Maitland FC v Charlestown Azzurri
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 2pm
Round Eight Rescheduled Match
Charlestown Azzurri coach Heath Whyte said that it is crucial for his side to get a result this weekend when they travel to Cooks Square Park to face Maitland FC in their rescheduled round eight match.
These two sides went head-to-head just last week, with the points shared between them after a 2-2 draw.
But they will both be desperate to take home all three points on Saturday to keep their own season aspirations alive.
The Blues enter this weekend’s clash eager to return to the winner’s circle after a loss to Newcastle Olympic 1-0 and a 2-2 draw with the Magpies.
They sit third on the table with 33 points, equal with Broadmeadow Magic who sit below them in fourth position.
Magic will sit this weekend out, which gives Charlestown the opportunity to edge themselves ahead if they can get the job done away from home.
Whyte said that his side is feeling prepared for the challenging battle ahead of them this weekend but stressed the importance of a win for their chance to cement a finals position.
“We are feeling fine,” Whyte said.
“We need to focus on playing a good game of football.
“It is business as usual.
“They [Maitland] are just numbers on a shirt. We just prepare for each match and prepare for each opposition as usual.
“Everyone is feeling fresh, in a good mindset and are ready to go.
“Every match from now on is critical for us if we want to play finals.”
The Blues coach said that his side’s main focus will be to make the most of their chances in front of goal this weekend.
“I think that we played reasonably well for no result last weekend against Olympic,” Whyte said.
“We should have been leading in that game but failed to finish our chances. We have to hit the back of the net.
“When you are in front of the sticks you create your own luck.”
The Blues will be without two of their key players as Jess Gentle remains sidelined with a medial collateral ligament tear and Sarah Halvorsen is unavailable.
Maitland head into the contest eager to retain their spot at the top of the table.
The league leaders sit first on the table with a one-point leader over Newcastle Olympic and eight points ahead of the Blues.
Coach Keelan Hamilton said that his side is looking forward to the contest in front of a home crowd this weekend.
“We are feeling pretty good. I think we had a busy week last week and got through it okay considering the circumstances,” Hamilton said.
“We are enjoying a full week of preparation. I think our record has been good when we have a full week of preparation. We feel that it makes things a little easier.
“We know that Saturday is another difficult game.
“It is always important to get the points. The table is an interesting one at the moment.
“We feel that we deserve to be further ahead of everyone on the table.”
Hamilton said that his side will have a strong game plan in place to ensure that they shut down Charlestown in attack and give themselves the biggest chance to secure a big three points.
“They have a number of players that are important to them who are dangerous attacking players. But I think we generally limited it pretty well last time. We didn’t deal with those moments well in the two goals that we conceded.
“We have our plan in place, but we won’t be too focused on the individuals.
“We know what the task ahead of us is and we have got a great head-to-head record.
“I think we have shown a lot of resilience throughout the season on a number of occasions this season.
“Winning is what we try and do every week.”
New Lambton FC v Newcastle Olympic
Alder Park, Saturday 4pm
Round 17 Rescheduled Match
New Lambton FC will look to keep their hot streak alive when they host Newcastle Olympic at Alder Park in their round 17 rescheduled match on Saturday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles have been on a roll in recent weeks, unbeaten in their last five matches, to rise into fifth place on the table.
But Aaron Stedman and his side’s aim for the season is to make the top four and play finals football after they narrowly missed out in 2023.
They are five points behind Broadmeadow Magic in fourth position and will need to win their remaining games as well as hope that other sides drop points to edge into the top four.
New Lambton will hope that they can continue their form to upset Olympic and secure a crucial three points for their campaign.
In a big blow for New Lambton, they will be without their star striker Lauren Allan as she serves a one-match suspension for serious foul play in their match against Adamstown last weekend.
Olympic have cemented their spot in finals football but will be determined to keep their premiership hopes alive with three points this weekend.
Craig Atkin’s side sits one point behind league leaders Maitland FC in second position on the table.
They pulled off a gusty win against Charlestown Azzurri last week without both their first and reserve grade goalkeepers.
Olympic will hope that goalkeeper Tallon Convery alongside top goal scorer Jemma House, who missed last week’s match due to hamstring tightness both return on Saturday.
Atkins will hope that his side can dig deep once again and put a stop to New Lambton’s run of results and stay in the premiership hunt.
Mid Coast FC v Adamstown Rosebud JFC
Taree Zone Field, Sunday 4pm
Round 10 Reschedules Match
Two sides will look to bounce back when Mid Coast FC hosts Adamstown Rosebud JFC at Taree Zone Field in their round 10 rescheduled match on Sunday.
Adamstown sits sixth on the table after their two-match winning streak was broken last weekend against New Lambton.
They sit sixth on the table, seven points behind fifth position and 12 points outside of the top four teams.
Their finals hopes are likely gone, but Martin Slade and his side aim to finish the season fifth, which will continue to be their motivator for the rest of the competition.
The last two times these sides have met in the competition, Adamstown have been victorious with a 5-0 win in round three and an 8-1 win in round 17.
Mid Coast will be eager to finish their season on a positive note after a disappointing 2024 campaign.
They will enter the clash off the back of a 17-1 defeat to league leaders Maitland FC and sit at the bottom of the table with one win from 17 matches.
Brett Walker and his side will hope that they can use their home-ground advantage to help them put the pressure on Adamstown and cause an upset.
