Match of the Round
Broadmeadow Magic v Newcastle Olympic
Magic Park, Saturday 6pm
Broadmeadow Magic coach Jason Konjarski says that his side is seeking to kick Newcastle Olympic while they are down in Saturday’s red and blue derby at Magic Park.
Two teams that have lacked form will be desperate to return to winning ways in one of the biggest club rivalries in the NPL NNSW competitions.
Magic remains at the bottom of the table with one win, one draw and 10 losses to their name and five points behind Lake Macquarie City FC in fifth and Adamstown Rosebud JFC in sixth.
But Olympic also enters the contest desperate for points as they are winless in four matches and have slipped down into fourth on the table, 12 points behind league leaders Charlestown Azzurri.
Olympic hold the bragging rights after 8-2 and 3-0 wins over Magic so far this season.
Konjarski said that despite their own woes this season, they will stop at nothing to ensure Olympic’s run of losses continues.
“It is always a good feeling to stop Olympic doing anything,” Konjarski said.
“We are trying to disrupt the competition.
“Kick them while they are down is the saying.
“We will do our best to knock them while they are down and disrupt them.
“It should be a good derby, it usually is. Hopefully we get a good turnout at Magic Park.
“Beating Olympic, it doesn’t matter where you are on the table, you could not win any other game that season, but everyone seems to be happy.”
Despite their position on the table, Konjarski said that they still aim to climb off the bottom and build for the 2026 season.
“We are just trying to end the season positively. It is very positive at Magic which I know people would find hard to believe,” Konjarski said.
“I think we are still wanting to win and build a competitive 2026 for us.
“We are still trying to get off the bottom of the table which is getting harder and harder.
“But trying to get in front of any team is our goal. Week to week we are trying to get as many points as possible but I also still want the performance to be the best it can be.
“I think the girls can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are wanting to finish on a high and build for 2026.”
Konjarski confirmed that Molly Salvadore will be out this weekend with an ankle injury.
Olympic are fourth on the table with 17 points and have scored one goal in their last four matches but none from open play.
Olympic coach Craig Atkins said that scoring has been their Achilles heel this season but he was confident his side would bounce back for the derby.
“Everyone loves playing in the blue and red derby. The girls will be up for this one,” Atkins said.
“Getting another three points against our rivals would be big.
“The last few results haven’t gone our way but the girls have identified where we need to improve. We need to be more clinical in front of goal.
“We had a number of chances against New Lambton and it didn’t happen. Once we start banging one in I believe they will come.
“I thought we played really well against New Lambton and thought we should have taken something from that game. There were positives to take.
“We have some very experienced players up top and we are creating lot of opportunities.
“If we weren’t creating I would be worried but we are, we just need to be a bit more clinical in front of goal and make sure that we get that balance there.
“We need to be making sure that we are hitting the back of the net. Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later. It is not ideal.
“It would be huge to pick up three points going into this final round of games.”
Atkins stated that he believed first choice goalkeeper Janali Haynes would miss another week after she suffered a nasty head knock in their round 12 catch-up match against Charlestown Azzurri.
Charlestown Azzurri v New Lambton FC
Lisle Carr Oval, Sunday, 4pm
New Lambton FC coach Aaron Stedman is anticipating a battle for the full 90 minutes when they travel to Lisle Carr Oval to face Charlestown Azzurri on Sunday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles have gone from strength to strength since their A-League trio joined their squad and are on a four-game winning streak that they will be eager to extend against the league leaders this weekend.
They went down 6-1 in their first encounter with the Blues back in round one but showed a big improvement when they drew 2-2 when they met in round eight.
Stedman said his side needed to be up for the fight this weekend.
“I think we have a bit of confidence. We are sort of on a bit of a run with wins and games. We are back into routine and consistency with games and training which has been really good,” Stedman said.
“I think everyone is looking forward to the game.
“It will be a close game, it won’t be one-sided. I am anticipating a battle right throughout the whole game.
“We have been working on our defence and on controlling the ball under pressure. They are the two big areas we have been working on to make our performances a lot better.
“Against Charlestown you have to be switched on in defence as they do have very dangerous players but the same can be said for our attackers.
“It will be interesting to see how the battle goes and how the tactics stack up against each other to see how we match and what will need to be changed.”
New Lambton sit third on the table with 22 points, seven behind the top two sides Azzurri and Maitland, which Stedman believed his side could hunt down for the premiership.
“I think if we were to walk away with the three points that would be massive,” Stedman said.
“We want to keep that roll on with wins but on top of that is getting further towards the top of the table.
“The premiership would be unbelievable to achieve. It is still up for grabs in my eyes.”
New Lambton will be without Sienna Denholm as she recovers from an ankle injury, but Stedman confirmed that the rest of the squad was at full strength and keen to get out on the pitch.
Charlestown Azzurri will enter the contest on a high after they snapped Maitland’s unbeaten run with a 1-0 win to climb to the top of the table.
They will now be determined to maintain their league-leader status and secure a big three points in front of a home crowd.
Coach Heath Whyte was unable to provide a timeline on the return of Melina Ayres after she suffered a hip injury in round 13 but the Blues have proven they don’t need their star goal-scorer to get the job done.
Azzurri are unbeaten in their last six NPLW NNSW matches and will want to keep the good times rolling to make it seven from seven on Sunday.
Lake Macquarie City FC v Maitland FC
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility, Saturday 5pm
Maitland FC will be determined to bounce back when they travel to Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility to take on Lake Macquarie City FC on Saturday afternoon.
The Magpies suffered a double blow from Charlestown Azzurri last week when they lost their first game of the competition this year 1-0 and were knocked off the top of the table on goal difference.
They will look to return to winning ways on Saturday and keep the pressure on new league leaders Charlestown as they hunt down back-to-back premierships.
Coach Joe Wright will hope return of former A-League midfielder Paige Kingston-Hogg to the club and Marry Ntsweng who has returned from injury back into the starting lineup can help his side get back to the top of the table.
Each time these two sides have met this season it has been a tight affair with a 1-1 draw in round one and a late 2-0 victory for Maitland in round eight.
The Roosters enter the contest on a high after they secured their second win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Adamstown Rosebud JFC.
Lakes sit fifth on the table but are eight points adrift of the top four so would need to have a near perfect run home for the season if they are to attempt to crack finals football.
Adamstown Rosebud JFC – Bye
