Match of the Round
Newcastle Olympic v Edgeworth Eagles
Darling Street Oval, Saturday 2pm
Edgeworth Eagles head coach Peter McGuinness is wary of a ‘dangerous’ Olympic outfit that is due for a big result and expects a tough clash when his side travels to face them at Darling Street Oval on Saturday.
Newcastle Olympic currently sit in eighth place on the table, but are still firmly in the mix, sitting just one point behind a sixth-placed Charlestown Azzurri.
Results have been difficult to come by since returning from the Easter break, the side going down at home to Broadmeadow Magic before conceding a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 last week with Belmont Swansea United at Blacksmiths Oval.
The draw also came at a cost, with Steven Theacos set to serve a one-match suspension for a red card offence late in the match.
But pushing the arguable big improver until the very end away from home should give confidence to Olympic head coach Michael Bolch, who is also set to welcome back Marcus Duncan from suspension.
A win here would be critical for Olympic, with the next two weeks seeing the side face Valentine FC and Lambton Jaffas, the two sides currently sitting at the bottom of the table.
“We've been playing some good football,” Bolch said.
“Sunday [against BelSwans] was probably the best we've looked all season. We're just not getting the results.
“It's as much a concentration thing as anything else. We're struggling to put a full 90 minutes together each weekend, just seem to be getting punished for little mistakes. We need to fix that before we can improve.
“They [Edgeworth] move the ball well, they've got a lot of good patterns. They're probably in a similar position to us, [but] they're still playing good football.
“They're just not getting the results at the right end of the field. It's always a good game against Edgeworth, so I'd expect nothing less this weekend.
“For us, it just has to be three points this weekend. We've thrown a couple away in the last few weeks.”
The Eagles have had a busy couple of weeks since the Easter break, rediscovering their attack flair that was missing in the early part of the season, despite it coming with a 4-3 loss to BelSwans.
Edgeworth bounced back last week with a 2-1 win over Charlestown Azzurri and a 4-2 win over HIT106.9 Northern League One side Toronto Awaba FC in the Hahn Australia Cup.
But McGuinness is staying wary of the weapons Olympic has at its disposal and is hoping the attacking form rediscovered can put his side in a good place.
“Last weekend was a gutsy win against a decent [Azzurri] team and [we] took some positives out of it,” McGuinness said.
“A few weeks back, we needed to have a little bit more in attack. A lot of it is around a mindset about making that sacrificial run off the ball.
“I think that's been on the improve, I think that showed in a positive reaction after half-time against BelSwans.
“The position on the table where Olympic sits is not reflective of their performances, to be totally honest.
“I thought they were really good value, first 45 [against BelSwans], they were very well organised, they worked hard, they were dangerous.
“There are some very good footballers in that team, and they’ve got a good coach. I expect them to be up for the fight.
“We've got to make sure that we're there fighting for the game as well, as well as executing our defence and attack to the best of our ability.”
Adamstown Rosebud v Weston Bears
Adamstown Oval, Saturday 3pm
Adamstown Rosebud head coach Chris Moylan is excited to see what his “buzzing” side can bring when they take on Edgeworth Eagles in their annual Heritage Cup ANZAC Day clash on Saturday.
The Buds are coming into the week on a high following their first win of the year against Valentine FC, the 3-0 result seeing the Buds jump three places up the table with a game in hand.
The win comes at a good time for the Buds, as the side is expected to have a busy fortnight, with a catch-up game against Lambton Jaffas next week, followed by Cooks Hill United in quick succession.
The win over Valentine has also come with no injuries, with Moylan planning a relatively unchanged side to target the Bears, the club rolling out the red carpet for their annual acknowledgement of ANZAC Day.
“The boys are buzzing. [It’s] amazing what a win can do,” Moylan said.
“We're confident that we've got the ability. When you don't get that first win, confidence starts to wane a little.
“But we haven't changed much and we probably won't leading into this weekend's game. They're [Weston] pretty good at keeping the ball and moving the ball and Zaney [head coach Damian Zane] will have them doing that.
“We expect quick ball movement, quick player movement. They try and play football, which is good to see. We'll be ready for them.
“Weston have really played their part in that [ANZAC clash tradition] over the last three or four years as well. They've embraced the day. It's a day to remember that we are playing football because of the sacrifices that others have made.
“It's good to remember that. We take the fact that we're playing football for granted. It's good to add to the occasion of the day with the troops coming down and the full ANZAC service being conducted on the ground.
“We play for the cup, Weston hold it and we want to get it back.”
The Bears come into the Heritage Cup match holding a one-point lead at the top of the table, bouncing back from their loss to Broadmeadow Magic with back-to-back victories over Lambton Jaffas and Kahibah FC.
The clash looms as an opportunity to put a stamp on a successful April on the road, one that has shown the Bears' title credentials.
With the side set for two weeks at home following this fixture, they’ll be looking to ensure they keep that run going, with Magic and Edgeworth Eagles within one win of overtaking them on the table.
