Match of the Round
Belmont Swansea United FC vs Weston Bears FC
Blacksmiths Oval, Friday 8pm
Belmont Swansea United FC coach Michael Stafford says he is feeling very positive about his side’s start to the season as they prepare to welcome a hurting Weston Bears FC side to Blacksmiths Oval on Friday night.
In their second year in the competition, BelSwans have hit the ground running, with wins over Valentine FC and Cooks Hill United FC seeing them sitting near the top of the table.
The men in green have also found three solid inclusions in visa players Sho Goto, Marco Gueli and Andrew McGee, the latter two strikers giving BelSwans plenty of teeth up front, with Goto combining well with Quinton Phillips-Tapsell in the defensive line.
BelSwans picked up their first loss last week, squandering a 3-0 lead against Maitland FC, but Stafford believes the side learnt valuable lessons to take forward.
The Bears also sustained their first loss of the season the same day, in a 4-2 defeat at home to Charlestown Azzurri FC.
The result proved a valuable wake-up call for Weston after a strong opening fortnight, picking up victories over Newcastle Olympic FC and Hunter rivals Maitland.
Stafford is under no illusion of the challenge the visitors will bring, but believes momentum is with his side to shake things up this season.
“We're super positive. We've had probably the most disruptive start to a season, new players coming in, but the group's dealt with them well,” Stafford said.
“To be sitting on six points after three rounds is superb for us. We won four games last year, and we've already won two in three.
“The focus [after Maitland] was just to get straight back into it and be positive in where we're at. If you said to me at the start, we'd be 3-0 up against Maitland after 40 minutes, no one would have believed that.
“We're in a position we've never been in before, and we definitely learnt lessons from being in that position, that's the best thing about it.
“You've got to be realistic in where we are as a football club in our second year. We've got to earn our right to be in this league and be successful, we have to move forward, not just this year but for the next few years.
“They're [Weston] probably in the top three teams in the comp, and they're going to be reeling from that defeat.
“We're going to bear the brunt of that, but if we can stick to our guns and play how we want to play, and build on what we got wrong last week, I think it's going to be a pretty good game.”
Bears coach Damian Zane is hopeful a focus on consistency after last week’s loss will prove effective in getting his side back to winning ways.
Weston will welcome back defender Dom Archibald and goalkeeper George Stephens, which comes at a good time amid news Cooper Buswell is set for a longer stint on the sidelines with his knee injury.
“We were not great the first half [against Azzurri], the way we conceded the goals was disappointing after how we defended the week before,” Zane said.
“We've got to get more consistent with that. We gave ourselves too big of a mountain to climb.
“If we had held a bit firmer in that period in the first half, we could have won the game.
“I'm still feeling my way around as well. I haven't had a pre-season. I'm new for the players. The players are new for me.
“Each week, I learn a bit more, and I feel we're getting closer to where I think the direction we'll go in as a squad.
“Mick's done a fantastic job [at BelSwans]. It's been a fantastic start for them, he's got the spirit in them.
“At home, they're very tough to beat. They'll be really disappointed after the weekend [against Maitland].
“They'll be looking to make up for it. We're going to have to be at our best.”
Cooks Hill United FC vs Edgeworth Eagles
Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field, Saturday 3pm
Edgeworth Eagles assistant coach Craig Stoker knows that his side needs to start taking points from opposition as they prepare to travel to Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field to face Cooks Hill United FC on Saturday.
The Eagles will be hungry to continue their preseason form and rise up the ladder, but this week they face the only undefeated side remaining in the league.
Despite a lot of turnover from 2025, the Eagles have retained much of their defensive resilience but will also have to dig deep to take down the league’s joint highest goal scorer so far in Cookers’ Kane Woolston.
Helping that challenge will be confirmation that Xander Woweries should be fit after leaving the field early against the Rams, with fellow defender Tyler Harrison on track to be back to full fitness.
Eagles have managed two draws since their win over Magic in the opening round, with last week’s result against Kahibah FC of note for the newcomers’ improving performance around the park.
“I think we created enough opportunities and we had enough ball to win the game [against Kahibah],” Stoker said.
“Our execution in the final third wasn't what it could be. The boys are aware of that themselves; that’s the big thing.
“[Cookers] looks like a side that's definitely heading in the right direction, and Jamie seems to be doing a pretty decent job there.
“They're quick, they're physical, they're a good side. They've got a good balance there, and it's going to be a tough game.
“It's a pretty big game for us. We have to get the points after two draws in a row. It becomes costly, the draws.”
Cookers scored their first win of the season last week after a loss and a draw in the opening fortnight, demolishing Valentine FC 6-0 away from home, a result more impressive considering they were without several key players.
Cooks Hill coach Jamie Dunning is set to welcome back influential midfielder Daniel Clements this weekend after overcoming a mild hamstring twitch sustained against Belmont Swansea United FC but will be without Nick Curran for at least the next two weeks.
Broadmeadow Magic FC vs Adamstown Rosebud FC
Magic Park, Friday 8pm
Broadmeadow Magic FC will look to open a lead at the top of the table this weekend when they welcome a refreshed Adamstown Rosebud FC to Magic Park on Friday night.
