Match of the Round
New Lambton FC 0-2 Adamstown Rosebud JFC
Adamstown Rosebud JFC coach Martin Slade said his side’s win was a hollow victory after a 2-0 win over New Lambton FC at Alder Park on Saturday afternoon.
It was a hotly contested battle between the two sides in a fight for fifth position on the table, but the game was cut short after Adamstown player Mia Owens suffered a severe broken leg in the final 10 minutes of the match.
Courtney Anderson opened the scoring in the second minute of the match to stun the Golden Eagles. The home side were unable to clear the ball away from the penalty area which allowed Anderson to pounce and strike the ball straight into the back of the net.
Rosebud continued to mound the pressure on before things went from bad to worse for New Lambton after they gave away a penalty in the 36th minute after Tanya Jones was fouled inside the penalty area.
Jenna Doyle smashed the ball into the goal to convert the penalty and secure the three points for her side.
The game was abandoned in the 80th minute after Owens collided with goalkeeper Ally Boertje and suffered a serious broken leg.
Slade was thrilled to get the win but said their number one focus has been Owens and her wellbeing since the match.
“We were exceptional, it was a really good performance,” Slade said.
"We should have put the game to bed in the first 20 minutes and be four or five nil up.
“The game itself was just a hollow victory.
“You win a game but you can’t celebrate as everyone’s thoughts are with Mia.
“That's the emotional side of the sport, the sportsmanship and the compassion from Ally (Boertje) was unbelievable.”
Slade was happy with his side’s performance under the high stakes of the game.
“I was impressed with how we stuck to the process,” Slade said.
“All I have wanted is to get a string of performances in and get that consistency in a longer period and we would start winning games.
“They turned up and knew it was make or break and were really good.
“It wasn’t a battle it was what I class as good football being played to get the result.
“It is amazing just to keep a clean sheet.
“I’ve said it from day one, to finish fifth for this football club would be a phenomenal achievement.
New Lambton coach Aaron Stedman was disappointed in the result.
“It wasn’t the result we were looking for,” Stedman said.
“I think we were too slow at the start of the game, that’s our biggest Achilles heel. We take too long to get going and adapt to what the other team are doing.
“Unfortunately, they (Adamstown) got a couple of goals and then we were on the back foot straight away.
But Stedman was pleased to see some areas of improvement that his side can build on in the coming weeks.
“I was impressed with our pressing at times. When we started pressing better and defending a bit better we seemed to improve and get on the ball more,” Stedman said.
“We came out of half time and hit the ground running which I was happy with.”
Adamstown has moved up into fourth position on the table with 12 points, seventh behind Charlestown Azzurri in fourth. They will hope to make it back-to-back wins when they return home to Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility host Warners Bay FC next Saturday.
The loss has seen New Lambton drop down to sixth on the table. Stedman and his side will be eager for their A-League signings to debut for the season when they face Maitland FC on Wednesday night in their round six rescheduled fixture before they go head-to-head once again with the Magpies on Saturday.
Charlestown Azzurri 0-3 Newcastle Olympic
Charlestown Azzurri coach Heath Whyte believes the lack of discipline resulted in them going down 3-0 to Newcastle Olympic at Lisle Carr Oval on Saturday.
Marion Dunbabin opened the scoring for Olympic in the 21st minute with a clean strike into the back of the net from close range.
Olympic struck again to double their advantage in the 48th minute through Kiera Bainsfair. The attacker powerfully sliced the ball past goalkeeper Taylah Gray and into the goal.
Elodie Dagg put the icing on the cake for the away side in the 55th minute after a mistake from Gray. Dagg struck the ball from outside the penalty area and Gray opted to clear the ball with her feet rather than pick it up and mistimed it, which saw the ball trickle into the back of the net.
Whyte was disappointed with the result and acknowledged the areas that his side needed to be better in.
“Look we are a good football team and we have proven that we can play good football against the best teams, but patches of good football don’t win matches,” Whyte said.
“There was way too much turnover and we allowed Olympic to maintain momentum.
“There were a few issues in terms of finishing but it came down to our lack of discipline.
“All of the girls have acknowledged that it was the mindset.”
But the Blues’ coach believed that they can turn things around and work their way back up the table.
“It is very simple and the girls need to believe in our strategy and game plan,” Whyte said.
“If they can do that well then their season will turn around.”
The Blues have slipped down to fourth position and will be eager to bounce back and gain some consistency when they host Mid Coast FC next weekend.
After Olympic’s win against the Blues and their midweek victory over league leaders Broadmeadow Magic has moved them up into second on the table. They will return home to go head-to-head with Magic again in a top-of-the-table clash next weekend at Darling Street Oval.
Broadmeadow Magic 12-1 Warners Bay FC
Broadmeadow Magic continue their rein at the top of the table after a 12-1 thrashing over struggling Warners Bay FC on Sunday afternoon at Magic Park.
Chelsea Lucas opened the scoring for Magic in the fifth minute before Ash Brodigan netted her first of the afternoon.
Alice Munro extended Magic’s lead out again two minutes later off a corner kick.
The Panthers struck back through Maddison Dunlop in the 20th minute to take the score to 3-1.
Brodigan netted her second in the 21st minute, before Amelia O’Brien sliced two into the back of the net.
Mercedes McNabb and Lucas took the score to 8-1 into the half time break.
Lucas secured a hat-trick in the 59th minute before Brodigan did the same 10 minutes later.
Magic kept their foot on the gas as Lucas netted her fourth goal of the day and Mattiese Loretan scored the twelfth and final goal of the match in the 80th minute.
Broadmeadow have retained their two-point lead at the top of the table with 26 points. They will be eager to continue their winning ways when they travel to Darling Street Oval to face Newcastle Olympic next weekend.
The loss has seen the Panthers drop to the bottom of the table on goal difference. They will be desperate to snap their 10-match losing streak when they travel to Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility to face Adamstown Rosebud JFC.
Mid Coast FC 0-7 Maitland FC
Maitland FC pulled off a dominant 7-0 win over Mid Coast FC at Taree Zone Field on Sunday afternoon.
Co-captain Tahlia Gossner opened the scoring in the 10th minute before new A-League signing Sophie Nenadovic secured her first goal for Maitland 13 minutes later.
The scoreline extended to 3-0 after an own goal from Mid Coast before Nenadovic netted her second of the afternoon.
Paige Kingston-Hogg took the score to 5-0 as the two sides went into the sheds at the half time break.
Bronte Peel scored her 15th goal of the season in the first minutes of the second half before co-captain Sophie Stapleford put the icing on the cake for the Magpies and netted their seventh of the afternoon in the 52nd minute.
Maitland has fallen to third due to Olympic’s recent results but is on equal 24 points. They will have to quickly refocus and hope they can secure six points against New Lambton when they face them twice in one week. The Magpies face the Golden Eagles first in their round six rescheduled fixture on Wednesday before they go head-to-head again on Saturday.
In positive news for Mid Coast, they have risen from the bottom of the table for the first time this season on goal difference ahead of Warners Bay. They will hope to turn things around when they travel to Lisle Carr Oval to face Charlestown Azzurri next weekend.