Match of the Round
Maitland FC v Newcastle Olympic
Cooks Square Park, Sunday 4pm
Newcastle Olympic coach Craig Atkins believes his side’s recent results against Maitland FC will add some extra motivation when they go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon.
The Magpies have come out on top on the two occasions they met Olympic in 2024 after a 2-1 victory in round four of the competition before a dominant 6-0 win in the Women’s League Cup.
Olympic snapped their losing streak with back-to-back wins against Warners Bay FC (10-0) and Mid Coast FC (4-0).
Atkins admitted that there was a score to be settled at Cooks Square Park this weekend.
“Definitely there is some extra fire in the belly, no one likes to lose,” Atkins said.
“It was two very different games against Maitland, but it would be nice to come out on the winning end and I am sure that will add some extra motivation.”
Newcastle Olympic sits fourth on the table with 15 points and has three matches in hand. They, like all teams in the competition, has had an inconsistent season due to wet weather and missed out on their round 10 fixture against New Lambton last week.
Atkins said his side are eager to get back out on the pitch and was looking forward to the tough battle against Maitland.
“The girls just want to play,” Atkins said.
“We are doing a lot of training, but the girls want to get back out on the park. Everyone just wants to play some football.
“These are the games you want to play. We look forward to playing Maitland. They are a well-drilled side.
“We will be up and ready for the game but we know it won’t be easy.
“We enjoy coming up against Maitland.”
Olympic’s coach was confident that his side would be able to right the wrong
“The first game against Maitland we dominated large periods of the game but the second time we were much more inconsistent,” Atkins said.
“The more you play teams the more you can get an insight on how to break them down.
“We know we need to be better than last time.
“We need to try and get off to a quick start and look to be consistent for the full time. It is important for us to stick to what we know.
“Hopefully we can get some points.”
Olympic will be without Dannielle Nicol as she recovers from an ankle injury.
The Magpies have become the team to beat in the competition as they have defeated each team at least once so far this season.
Maitland’s rein at the top of the table was cut short after they missed out on their round 10 fixture due to wet weather and Magic secured a win to go two points clear.
But with three games in hand, the Magpies can fly up to first position once again.
Coach Keelan Hamilton is pleased with his side’s progress this season and is hopeful to continue to build form and momentum as the competition unfolds.
“Our football is in a good space, we are in good form,” Hamilton said.
“We aren’t really focused on the table but you would always rather be at the top than at the bottom.
“For now, it is about trying to improve our football and in the last four fixtures we have started to trend in the right direction.
“All performances that are good give you confidence.”
Hamilton said his side was aware of the threats Olympic possesses but remained confident that they could get the job done on Sunday.
“We know our matches against Olympic are hotly contested and we expect no different again this weekend,” Hamilton said.
“We aren’t naive, we know every fixture is different.
“We know Olympic are a good side.
‘The key to the game will be to be consistent in all moments, we know Olympic are a mobile, athletic side.
“I think the main focus for us will be to get some football miles in the legs and get some rhythm back into our game.”
The Magpies are set to be without key players Paige Kingston-Hogg (suspension), Aleshia Clifford (back injury) and Tahlia Gossner (ankle injury) but Hamilton had full confidence in his squad’s ability to step up and fill the gaps.
With five points separating the top four teams, a win for either side is crucial in their hunt for the top spot.
Warners Bay FC v Charlestown Azzurri
John Street Oval, Sunday 4pm
Charlestown Azzurri FC’s coach Heath Whyte wants his side to make being good a habit when they travel to John Street Oval to face Warners Bay FC on Sunday afternoon.
The Blues suffered their worst defeat of the season when they went down 6-2 to Broadmeadow Magic in round 10 and Whyte is desperate for that performance to not repeat itself.
“We can’t dwell too much on what happened, but we do need to do a review of the match to determine as a team what it was that contributed to such a disappointing outcome,” Whyte said.
“We need to make being good a habit.”
Azzurri is third on the table with 16 points and is four points behind league leaders Magic but has two matches in hand.
Whyte was positive that his side’s ability to bounce back and get back to basics would allow them to secure three points on Sunday.
“We’ve had great games against quality sides. We know that we can play good football,” Whyte said.
“The feeling amongst the girls is generally pretty good.
“We need to reconnect with our football philosophy and style of play that we set out of the beginning of the season. It has been proven to work and we know that we can execute it well we just need to reengage with it.”
Warners Bay have had a less-than-ideal start to the season after one win and eight defeats and sits seventh in the table with three points.
The Panthers missed out on their round 10 fixture against Maitland FC after it was postponed due to wet weather.
In a blow for Ryan Swinkels and his side, goalkeeper Mia Wallace has left the club to join league leaders Broadmeadow Magic. It is likely that reserve grade shot stopper Alix Cooksey will step up to fill Wallace’s boots.
Swinkels will hope that his side can turn their fortunes around and shut down the multiple attacking threats of the high-intensity Azzurri side.
New Lambton FC v Mid Coast FC
Alder Park, Saturday 2pm
Two sides will look to return to winning ways when New Lambton FC hosts Mid Coast FC at Alder Park on Saturday afternoon.
The teams missed their round 10 fixtures last weekend as they were postponed due to wet weather conditions.
But New Lambton played their round eight catch-up where they scored an important 3-3 draw against league leaders Broadmeadow Magic.
Golden Eagles coach Aaron Stedman will hope that his side can build on that performance on Saturday and secure a vital three points.
New Lambton are eagerly awaiting A-League veterans Cass Davis and Lauren Allan to be eligible to play after their highly successful season with the Newcastle Jets.
But in the meantime, the Golden Eagles must pick up points to help them stay in touch with the top four sides as they trail fourth-placed Newcastle Olympic by eight points.
Mid Coast have had an undesired start to the season but have started to show major signs of improvement, as they sit at the bottom of the table with three points.
A win for Amanda Langlar and her side would put them one point behind their opponents and leapfrog Warners Bay FC into seventh place, which will add extra motivation to get the job done this weekend.
Adamstown Rosebud JFC v Broadmeadow Magic
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility, Saturday 6pm
Adamstown Rosebud JFC Will look to snap a two-game losing streak when they host Broadmeadow Magic on Saturday evening.
Rosebuds come into this weekend’s fixture at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility off the back of two losses against Maitland FC (3-0) and Charlestown Azzurri (3-4) but missed out on their round 10 match against Mid Coast due to wet weather.
They sit fifth on the table with nine points and are six points outside the top four but have two matches in hand.
Martin Slade will be eager for his side to turn things around and return to winning ways once again, but they will have a tough challenge ahead of them against the league leaders.
The last time these two sides went head-to-head in round four, Magic came out on top with a dominant 7-0 defeat. Rosebud will hope to get one back and shut down Broadmeadow's attack.
Magic returned to the winners’ circle in style with an impressive 6-2 win over Charlestown Azzurri in round 10 after a draw to New Lambton (3-3) and a loss to Maitland FC (5-1).
Broadmeadow has had some changes in personnel after goalkeeper Imogene Tomasone decided to take a step back from the sport due to personal reasons and Tahlor Thackray has also left the club. Tomasone will be replaced by Warners Bay FC’s young shot-stopper Mia Wallace after her shock exit from the Panthers after round nine.
Magic will also be without their captain Kalista Hunter as she serves a one-match suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
A-League striker Ash Brodigan from Brisbane Roar has been reported to begin training with the Magic side as they wait for the transfer window to open next week.