The reigning champions overcame a slow opening fortnight to their campaign with a 5-2 victory over Lambton Jaffas, scoring four goals in the first half.
Combined with their defence keeping a resurgent Jaffas at bay in the second half, Magic come into this week with strikers Ezra Palombini and James Cresnar in strong form, along with newcomer Luis Lara Delgado an early contender for one of the league’s best performers.
With four teams currently on the same number of competition points and two of them playing each other, coach Jim Cresnar will know the significance of taking the full three points from Buds.
Adamstown have had a disrupted start to the season, with a 2-0 loss to Charlestown followed by a short five-day turnaround that saw them drop their first home match, a 3-1 loss to Kahibah.
Their third match of the season against Newcastle Olympic FC was postponed on Sunday due to wet weather, leaving Buds second from the bottom of the ladder.
Despite the setbacks, the delay of their round three fixture has given head coach Chris Moylan’s team a fortnight of rest, meaning the Buds should be primed to produce a better performance against one of the league’s heavyweights.
Lambton Jaffas FC vs Charlestown Azzurri FC
Arthur Edden Oval, Saturday 5pm
Lambton Jaffas FC will be wary of a dangerous Charlestown Azzurri FC outfit when the two sides face off at Arthur Edden Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues, having started the year with a very young outfit, fired a massive warning shot to the rest of the league when they defeated Weston Bears 4-2 in round three, scoring three goals inside the first half hour.
Weathering the Bears' strong attack after half-time in wet conditions, substitute June Han added a fourth goal to put the result beyond doubt in the 84th minute, with both sides of the park delivering in spades for coach James Pascoe.
Charlestown will come to Arthur Edden Oval full of confidence, believing they have the weapons to take down last year’s runners-up.
Lambton will be determined to turn their fortunes around after a disappointing 5-2 loss to Broadmeadow Magic at home, the hosts conceding four goals in the first half of the grand final rematch.
But the 2-1 result in the second half, with goals to Drew Patterson and Lachie Griffiths, challenged the defending champions. Jaffas coach David Tanchevski will be hoping his side can put aside their slow start to take the Blues down at home.
After welcoming back Ben Kennedy and Jordan Gu last week, Tanchevski will be hoping midfielder Mitch Rooke will be available after copping a stray elbow against Magic, while Jimmy Oates is still fighting to be available after pulling up injured against Kahibah.
Valentine FC vs Maitland FC
Croudace Bay Complex, Saturday 7pm
After claiming a stunning victory last weekend, Maitland FC will arrive at Croudace Bay Complex on Saturday hungry to climb to the top of the table when they face a desperate Valentine FC.
Valentine have had a disappointing start to the season, conceding ten goals in their first three matches and sitting at the bottom of the table without a win.
Despite promising performances against Belmont Swansea United and Broadmeadow Magic, the Phoenix had a tough round three against Cooks Hill, going down 6-0 despite creating plenty of chances.
While there is time for Valentine to turn things around, coach Lee Sterrey will have an added challenge on his hands this week, with star signing Max Middleby serving a one-match suspension after being shown a red card in the final minute against Cookers.
Despite this, the result may also galvanise the hosts to come out swinging to reverse their results.
The Magpies had to dig deep last week to overcome Belmont Swansea United at home, at one point being down 3-0 with five minutes to go in the first half.
But a double to striker Braedyn Crowley plus goals to Daniel McFarlane and Isaac Collins completed a phenomenal turnaround, with the defence also doing well to shut out BelSwans’ dangerous attack.
Maitland will come hungry to produce another big result, as victory over Valentine not only sets the Magpies up in the top half of the table, but could line them up to get on a roll over the next three weeks as they face sides all currently lower than them on the table.
Kahibah FC vs Newcastle Olympic FC
Fred Wright Oval, Sunday 5pm
Kahibah FC will look to back up their encouraging start to the season when they chase a maiden home win in the NPL NNSW at Fred Wright Oval against Newcastle Olympic FC on Sunday.
The Rams have bounced back in the last fortnight following their disappointing loss to Lambton Jaffas in round one, rediscovering their attacking flair in a 3-1 win over Adamstown Rosebud FC in round two.
The league’s newcomers proved they belong at this level last week, pushing Edgeworth in a thrilling 2-2 contest that highlighted why they were such a force in HIT106.9 Northern League One.
The Rams have plenty to play for this weekend with a chance to climb up the table beckoning, as well as tasting victory for the first time at their new redeveloped home.
After two weeks on the road for a loss and a win over the Bears and Azzurri, respectively, Newcastle Olympic had their opening home game of the season against Adamstown postponed due to wet weather conditions last Sunday.
Coach Michael Bolch will expect his side to come out swinging fresh off two weeks on the sidelines and bring the energy to silence the vocal Rams fans.
Olympic have plenty of weapons to cause all sorts of headaches for the hosts, their victory over the Blues in round two done off the back of a stifling defensive effort.