Match of the Round
Maitland FC v New Lambton FC
Cooks Square Park, Sunday 1pm
Maitland FC head coach Ben Horgan says his side needs to tidy up in possession when they welcome New Lambton FC to Cooks Square Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Magpies enter the match off a bye, but prior to that they beat Adamstown Rosebud JFC 2–0.
The win meant they have now defeated all opposition in the competition, scoring 29 goals and conceding just four across six matches.
Despite their winning form, Horgan recognises his side still has areas for improvement.
“I think in our last game against Adamstown, we were a little bit sloppy in possession,” Horgan said.
“It was not really our best performance with the ball, and it wasn't just one or two players, quite a few struggled, and I think we were a bit disappointed with how we managed that game.
“This weekend I think it's about just being a little bit tidier on the ball and then converting our chances. We had some good opportunities in that game to score a third goal, which would probably have killed off the threat from Adamstown, and we didn't take that third chance.
“So, I think, tidy up that little bit of sloppiness that we had in possession and just being a little bit sharper in front of goal.”
Being sharp in front of goal is not something Maitland struggled with the last time they faced New Lambton, downing them 7-1 back in round two.
But Horgan understands that New Lambton has grown since that earlier meeting and says Maitland possess a range of players who can challenge them in different ways.
“I expect it'll be a completely different game. That was very early in the season and a lot's happened since then. They're playing well and Tara [Andrews] is scoring a lot of goals for them, so we expect it'll be a pretty tough game,” Horgan said.
“We just need to try to keep the ball, our game's always based around controlling position and trying to create our own scoring opportunities. Tara is too good a player to just have some simplistic way of tying it down, so we won't focus too much on that.
“We'll just try and focus on controlling the ball for as much of the game as we can and creating our own chances.
“We do have a range of goalscorers, and we've got players with different kinds of qualities that propose different threats for opponents.
“It's a bit of a luxury if someone's not having the best day there's been other players that have been able to step up and there's a sort of healthy competition within the squad for playing time and starting minutes.”
New Lambton has improved greatly since the last time they faced the Magpies, having not lost a game since that match.
Since then, they have recorded four wins and one draw, including two victories decided by four goals.
But coach Craig Atkins acknowledges his side was not up to standard the last time they faced the Magpies and says they need to be 100 per cent prepared ahead of this weekend.
“It wasn't our best performance last time around against Maitland, the girls have improved a lot since then. So, I’m definitely looking forward to another tough challenge this weekend and seeing how the girls can go this weekend,” Atkins said.
“We need to turn up first and foremost to make sure that we're 100 per cent prepared because we know it's a big park up at Maitland as well.
“We need to make sure that we're making life difficult for Maitland putting a lot of pressure on the ball and making sure our structures are really tight.
“They can hurt you all across the park, so it's going to be a massive, combined effort. But it’s a challenge that everyone's looking forward to.”
The Golden Eagles enter on the back of a 2-2 draw with Charlestown Azzurri, despite scoring in the opening five minutes.
But Atkins is confident his side can turn things around and has praised them for their response to feedback.
“All the girls were extremely disappointed with the result last week and we know we were way below where we should be. That's the ups and downs of football,” Atkins said.
“I've got all the confidence in the girls that they'll turn up to training and be ready to make amends for that performance last week and put on a good show against Maitland.
“The girls are very open to feedback, and we analyse all the games that we play pretty closely. We've worked really hard and tried to tweak a few things along with our systems.
“Their response has been great and we've got the results to show that as well. Obviously, it makes my job a little bit easier when the girls are open and responsive to the feedback, but full credit to them, they're showing that on the field as well, especially with those changes as well.”
Lake Macquarie City FC v Adamstown Rosebud JFC
Macquarie Field, Sunday 3pm
Lake Macquarie City FC coach Gabrielle Blanch is hopeful increased competition for spots in the starting 11 will help her side secure a better result when they welcome Adamstown Rosebud JFC to Macquarie Field on Sunday afternoon.
Lakes suffered three consecutive losses before snatching a point in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle Olympic in round eight.
The result also ended a three-game scoreless streak, after they netted nine goals across their opening three matches.
Blanch is hopeful the “curse” has now been broken and that her side can build on it this weekend.
“It was good to take a point, though once again, we let the game get away from us by not finishing our opportunities,” Blanch said.
“I think breaking the streak has been a nice weight off our backs, and the players can now focus on taking maximum points in this next round.
“Apart from feeling a little cursed, we just haven't had that goal scoring confidence. We build up well and create plenty of great opportunities. The execution has just not been there.
“This is obviously something we review, focus on in training, and the hope is that it will just continue to flow again.
“Our priorities are obviously scoring, continuing to play our football to the best of our ability, and relying on the depth that will start to return to the roster after a stint of injuries.
“Hopefully, that pressure on players for a starting 11 position will assist in some better results for this next round.”
The last time the Roosters faced Adamstown, they were victorious 2-1 and Blanch is hopeful that resilience and renewed confidence will carry into their clash with the Buds.
“Our resilience probably comes from a streak of losses that were tough to swallow,” Blanch said.
“We play a smart brand of football, plenty of highly capable players, yet continue to fall short in areas that win games.
“[Last] Sunday was a good opportunity for the girls to feel that feeling again, and hopefully, we can draw from that coming into the weekend.”
Adamstown Rosebud will enter the clash on a high after securing their first win of the season in round eight.
The Buds produced a spirited performance to down Broadmeadow Magic 5-3, despite conceding in the opening minute.
They have now conceded first in all seven matches this season, and coach Martin Slade will be eager to see his side tighten up defensively to prevent another slow start.
But they can take confidence from the resilience shown in earlier draws where they fought back from behind, a trait that now translated into a first win.
A victory this weekend could lift the Buds into fourth place and keep their finals hopes firmly alive.
Newcastle Olympic v Charlestown Azzurri
Darling Street Oval, Friday 8pm
Two sides eager to claim all three points will go head-to-head on Friday night when Newcastle Olympic welcome Charlestown Azzurri to Darling Street Oval.
Both teams enter the contest off the back of draws, with Olympic held 1-1 by Lake Macquarie City FC and Azzurri drawing 2-2 with New Lambton FC.
For Azzurri, the performance will feel like a step forward in the context of recent results, including a 6-0 defeat to Broadmeadow Magic in round seven and a 10-0 loss to New Lambton FC in round one.
Riley Gardner proved to be the difference in round eight, and Olympic will need to be wary of her ability from distance.
Coach Alicia Ferguson has been calling for greater consistency from her side, and that remains the focus on Friday night as Azzurri look to build momentum and get their season back on track.
Olympic will take a different view of their draw, having conceded a stoppage-time equaliser after leading for 35 minutes.
But they will take confidence from conceding their fewest goals since their round two win over Azzurri.
Coach Neil Owens described the performance as a clear step forward and will be looking for his side to build on it as they chase a third win of the season.
Both teams have conceded the most goals in the competition, with Azzurri on 25 and Olympic on 22. With a win potentially pushing either side into the top four, Friday night’s clash shapes as a crucial encounter.
Bye - Broadmeadow Magic