Match of the Round
New Lambton FC v Broadmeadow Magic
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
Maitland FC 1-0 Newcastle Olympic
Maitland FC coach Joe Wright says it was a cohesive team performance that allowed his side to defeat Newcastle Olympic 1-0 at Cooks Square Park on Sunday afternoon.
In the only match played in the NPLW NNSW competition in round 20, both sides took the field determined for all three points.
Olympic dominated parts of the first half with possession but were continuously stopped by a relentless Maitland backline.
Maitland looked to open the scoring in the 23rd minute when they were awarded a free kick outside the box, but Olympic’s Elodie Dagg headed Sophie Stapleford’s shot away from the goal.
Olympic’s Jemma House had an attempt of her own in the 33rd minute from outside the box but sent the ball over the crossbar.
The two sides searched for the opener but could not be separated as they went into half-time locked up 0-0.
Olympic had the first chance in the second half when they were awarded a free kick in the 47th minute.
Maddy Howard looked to send the ball into the back of the net, but the lacklustre kick was denied by Maitland’s goalkeeper Annabella Thornton.
As Olympic continued to search for the first goal, the moment looked likely to come in the 55th minute when Maitland’s Charlotte O'Connor brought down Kiera Bainsfair just outside the box.
Dagg launched the ball from the top left of the box towards the goal, but Thornton denied them the chance once again.
Momentum appeared to have switched in Maitland’s favour as Stapleford charged down the middle of the park before she sliced the ball onto the run of Willow Neal.
Neal unleashed a powerful shot towards the goal, but Olympic’s goalkeeper Janali Haynes stretched and hit the ball over the crossbar in the 60th minute.
The Magpies were determined to get their name on the scoreboard when Stapleford crossed the ball from just inside the field into the 18-yard box as Tahlia Gossner headed the ball towards the back of the net but narrowly missed in the 70th minute.
Howard was determined to find the back of the net as she weaved her way through Maitland’s defence in the 75th minute but was denied by O'Connor.
The moment Maitland had been searching for came in the 85th minute when Paige Kingston-Hogg sliced the ball onto the run of Stapleford, who charged into the box and tapped the ball towards the goal.
Haynes denied the first shot, but Stapleford ran onto the scrapes and found the back of the net on her second attempt.
Despite both sides' best efforts, neither team was able to add another to the scoreboard and Stapleford’s goal sent her side into the final round on the back of a 1-0 win.
“It was stressful but I’m very pleased for the girls to get the win. It was a good display of resilience by the team against a well organised Olympic team,” Wright said.
“I think Olympic did have periods of control, especially in that first half where we just had to dig in and we had to defend.
“To the credit of particularly our goalkeeper and the backline, but also our midfielders and forwards doing defensive work as well, it was a really cohesive team performance.
“I think we’re creating the chances okay, but we need to be a bit more clinical and capitalise on those chances. So, it’s about making sure we’re getting adequate numbers forward to support the attack to give it multiple goal-scoring options in that moment.”
Maitland are now one step closer to being crowned premiers as they sit five points ahead of Charlestown Azzurri in second.
But will have to wait to see the outcome of Tuesday night's match when Azzurri face Adamstown Rosebud JFC in their rescheduled round 20 match.
The Magpies will go head-to-head with Azzurri at Cooks Square Park on Sunday afternoon as the two sides could potentially battle for the premiership.
The loss saw Olympic remain in fourth and they will face third-placed New Lambton FC at Darling Street Oval on Sunday afternoon in the final match of the regular season.
Adamstown Rosebud JFC v Charlestown Azzurri
This match was postponed due to wet weather conditions.
Lake Macquarie City FC - Bye