Broadmeadow Magic v Maitland FC
Magic Park, Friday 8pm
Kicking off a big weekend of action, Broadmeadow Magic will look to push their claims for the top of the table when they host Maitland FC on Friday night at Magic Park.
The defending champions have settled into their groove after several draws earlier in the season, looking to score their fourth win in a row this weekend fresh off a 6-0 demolition of Cooks Hill United last week.
The result saw the side slide briefly into top spot on the table, before Weston Bears victory over Kahibah saw the Bears reclaim the lead.
Regardless, Magic sit in a prime position to claim the lead should the Bears slip up, with the side enjoying a favourable string of games until mid-June.
Maitland also comes into this weekend in a good position, their 2-1 victory over Lambton Jaffas shaking off the frustrating run of tough home performances and seeing them win three of their last four matches.
Now firmly locked into the top six, the Magpies will look to find consistency week-to-week, with their clash with Magic kicking off a difficult period of games.
Several fixtures will be sprinkled in there where the Magpies will be favourites, but with clashes against Belmont Swansea United, Weston, Edgeworth Eagles and Charlestown Azzurri on the horizon, Maitland will need to ensure they have plenty of momentum on their side.
Lambton Jaffas v Cooks Hill United Arthur Edden Oval, Friday 8pm
It’ll be a battle of two desperate sides looking to turn their seasons around when Lambton Jaffas welcome Cooks Hill United to Arthur Edden Oval on Friday.
It has been a frustrating start to the season for last year’s runners-up, especially on home soil, with draws over Edgeworth Eagles and Charlestown Azzurri the best results they’ve been able to manage in front of the home fans.
With Adamstown’s victory over Valentine FC last week seeing the Buds leapfrog several teams, Jaffas find themselves a bit too close for comfort when it comes to the relegation side of the table.
While Lambton have made a habit of building into the season and finishing strong, they’ll need to ensure they find that form soon, especially with the next few weeks seeing them play a catch-up game against Adamstown, as well as facing a firing Belmont Swansea United outfit.
The side will also be without Riley McNaughton, who is serving a one-match suspension for a red card against Maitland.
Now sitting in 11th, Cooks Hill need to find a way to snap their current losing streak, their last victory being their 6-0 demolition of Valentine back at the start of March.
With the side on the receiving end of the same scoreline against Broadmeadow last week, Cookers need to produce a comeback performance this weekend, and the chance to face a similarly misfiring Jaffas outfit is an opportunity they can’t afford to pass up.
Should they manage victory here, Cookers have the opportunity to nab three wins in a row and get their season back on track, the next two rounds seeing them at home against Adamstown and Kahibah FC.
Charlestown Azzurri v Valentine FC
Lisle Carr Oval, Sunday 1pm
Kicking off action on Sunday, Charlestown Azzurri will look to consolidate their position in the top six when they take on a desperate Valentine FC at Lisle Carr Oval.
After a promising start to the year, the Blues have suffered a disrupted season following the Easter break, their round seven clash with Cooks Hill United postponed to June, while also copping back-to-back losses against Belmont Swansea United and Edgeworth Eagles.
The result sees Charlestown perched in sixth place on the table, with Kahibah FC and Newcastle Olympic ready to take their spot should they lose their third match in a row.
With the next two weeks seeing them play Broadmeadow Magic and Maitland FC, the Blues need a victory here to keep the challengers at bay.
But the hosts know that the Phoenix will come into this game desperate for a result, with the men in orange stuck at the bottom of the table after a 3-0 loss to Adamstown Rosebud last week.
The last fortnight has been a difficult one for Valentine, a 3-0 loss to Kahibah combined with several key players serving match suspensions.
The next few weeks are only going to get harder, with the Lee Sterrey-coached side set to face the Weston Bears, BelSwans and Broadmeadow in back-to-back weeks following next week’s clash with Olympic.
When it comes to the business end of the season, Valentine will be relying on results from this period to ensure they stay in the picture, and that starts with them bouncing back this weekend.
Belmont Swansea United v Kahibah FC
Blacksmiths Oval, Sunday 3pm
Finishing off the round will be the battle of the new kids on the block, as Belmont Swansea United welcome Kahibah FC to Blacksmiths Oval on Sunday.
The last four weeks have been a good time to be a BelSwans fan, the side already equalling their total number of wins in 2025 and sitting in fifth place on the table, four points clear of sixth.
With extensive time at home, BelSwans have claimed wins over Edgeworth Eagles and Charlestown Azzurri and a draw against Newcastle Olympic, coming back from a two-goal deficit.
The side has become one of the best attacking sides in the competition and will be looking to finish this period at home on a high before they head on the road for the next two weeks.
The Rams have had a promising start to their time in the NPL, claiming back-to-back wins over Maitland FC and Valentine FC to find themselves in seventh on the table, and proving they are a tough side to put away last week against Weston Bears, eventually going down 2-1.
With the side also developing a strong counterattack, the question of whose defence will hold out best will likely determine the winner, with Kahibah having come a long way since their opening round loss to Lambton Jaffas.
Expect a physical encounter this Sunday at Blacksmiths Oval