out to Blacksmiths Oval for a rescheduled round 10 match just over two weeks ago, and they will be searching for a similar performance and result on Saturday.
Weston Bears FC v Edgeworth Eagles FC
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility Field One, Saturday 6pm
Edgeworth Eagles will be fighting to keep their premiership hopes alive when they challenge Weston Bears at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday night.
The Eagles were unbeaten and on top of the table after 17 matches, but two losses in their past three games have left them three points behind league leaders Broadmeadow Magic with just two matches to play.
Edgeworth have a superior for and against difference to Broadmeadow, so they need to win both games on the run home and rely on Magic dropping one of their two remaining fixtures.
The Eagles’ first loss of the campaign came at the hands of their round 21 opponents just over two weeks ago when the Bears prevailed 2-1 in a rescheduled round 10 clash at Jack McLaughlan Oval.
Jackson Brady was sent off in that match and received a three-game suspension that was later reduced to two games on appeal, so he will be right to line up against the Bears again on Sunday in what will be a significant boost for Edgeworth.
Weston shook off recent Australia Cup Round of 32 and State Cup final losses on Wednesday night when they hosted Charlestown Azzurri at Rockwell Automation Park and scored a comeback 2-1 victory.
Kieran Hayes headed in the opener for the visitors in injury time of the first half before Blake Archbold equalised in the 62nd minute and Jye King netted the winner in the 90th.
Weston cannot finish any higher or lower than third, but they are looking to use their final three games of the regular season to take some momentum into the finals.
They have been boosted by the recent return of goalkeeper Gerard Roebuck, who started the season before taking some time off.
His addition was a timely one after George Stephens suffered a broken nose in Weston’s recent match against Edgeworth.
Cooks Hill United FC v Lambton Jaffas FC
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility Field Two, Sunday 4pm
Cooks Hill United’s finals hopes are hanging by a thread as they prepare for a must-win match against Lambton Jaffas at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football on Sunday evening.
Chris Zoricich’s men have been on a huge high during the past week, winning their Australia Cup Round of 32 match and the State Cup, and also being drawn to play a local derby against the Newcastle Jets in the Cup’s Round of 16.
But a jam-packed schedule has taken its toll with injury and fatigue. Cooks Hill played their third match in a week at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Wednesday night and ran into a well-rested Newcastle Olympic team, who cruised to a 4-1 victory.
Josh Benson scored a ninth-minute equaliser for Cooks Hill after Adam Zervas had opened the scoring in the third minute, but goals scored by Jesse Fitzgerald (29’), Kale Bradbery (77’) and Jye Rodway (86’) saw Olympic run away with it.
That left Cooks Hill ranked eighth on 22 points, six outside the top five with three matches to play and seven points behind round 21 opponents Lambton.
Anything other than a win would crush any chance that Cooks Hill have of sneaking into the top five.
Lambton are also in a battle to play finals football, but they have the upper hand as they sit fourth with two games remaining.
Their destiny is in their hands following a four-game winning streak, so they do not have to rely on other results, and they are well aware that two more wins will see them end up fourth or fifth.
