Match of the Round
Adamstown Rosebud JFC 3-0 Charlestown Azzurri
Adamstown Rosebud JFC coach Martin Slade believes that crucial moments could have changed the outcome of his side’s 3-0 loss to Charlestown Azzurri at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Friday night.
The two sides came firing out of the gates from the first whistle, with Azzurri determined to continue their winning streak and Adamstown desperate to secure their first win of the season.
But a fast break from Charlestown put them in front early in the match. A one-two pass between Madi Gallegos and Chloe Cattley in attack allowed Gallegos to get in behind Adamstown’s defence and slice the ball past goalkeeper Olivia Sneddon’s reach in the 12th minute.
The battle intensified between the two sides but the reigning champions held onto their 1-0 lead at the half-time break.
Adamstown was determined to level the score in the second half and it looked as though they would get that opportunity when Ashleigh Vetter was pulled down backwards by Cattley inside the penalty area.
But it was waved away by the referee and play resumed, with Slade getting a yellow card for his protest.
The good graces continued for Azzurri as Gallegos escaped a second yellow card for a reckless tackle on Sophia Laurie in the 71st minute.
These lucky escapes seemed to kick Azzurri into gear and get back into the contest.
Charlestown was able to double their lead after a long-range wonder strike from Gema Simon in the 77th minute.
The ball spat back out to her well outside the of the penalty area and Simon smashed it on the half volley over the sea of players and into the goal.
Gallegos put the cherry on top for the Blues in the 89th minute when she netted her second of the night to take the final scoreline to 3-0.
Slade said that key decisions could have changed the trajectory of the game for his team.
“I think if the penalty was given then we have the opportunity to equalise. We will never know what would have happened. The whole thing was then a butterfly effect,” Slade said.
“I am disappointed that we were robbed of the opportunity and having the last 30 minutes of the game being potentially 1-1.
“I believe we were denied the opportunity in the last 25 minutes to play against 10 players after a reckless tackle from Madi [Gallegos] who was already on a yellow card but also Azzurri could say the same for Tanya [Jones].”
Despite the result, Slade was happy with another strong performance from his young squad.
“We had a plan in place and we executed it for large periods of the game. We created opportunities but our downfall was that we weren’t good enough or clinical enough,” Slade said.
“In the end the quality of Gema Simon and Madi Gallegos undid us.
“It is disappointing to lose. But we frustrated the champions with all of their quality.
“I hope my players are proud of their performance that they put in. They worked for 90 minutes.
“I think overall, we know where we are which is good and we can still compete for large portions of the game. We just have to keep building on what we are doing.
“The results are not what the club and the players deserve. Surely at some point maybe a bit of luck and quality in front can get us over the line.”
Charlestown Azzurri coach Heath Whyte agreed that the challenge on Vetter should have been a penalty but believed the refereeing was consistent across the board.
“It was a penalty in my perspective but the referees' calls were consistent throughout the game so no complaints,” Whyte said.
Whyte was pleased with how his new combinations gelled together to secure their seventh consecutive win in the NPLW NNSW competition and believes their unity is the key to their success.
“I thought the first 15 minutes we controlled the game pretty last well and managed the last 20 minutes of the second half. Everything in the middle was a bit scrappy.
“A smaller pitch and different surface for us probably changed things a little.
“After settling the game down with Gemma’s cracking strike, I thought we were pretty good.
“Defensively, I thought our back four was fantastic and Danielle wasn’t too stretched.
“These are the things that we have been working on at training. We have to have a plan for players that we don’t have when they are unavailable or injured.
“We have worked on those player rotations. I have no problem rotating the squad. I have full confidence in the girls.
“We don’t talk too much on confidence. We talk about our style of play and who we want to be. There is a real good comradery amongst the girls and and I think that in itself brings about quite an air of confidence.
“Unity is the key, if you do not have that then you only have division. To have that amongst the girls is fantastic.”
Charlestown Azzurri will look to keep their undefeated streak alive when they host Lake Macquarie City FC in the quarter-final of the Women’s League Cup next Sunday before welcoming Maitland FC to town in round seven of the NPLW NNSW seven days later.
Adamstown will refocus ahead of their Women’s League Cup quarter-final against New Lambton FC next Saturday before they resume their search for their first win of the NPLW NNSW competition against Lakes in round seven.
Maitland FC 3-1 Newcastle Olympic
Maitland FC continued their undefeated streak this season with a 3-1 win over Newcastle Olympic at Cooks Square Park on Sunday afternoon.
The home side was forced to make an early substitute when Charlotte O'Connor was taken from the field after being hit in the face with the ball from close range. Serena Carter came on in her place in the 17th minute.
The Magpies opened the scoring in the 33rd minute after Marry Ntsweng’s strike from the edge of the penalty area flew past the reach of goalkeeper Janali Haynes.
Olympic was unable to equalise in the first half and went into the sheds at the break 1-0 down.
Maitland doubled their advantage in the 58th minute after Ceanna Frost found herself with the ball unmarked inside the penalty area and smashed it into the back of the net.
Co-captain Sophie Stapleford made her return to the competition in the 59th minute after being sidelined with an ankle injury since round one.
Fellow co-captain Tahlia Gossner made the score 3-0 two minutes later with a pinpoint header from a corner kick.
Olympic clawed one back in the 87th minute through Kealah Boldery after she got in behind Maitland’s defence, beat Thornton and slotted the ball into the goal.
But it was too little too late for the away side as the score remained 3-1 at the full-time whistle.
This is Olympic’s third game without a win and second consecutive loss in the competition.
Craig Atkins will be desperate for his side to regroup and turn things around when they host Broadmeadow Magic in the Women’s League Cup quarter-finals next Saturday before they travel to Alder Park to take on New Lambton in round seven of the NPLW NNSW the following week.
Maitland will hope to keep the good times rolling when they return to the competition in round seven after a bye in the Women’s League Cup to face Charlestown Azzurri.
New Lambton FC 13-1 Broadmeadow Magic
Broadmeadow Magic have had another night to forget after they were thrashed 13-1 by New Lambton FC at Alder Park on Saturday.
Eight goals from Tara Andrews and a dominant performance from Golden Eagles from start to finish saw the club put their statement on the competition, with the biggest win this season.
Magic was on the back foot from the start after Levi Cameron took down Andrews inside the penalty area to award the home side a penalty in the eighth minute.
Andrews calmly converted from the spot to give her side the early lead, before she secured a hat-trick with goals in the 19th and 21st minutes.
Sienna Denholm got her name on the scoresheet for New Lambton in the 26th minute before Andrews (32th) and Rosie Copus (45th) took the scoreline to 6-0 at the half-time break.
Magic clawed one back in the 47th minute through Larissa Ryan but a double from Brianna Trappett in the 58th and 62nd minutes restored the home side dominant lead.
Andrews netted two more in the 71st and 72nd minutes to extend the scoreline to 11-1.
Denholm slotted the ball into the back of the net four minutes later before Andrews put the final nail in the coffin with her eighth goal of the match and 13th of the game in the 85th minute.
The win moved New Lambton up to fourth place on the table with six points. They will take on Adamstown Rosebud JFC in the quarter-finals of the Women’s League Cup next Saturday before they host Newcastle Olympic in round seven of the NPLW NNSW competition the following week.
Magic will be desperate to find a way to bounce back from two heavy defeats. They will travel to Darling Street Oval to take on Olympic next Saturday for the Women’s League Cup quarter-final before they serve the bye in round seven of the NPL NNSW.
Lake Macquarie City FC – Bye