Match of the Round:
Adamstown Rosebud JFC v Newcastle Olympic
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility, Saturday 7pm
Adamstown Rosebud coach Martin Slade said his side won’t be fearing Newcastle Olympic when they go head-to-head at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday night.
The young Rosebud side sits fifth on the table with 15 points, 10 points behind Charlestown Azzurri and 15 points behind Olympic at the top of the table.
Slade was proud of his side’s recent performances and said that they wouldn’t be backing away from a fight against the league leaders this weekend.
“We aren’t taking anything lightly but we aren’t going into the game fearing Olympic,” Slade said.
“We need to keep putting on really good performances and hopefully they are good enough to win. Our model has not changed throughout the season.
“The girls are doing so well. The improvement from the team since the start of the season to now is huge. Everyone has bought into what we are trying to do. They are seeing the results of what we are doing.
“Our performances have been really strong.
“The last time we played Olympic we went down 3-0 but we were really competitive without winning.
“We will take it to them and if we don’t get the result, we will still hold our head high.”
The side has picked up some mixed results with two wins and three losses in their last five matches.
The Adamstown coach felt mixed emotions about their season so far but was confident that they could achieve the goals the club and squad have set for the year.
“I don’t know how I feel. We are beating the teams we should be and being competitive against the teams higher than us but not getting the results,” Slade said.
“The targets for us are that we have to finish fifth, knock off one of the top four teams and win the Women’s State Cup. Those three targets are something that we can control.”
Slade said his side would enter Saturday’s clash with a plan to shut down Olympic’s many attacking threats but still wanted his side to create their own chances when they present themselves.
“Jemma (House) is a quality footballer. To score eight goals last weekend is phenomenal, she has hit her straps, but we also have to be aware of Elodie (Dagg), who I think is the key for Olympic and is starting to find some form,” Slade said.
“We aren’t trying to defend as a block, we go out and attack every single team that we play against.”
Olympic’s coach Craig Atkins was thrilled with his side’s recent form after five wins on the trot that has seen them move to the top of the table.
They enter the match off the back of a 13-0 thrashing over Warners Bay which saw Jemma House launch to the top of the golden boot race after she put eight goals past the Panthers.
“We have had some strong weeks with really good performances which we felt like was a long time coming,” Atkins said.
“We have taken a lot of confidence and belief from our recent matches.
“We have continued that consistent form over the last few weeks which has put us in a good position.
“Jemma is unbelievable, scoring eight goals in one match. I am not surprised as I know what she is capable of.
“But what I am most excited about is that when I watch our recent goals back, there is so much lead-up play and great assists from all players.
“The last few weeks it has been really nice that we are sharing the goalscoring load.”
Atkins was ready for a tough battle against a young and hungry Adamstown side but was confident that his side could secure a vital three points for their premiership hopes.
“Adamstown is always tough, you can’t take your foot off the peddle with them. They look to play good football we know we are in for a match at Speers Point on Saturday.
“It will be a tough contest.
“I think three points are vital this weekend. It is going to be a tight race at the end of the season with new players coming into different clubs which has tightened things up a lot.”
Olympic will be without Kiera Bainsfair (broken wrist) and Alannah Russell (quadriceps) as they are sidelined with injury.
Atkins’ squad will be eager to secure another vital win and maintain their position at the top of the table for another week.
Charlestown Azzurri v Maitland FC
Lisle Carr Oval, Saturday 4pm
Charlestown Azzurri coach Heath Whyte said it will be a battle of coaching strategies this Saturday when his side hosts Maitland FC at Lisle Carr Oval.
The Blues enter the contest after they secured a thrilling 6-4 win over New Lambton, which saw new signing Melina Aryes secure her second hat-trick in two matches.
Azzurri and Maitland have their fair share of talent amongst the squads, which Whyte believed would be a fight of who executes the best game plan on the day.
“Keelan is good with strategies and a good coach. Maitland is a good team,” Whyte said.
“There are obviously key players that you need to put a strategy in around them and we won’t be remiss of forgetting that. But likewise, we also have some key threats that our opposition needs to consider.
“I am hoping for another exciting game of football.”
Charlestown sits fourth on the table with 25 points, 10 points ahead of Adamstown Rosebud JFC in fifth position and four points behind Broadmeadow Magic in third position.
But Whyte said he was not overly concerned with where his side sits on the table but rather their week-to-week performances.
“I generally don’t pay too much attention to the table, it’s not my style. I prefer to focus on our process and strategy and if we get that right, then I expect that the results will come.
“After the New Lambton game, we went back to business and got straight back down to training as we had to change our focus to the next match.”
Other A-League signing Gema Simon is set to still be two to three weeks away from making her debut for the season as she recovers from a thigh tear.
The Magpies continue to fly high after back-to-back wins over Warners Bay (14-0) and Adamstown (4-1).
The side sits second on the table on equal points with league leaders Newcastle Olympic and one point ahead of Magic.
A win for Keelan Hamilton’s team will be crucial as they fight for the premiership and maintain a spot in the finals.
New Lambton FC v Broadmeadow Magic
Alder Park, Saturday 4pm
New Lambton FC will battle to keep their finals hopes alive when they welcome Broadmeadow Magic to Alder Park on Saturday.
The Golden Eagles sit sixth on the table, 12 points outside of the top four sides and will be desperate to close that gap on home turf this weekend.
Aaron Stedman’s side has been boosted by the introduction of A-League players Cass Davis and Lauren Allan for the season, as well as Tessa Tamplin who started to gain regular game time after missing the first half of the season due to injury.
New Lambton secured a crucial 3-2 win over Maitland FC before they went down 6-4 in a thrilling match-up against Charlestown Azzurri on Sunday.
It has always been a close contest between these two teams, with the first time they met in round one Magic picking up a 3-2 win. But they were forced to share the points in their round eight match after a 3-3 draw.
Magic will hope to make it three from three in their battle for the top position on the table.
Nima Nikfarjam’s side sits third on the table, one point behind the Magpies and league leaders Newcastle Olympic.
Broadmeadow will be determined to return home with three points and if other results go their way, finish the weekend back on top of the competition.
Mid Coast FC v Warners Bay FC
Taree Zone Field, Sunday 4pm
Mid Coast FC and Warners Bay will go head-to-head in a massive bottom-of-the-table clash at Taree Zone Field on Sunday afternoon.
On goal difference, the Panthers sit at the bottom of the table, but the two sides are on equal points after one win against each other.
Warners Bay were victorious against Mid Coast in round one after an 8-1 win, but Middies got their revenge in round eight with a 2-0 win.
Whichever team can secure the win will also almost certainly lift them off the bottom of the table.
The Bay’s season has gone from bad to worse after not picking up a point since round one. They have conceded 113 goals in 14 matches but have shown some promise in attack through the likes of Emily Diaz and Callie Thomas.
Ryan Swinkels will hope that his side can turn things around and fight for a crucial win for not just table position but squad morale and confidence.
Middies have had a disruptive season, with field issues, multiple players injured and last week the club parted ways with head coach Amanda Langlar.
Brett Walker has stepped up into the head coach position and would hope he can lead his side to victory in his first game in charge.
They will hope to leave the club’s dramas on the sideline and continue to build as they have shown big signs of improvement as the season has progressed.
Mid Coast has also conceded many goals, with 83 going into their own net. They have also had difficulty in their attacking end, as they have scored just three goals in 11 matches.
With seventh position on the line, Sunday’s match will be a must-win for the two sides.