Match of the Round
Broadmeadow Magic 6-0 Charlestown Azzurri
Broadmeadow Magic assistant coach Dean Cook believed that while it wasn’t the cleanest of wins, it was one the side had been working towards when they downed Charlestown Azzurri 6-0 at Magic Park on Friday night.
An end-to-end contest opened the match as both sides looked to lock in just their second victory of the season.
Broadmeadow’s Wimberley Wright opened the scoring for the night in just the seventh minute with a brilliant solo effort that saw her work her way off the byline, cut back in front of goal and tap the ball into the bottom-left corner.
Charlestown attempted to equalise but as the match was heavily confined in the midfield their best attempt saw Isabelle Budden launch the ball from distance but was denied by goalkeeper Malli Blanch.
Magic doubled their lead in the 38th minute as Wright’s attempt on goal was denied by goalkeeper Paige Hollier but the ball spilled onto the path of Emma McGovern who sent the ball into the back of the net.
A third goal was on the cards for Broadmeadow moments before half-time when a short corner caught Azzurri off guard and an unmarked Olivia Oto launched the ball from the top of the box into the goal.
The second stanza saw the game open up as free flowing football was on display, with Azzurri handling more possession.
But Magic was not backing down as Oto netted her second for the evening in the 69th minute after a scrappy contest in front of goal.
Broadmeadow substitute Ruby Cook made her mark on the game in the 80th minute when she sliced the ball from the top of the box and into the bottom-left corner to take her side’s lead to 5-0.
Azzurri continued to push for a goal, but a strong backline and a determined Blanch continued to deny them any opportunity on goal.
Wright buried the game just moments into stoppage time as she charged into the box unmarked and tapped it into the back of the net to secure her side a dominant 6-0 victory.
“We're feeling very good. It wasn't probably our most polished performance but it’s a win so I'm very happy about that and that's deserved for the girls,” Cook said.
“They've been working hard and have been working towards that sort of type of win.
“They [Azzurri] did a very good job pressing us probably in that first half and we recognised that and talked about that at half-time.
“I think it was about trying to break those lines, and we knew that over time, and with a little bit more patience and a little bit more possession the opportunities would come, and we would get our goals, which we did.
“Credit to Azzurri they put us under a fair bit of pressure early, so we had to stick to the plan, and we knew we had to play a full 90 minutes, which is a very positive thing for us.”
It was a disjointed week for Magic as head coach Jason Konjarski was unable to lead the side due to suspension, but Cook emphasised that the players were purely focused on the game at hand.
“We've said it's been business as usual behind the scenes but there's obviously been a little bit of disruption,” Cook said.
“We've tried to shield that from the players. So really, they just focus on what they need to do on the pitch and I think that came through tonight.”
The loss marked Charlestown Azzurri’s second heavy defeat of the season, with head coach Alicia Ferguson admitting her side had regressed in recent weeks.
“I think all of us, the players and me included, were just really disappointed,” Ferguson said.
“Obviously there's a lot on the line for every single game. We want to be competitive in every match. We've made some really positive steps forward and it feels like we've regressed a little bit tonight, which is really frustrating.
“We kind of went away from doing the simple things well, which we'd actually started doing consistently. It's not nice to concede that many goals. I think the damage was done in the first half going in at three nil down. It's a long way back. So, we watch the video, we rework and we go again.”
Azzurri entered the match on the back of a 3-0 victory and while the loss was disheartening Ferguson acknowledged her side can bounce back and have done so before.
“We've experienced it before, so we can turn it around. I think consistency is now what we need to talk about,” Ferguson said.
“We have a good performance, we get a win, and then we drop off again. So, we just need to keep working on that consistency, and we tried a few different things tonight, and they weren't successful. Now we just have to review that and see what works going forward.”
Azzurri will search for that consistency when they travel to Alder Park to face New Lambton FC on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Broadmeadow will look to keep the good times rolling when they take on Adamstown Rosebud JFC at Adamstown Oval on Saturday afternoon.
