Preliminary Final
Maitland FC v Charlestown Azzurri
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 4:40pm
Charlestown Azzurri coach Heath Whyte says that his experienced players will be the key to getting over the line against Maitland FC in the preliminary final on Saturday.
A place in the grand final will be on the line in the do-or-die clash with each side eager to make club history and feature in the grand final for the first time.
The Blues have struggled to disrupt the Magpies this year, unable to beat them in the regular season.
But they will arrive at Cooks Square Park full of confidence after dominating Broadmeadow Magic with a 2-0 win in the minor semi-final last weekend.
Captain Kirstyn Pearce, Gema Simon, Melina Ayres and Jayna Fraser have all brought their experience to Charlestown and have played a crucial role in the club’s success this season.
Whyte believed that the leadership shown by his experienced players would be vital on Saturday.
“I think that the team that controls the ball better and finishes their chances will walk away with the win,” Whyte said.
“The way that the experienced players in the squad have been directing traffic and controlling the game will be key to us on the weekend. Effective communication in any team sport is extremely integral.”
Azzurri’s coach said his side felt good and was confident that they could secure a win away from home against the strong premiership-winning Maitland side.
“Everyone is energized after a good result last weekend,” Whyte said.
“We are enthusiastic about our football. The girls are really enjoying playing football together. They are a great bunch of girls.
“I have always said to the girls to trust in your training and the rest will follow.
“Our focus will be on us and how we play with deliberate intent to execute our plan.
“It is going to be a tough-fought battle from both teams.
“Maitland has very good depth of quality across the park and I think I said from the offset that they are the team to beat this season.
“But we have emerged as a new dynamic into the mix.”
But Whyte said no matter the result, his side should be proud of their 2024 campaign.
“Regardless of the weekend’s result I have said to the girls that I am highly proud of them,” Whyte said.
“We aren’t focused on the knock-out side of things.
“I am really excited for them to play great football and enjoy each other's company. It has been a great season.”
Azzurri will likely be without key defender Alyssa Togo after she was forced from the field early in last weekend’s clash after she hyperextended her knee. Goalkeeper Taylor Gray is also still in doubt with an ankle injury.
The Magpies are excited to have the competition’s top goal scorer Bronte Peel back this weekend after she missed their 1-0 loss to Newcastle Olympic in the major semi-final due to illness.
Maitland coach Keelan Hamilton admitted Peel’s absence was felt last weekend but was confident she would return to the squad on Saturday.
“I was disappointed by the result but pleased with the performance. We controlled large parts of the game. We shot ourselves in the foot in the first minute and couldn’t find the equaliser,” Hamilton said.
“It was a bit of a miss without Bronte being there. She has been the player of the year in the competition.
“The reality is that when you take your leading goal scorer out of the team it does have an impact.
“We are looking forward to having her back in the lineup.”
Hamilton insisted that his side would bounce back this weekend against Azzurri to advance to the grand final but said that they would not be focused on the pressure of the occasion.
“Confidence is still high,” Hamilton said.
“We have been on the results roller coaster for the last month. The performances have been quite strong but we have been making a habit of gifting goals.
“Our girls have achieved significant things this year, so pressure isn’t something that we are worried about or focused on.
“If you don’t win you will be out of the competition but it isn’t an important game in the grand scheme.
“We understand that [Azzurri] have good players and have been consistent in the competition for a long time.
“We know that they have quality players across the park and we aren’t naive. We will focus on ourselves, our strengths and playing our football.”