Match of the Round
Newcastle Olympic v Maitland FC
Darling Street Oval, Friday 8pm
Newcastle Olympic coach Craig Atkins says that his side will be doing all they can to get a result against league leaders Maitland FC at Darling Street Oval on Friday night.
Each side will enter the contest off the back of a draw and will be determined to return to winning ways.
Olympic have not set foot on the pitch since May 7 and Atkins said they were itching to get back out there and further cement their top three position.
They sit third on the table with 17 points, two points in front of New Lambton FC in fourth and two behind Charlestown Azzurri in second position.
The last time these two sides met in the competition, the Magpies came out on top with a 3-1 win but Atkins said that they would throw everything at this weekend's clash to flip the script in front of a home crowd.
"It is really important that we pick up points regularly. We know New Lambton will come home pretty strong. This weekend is a good opportunity to do that against Maitland who sits at the top of the table," Atkins said.
"We have to reiterate what we are about and focus on ourselves as much as possible. We know that we have a couple of key areas to be mindful of with Maitland. They have players who can really hurt you so we need to make sure we are across that.
"We want to try and finish in the top two.
"We have a good opportunity in the second half of the season to get off to a good start and will be doing all we can to get a positive result on Friday night.
"It has been a while since we have been at Darling Street and the girls do enjoy playing at home. Hopefully, we can make the most of our home-ground advantage."
Atkins said that one of their focus areas has been on their conversion rate. They have scored 26 goals this season but have had no shortage of opportunities created.
"We have created a lot of opportunities without getting the ball in the back of the net as much as we would have liked. But it is positive that we are still creating chances. It is promising," Atkins said.
"We need to be more brutal in the front third. We have very experienced players as well as some young players up top. They know what they need to do and we have been working on it. There is no added pressure for these players."
Olympic will be without defender Danielle Nicol who is away.
Maitland have their fingers crossed that South African international Marry Ntsweng is fit and cleared to play after she suffered a foot injury in the Women's League Cup final and missed their round 11 fixture.
Ntsweng has been a standout in the competition with eight goals scored in nine matches.
But Maitland coach Joseph Wright was confident that they could overcome the loss of Ntsweng if needed, with all other members of the squad available for selection.
"Marry is tentative for the weekend," Wright said.
"I think if she is not there how we will adjust will depend on the opponent.
"We have different players who can do different jobs and have different influences. It will be looking at what is best for the team and who will do the best job."
The Magpies’ flying start to the season took a small dip after their unbeaten run was broken when they went down 3-2 in the Women's League Cup final against Charlestown Azzurri and then had a 2-2 draw with Adamstown Rosebud JFC in round 11.
They remain first on the table, seven points clear of Azzurri and will be determined to maintain their gap at the top in their hunt for back-to-back premierships.
Wright said that he was confident that they could kick their winning momentum back into gear this weekend.
"It is normal to have little highs and lows throughout the season it is just going back to our principles that we are nailing the basics. I am not too concerned about it," Wright said.
"It has been good to have some time to review the last couple of games to see what we are doing well and what we can improve on.
"Picking up points is what you need to do at the end of the day. That is why the Adamstown 2-2 result was so important.
"If you have good performances you generally pick up points.
"It is always a challenging game coming up against Olympic on a Friday night at Darling Street Oval. It is always a tough one.
"We are looking forward to the challenge."
Charlestown Azzurri v Adamstown Rosebud JFC
Lisle Carr Oval, Saturday 4pm
Adamstown Rosebud JFC coach Martin Slade says he hopes his side can reap the rewards of their efforts when they travel to Lisle Carr Oval to face Charlestown Azzurri on Saturday afternoon.
The Buds have had a mixed start to the season but will enter this weekend's clash on a high after they defeated Broadmeadow Magic 2-0 in their rescheduled round nine match on Wednesday night.
The win was only their second of the season and moved them up to fifth position with eight points.
Slade believed his side had been unlucky with results so far this season but was confident that the points would come.
"I think that coming up against Charlestown is a tough test. They have quality players in their squad and seem to have found a spark after winning the Women's League Cup final," Slade said.
"We have to just keep performing the way we are and do it for longer periods because we are getting closer and closer to the gap in results.
"We need to keep backing ourselves.
"Yes we want to win games but results are not always measured by the position on the table.
"This is still a relatively young squad who are playing some really attractive football.
"I want us to be brave and exciting and play an exciting style of football. Sometimes that comes at a cost. There are risks and rewards.
"Every point is important. Results lead to more good results which leads to confidence and belief in what you are trying to do. We will continue to fight for every single point available.
"We will turn up with the right mindset and look to get something out of the game."
Adamstown will see midfielder Evie Horgan return from a two-match suspension.
The last time these two sides met in the NPLW NNSW competition, Azzurri came out on top with a gritty 3-0 win.
Charlestown will be eager to get back on the park after a disrupted couple of weeks with wet weather.
They have not played since they were crowned the Women's League Cup champions on 11 May and will hope that the weather has not dampened their momentum.
They sit second on the table with 19 points, seven behind league leaders Maitland FC and two points clear of Newcastle Olympic.
Coach Heath Whyte will be determined for his side to pick up where they left off and stay in the premiership hunt.
Broadmeadow Magic v New Lambton FC
Magic Park, Sunday 4pm
Broadmeadow Magic will be after redemption when they welcome New Lambton FC to Magic Park on Sunday afternoon.
The last time these two sides went head-to-head in the NPLW NNSW competition, the Golden Eagles decimated Magic with a 13-1 win at home.
Magic enters the contest off the back of a 2-0 loss in their rescheduled round nine clash against Adamstown Rosebud JFC on Wednesday night.
They continue to sit at the foot of the table with four points after one win, one draw and eight losses.
But Broadmeadow will be determined to right their wrongs and cause an upset in front of a home crowd.
New Lambton have gone from strength to strength after they were boosted by their three A-League recruits.
They remain fourth on the table but have considerably closed the gap with the top three teams after two crucial wins in the last week against Adamstown (6-0) and Lake Macquarie City FC (2-1).
The Golden Eagles now trail Newcastle Olympic in third by one point and are eight points clear of Adamstown Rosebud in fifth position.
Coach Aaron Stedman will be confident that his side can continue their run of form and put pressure on the top three sides in their quest for finals football in 2025.
Lake Macquarie City FC – Bye
