MINOR SEMI-FINAL
NEWCASTLE OLYMPIC FC V CHARLESTOWN AZZURRI FC
JOHN STREET OVAL, SUNDAY 5.15PM
Newcastle Olympic coach Paul Devitis says it will be his team’s mentality that will be the difference between winning or losing their do-or-die clash against Charlestown Azzurri on Sunday.
After suffering a number of injuries in their round 21 loss to Broadmeadow Magic, Devitis said this weekend’s clash would be an opportunity for his squad to come together and get the job done.
“I think it will be more of a mentality thing now that it’s the finals and it’s a knockout game,” Devitis said.
“We had a couple of big injuries on the weekend which is very unfortunate for us so we’re going to be down a few troops but I think it’s a great opportunity for everyone to come together.”
Star defenders Alesha Clifford (ankle) and Zoe Burnley (knee) might be out for the season, with scans to assess the damage after the pair were forced off last weekend.
Despite their bad luck with injuries at this crucial stage and previous results against Azzurri throughout the season, Devitis believes his squad can still get the job done.
“I think the pressure is all on Charlestown now because they’re the ones that have beaten us three times this year and they finished above us,” Devitis said.
“Realistically I think they’re expected to beat us so it’s probably good for us coming in as the underdogs especially now with a couple of girls injured but I think the squad will really rally together this week.”
Charlestown Azzurri are coming into this week fresh off a successful finish to their regular season after defeating Mid Coast 4-1.
Finishing in third place on the competition table, Azzurri are going into this week’s clash against Olympic as favourites.
Having played each other three times throughout the regular season, Azzurri coach Niko Papaspiropoulos knows what his squad is in for.
“It will be another tough game against Olympic,” Papaspiropoulos said.
“I think we’re both very aware of how each of us play so we’re expecting a tight game.”
In terms of what his side needs to do to get the win, Papaspiropoulos said it would come down to individuals stepping up on game day.
“We’ll need to be a bit more creative and I think it will also come down to the individuals from each team that will make the difference,” Papaspiropoulos said.
“We’re both going to try and stop each other’s strengths and we’ll need players to step up individually and give us moments of quality as well as control.”
With the likes of Nicole Jones, Lori Depczynski and Tamara Nash on their side, Azzurri has the experience of title wins.
For Papaspiropoulos, the most important thing is for his squad to hold themselves accountable and go into the game with the right mindset.
“If the girls show up with the right mindset like they have to get themselves here and to win the [Women’s] State Cup, I think that we will perform well,” Papaspiropoulos said.
“As a coach all I can do is try and instill confidence and the passion and intensity that we need to win the game.”
Azzurri will be looking to replicate their three victories over Olympic throughout the regular season, winning 4-1, 1-0 and 4-1 in rounds one, eight and 15 respectively.
While the loser will see their 2022 campaign ended, the winner will advance to the preliminary final to face the loser of Warners Bay and Broadmeadow for a place in the grand final.
MAJOR SEMI-FINAL
WARNERS BAY FC V BROADMEADOW MAGIC FC
JOHN STREET OVAL, SUNDAY 5.15PM
Premiers Warners Bay will look to continue their winning streak when they face Broadmeadow Magic in the major semi-final on Sunday.
The Panthers have not lost a game since round 10 when they went down 4-2 to fellow semi-finalists Newcastle Olympic.
Finishing top of the table with an impressive 122 goals under their belt, Craig Atkins’ side knows what it takes to be a winning side.
Despite their dominance throughout the regular season, Atkins knows that finals is a whole new level of intensity.
“We obviously had to put in a quality performance against Broadmeadow last time we played them but finals is a whole new ball game and the girls are very aware of what we have to do to win the game on Sunday afternoon,” Atkins said.
Having played Magic three times through the regular season and winning two of those clashes, Atkins will be asking his squad for a lift in intensity this weekend.
“We’ll stick to our usual routine and I’ll just be asking the girls for a lift in intensity,” Atkins said.
“We’ll really have to take the game to Broadmeadow from that first whistle on Sunday because we know how dangerous they are. We’ve got to try and dominate early and let them know that we’re there to win.”
Warners Bay will also have the advantage of a home ground semi-final with the game being played at John Street Oval.
“It’s always nice to play at home, especially in a major semi-final and the girls are looking forward to playing at home,” said Atkins.
“We know the surface really well and it suits our style of football but we are very aware of our opponents and we’ll look to use that home ground advantage.”
The last time Broadmeadow dropped a game was against Warners Bay in round 18 with a 5-0 defeat.
Magic also lost to the Panthers in round 11 but got a win over their opponents in round four.
For Broadmeadow coach Jake Curley this weekend’s semi-final is a chance to even the scores between the two sides.
“We’re excited about the semi-finals and it should be a good game between the two sides,” Curley said.
“Finals football always adds a little bit of drama which I think makes it special for the players and the spectators.”
The winner will advance straight to the grand final at No.2 Sportsground on 2 October, while the loser will play the winner of the minor semi-final between Charlestown Azzurri and Newcastle Olympic.