New Lambton FC 3-2 Newcastle Olympic
New Lambton FC head coach Craig Atkins said he was pleased his side locked in a 3-2 victory over Newcastle Olympic at Alder Park on Saturday afternoon despite not playing their best football.
New Lambton was searching for their fifth win of the season and their determination was on show when they found the back of the net in the third minute.
A short corner saw Josie Fisher play the ball to Brianna Trappett who sent the ball high into the box where Kimberly Trappett headed it into the back of the net.
Olympic looked for a response in the eighth minute through Kate Heap but a diving save by goalkeeper Janali Haynes denied them.
Both sides continued their search to add a goal to the scoreboard throughout the first half and New Lambton went into the sheds with a 1-0 lead.
Olympic entered the second stanza with newfound energy as they found the equaliser in the 56th minute.
Sophie Walmsley rounded New Lambton’s Nyah Bradley in the box and cut the ball across the front of goal to an unmarked Eva Donnelly who tapped the ball into the back of the net.
But the Golden Eagles quickly regained their lead when Zahna Franklin launched a corner into the box where she found Josie Fisher who chipped it into the back stick in the 58th minute.
It was déjà vu as New Lambton took their lead to 3-1 in the 61st minute after Montana Quick found the back of the net off a corner.
As Olympic looked to lessen the deficit, substitute Ava McGann was the answer when she found the end of a Sophie McDonald through ball and sliced the ball under Haynes into the goal in the 66th minute.
Olympic searched for a third for the evening while New Lambton were determined to hold onto all three points and were successful as the score remained 3-2 when the final whistle blew.
“It was very important to get the three points, which is what we were definitely after,” Atkins said.
“There were times that we made it a little bit difficult for ourselves and Olympic really put it to us, but full credit to the girls they fought really hard and I thought our structures were quite solid and the girls never gave up.
“We created a number of opportunities that we just couldn't get over the line as well.
“There were problems that we didn't play our best football, but full credit to the girls for sticking together.
“The biggest thing I asked for at half-time was just a bit more composure. I thought we rushed a few things there especially in the first half.
“It was just a matter of sticking to our guns, keeping our structure together and we had to grind for that last 20 minutes, but we still created opportunities and in the end got the job done.”
New Lambton will be eager to continue their four-game winning streak when they welcome Charlestown Azzurri to Alder Park on Friday night.
Newcastle Olympic will search for their third victory of the season as they host Lake Macquarie City FC on Sunday afternoon.
Adamstown Rosebud JFC 0-2 Maitland FC
Maitland have now defeated all teams in the NPL Women’s NNSW competition after they beat Adamstown Rosebud JFC 2-0 at Adamstown Oval on Sunday afternoon.
It was a first vs last match as the two sides took the field but the gap on the table was not showcased on the field.
Maitland, a side known for their attacking ability were held scoreless for majority of the first half until they broke through in the 40th minute.
The Magpies' Elodie Dagg volleyed the ball to Sophie Stapleford who charged her way to the top of the box and sent the ball to Renee Pountney who tapped it under a diving Olivia Sneddon and into the goal.
Despite Maitland’s best efforts to find another before half-time, they went into the sheds leading 1-0.
Maitland entered the second half determined to continue their hunt for a second and it took them just 20 seconds into the stanza to do so.
Marion Dubabin cut the ball to Pountney at the top of the box and as she unleashed a shot on target Adamstown midfielder Evie Horgan headed it towards her own goal and Sneddon was unable to prevent it from going into the back of the net.
The Magpies continued to push for a third but were unable to do so as the score remained 2-0 when the final whistle blew.
Adamstown appeared to have clawed one back in the 61st minute when Sophie Cook found the bottom-left corner but was ruled offside.
The Buds will look to return to winning ways after a disappointing two matches when they take on Broadmeadow Magic at home on Saturday afternoon. Maitland will serve the bye.
Bye - Lake Macquarie City FC