Match of the Round
Broadmeadow Magic FC v Charlestown Azzurri FC
Magic Park, Friday 8pm
Broadmeadow Magic will look to make it three wins on the trot when they host Charlestown Azzurri at Magic Park on Friday night.
The reigning champions have kicked off their season as they finished the competition in 2023, with back-to-back wins.
Each new-look side will be eager to secure another three points at the final whistle but both coaches are more focused on their team performing consistently rather than winning.
Magic’s coach Nima Nikfarjam was pleased with how his side started the season and hopes to continue to build throughout the year.
“The thing I have been most impressed by is the resilience that my players showed and that we have had trust among ourselves. They are trusting the process and the style of play that I have introduced,” Nikfarjam said.
“My focus is to look at my team first and their performance and then look at the other team.
“I like to have control of the game with and without the ball.”
“Every session, we are working on connections and making sure that the girls have fun because when they are having fun they work harder.”
Magic’s gaffer said his side are looking forward to the contest on Sunday and are feeling confident they can secure another three points.
“It will be a high-intensity game and we are up for it,” Nikfarjam said.
“Winning is always important but the most important thing is to be consistent with performance.”
“No one is going to be lifting a trophy in March, it will be the team that is the most consistent throughout the entire season.”
Keziah White will be unavailable for Magic this weekend but the rest of the squad are set to be available for Friday night's clash.
Charlestown Azzurri will be heading into their third game in a week after playing a mid-week rescheduled round one fixture against Maitland FC.
Coach Heath Whyte admitted that the quick turnarounds would be a challenge for his side.
“We set a plan for our week once we realised we would be playing the rescheduled game,” Whyte said.
“It’s not ideal for preparation.
“We’ve managed to fit in some recovery sessions and have given players nights off.”
Azzurri has started the season with one win and a loss but Whyte is happy with the progress his side have already made so far this season.
“The Saturday before against Adamstown, we failed to execute our gameplan but still came away with a win and then against Maitland we got the gameplan right but failed to win.”
“We played well [against Maitland] there is no question. The girls executed the strategy well and they played our style of football. I thought both teams were evenly matched,” Whyte said.
“The mistakes we made were elementary, with individual players getting caught out. But I was really encouraged by how the girls played.
“The girls are very positive in how they play and are showing a strong brand of football.
Whyte is confident that even with the tight turnaround of matches, his side will be up to the challenge against Magic for the full 90 minutes.
“I know that we can remain a high intensity for the full 90,” Whyte said.
“This weekend will be no different for us.
“We will be focusing on our style and brand of play.
“Magic has some good players in the mix. I’m hoping for a good game.”
The Blues will be without Kirstyn Pearce (injury) and Sarah Halvorsen (back injury) but defender Lori Depczynski will return to the side for 2024.
New Lambton FC v Newcastle Olympic FC
Alder Park, Sunday 4pm
New Lambton FC will be eager to continue their winning form when they host Newcastle Olympic on Sunday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles were rewarded after two strong performances with a 6-2 victory over Warners Bay FC last weekend.
Having Newcastle Jets veteran Tara Andrews in the New Lambton side from the start of the season has proved to be vital for New Lambton, as she has played a key part in each of the two matches.
Coach Aaron Stedman is pleased with what he has seen from his side so far this season.
“We have had two games and strongly been in both of them. We want to keep that going,” Stedman said.
“We want to push for semis this year but after the first two performances we believe we can aim even higher.”
“We are hoping to continue on what we are doing and keep moving forward.
New Lambton’s gaffer is confident in his side but is aware of the threat the Olympic side are looking to be in the competition.
“We know this weekend is going to be tough,” Stedman said.
“They have scored a lot of goals. We know we are going to have to be switched on the whole time.
“If we were good enough to take three points away from this weekend, the girls would take a big message out of that. It would be massive.
“It will be a really good game for both sides.”
New Lambton will be without Amy Gosling again this weekend and Stedman is hopeful that Ally Pike will make her debut for the season as she has returned from injury back into training.
Olympic have been nothing but clinical and ruthless in the opening two rounds of the season, defeating Adamstown 9-0 in round one and thrashing Mid Coast 12-0 last weekend.
Craig Atkins will be expecting his side to continue their dominance when they travel to Alder Park on Sunday.
The Olympic side has no shortage of players who can hit the back of the net with seven already putting their names on the scoresheet.
Jemma House and Marion Dunbabin have each netted six goals in the first two games this season and will be hoping to continue their form against the Golden Eagles.
Olympic have not conceded a single goal yet this season, but will need to be on high alert to shut down New Lambton's attackers Andrews and Nyah Bradley to secure all three points on Sunday.
Adamstown Rosebud JFC v Mid Coast FC
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility, Saturday 5pm
Adamstown Rosebud and Mid Coast FC will be hunting for their first points of the season when they go head-to-head at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday afternoon.
The match will be a fierce battle between the two young squads, who have both failed to pick up a point in the opening two rounds.
Despite the results, Rosebud’s coach Martin Slade is pleased with the progress his young side has made so far.
“Our performances have been far better, so the process is obviously working,” Slade said.
“I’ve said it all along we want results, but performances are also a high priority. We want to perform well consistently.
“We need to create more goal-scoring opportunities.”
Mid Coast will be desperate to turn things around after suffering two heavy defeats, conceding 20 goals in just two matches.
The side went down to a ruthless Newcastle Olympic line-up 12-0 and will be hoping to bounce back in a big way when they travel down south to take on Rosebud.
Holding as a strong defensive unit will be important for the two sides to stop the opposition from breaking through.
A win would be vital to help boost the confidence of the players and kick-start both team's 2024 campaigns, making this fixture one not to miss.
Warners Bay FC v Maitland FC
John Street Oval, Sunday 4pm
Warners Bay will look to bounce back when they host Maitland FC at John Street Oval on Sunday afternoon.
It will be the battle of the attackers, as each side possesses their own goal-scoring threats.
The Panthers went down 6-2 against New Lambton in round two after picking up a monumental win in the opening week of the competition.
Warners Bay’s new signing Emily Diaz has already netted six goals in two matches and will be hoping to continue her goal-scoring form against the Magpies.
This Sunday’s match will be Maitland’s third in a week, after going down to Magic 2-1 in round 2 and picking up their first three points of the season against Charlestown Azzurri in a catch-up game on Tuesday night.
The Magpies coach Keelan Hamilton will have to overcome the short turnaround and hope that his players have recovered enough to back it up again on Sunday afternoon.
Georgia Amess and Bronte Peel will be hard to stop in attack, both able to score and assist goal-scoring opportunities on multiple occasions for their side. Peel scored her first hat-trick against Azzurri and will be eager to go again against the Panthers.
With a win and a loss under each of the team’s belts, both sides will be vying to secure all three points by the final whistle.