Round Sponsor: Astro Tile Newcastle
Sproule Sports Focus
Match of the Round
Valentine FC v Adamstown Rosebud
First grade match postponed due to COVID-19 player availability issues.
Lake Macquarie City v Lambton Jaffas
Macquarie Field, Friday 8pm
Lambton Jaffas will look to keep touch with Broadmeadow Magic at the top of the table when they take on Lake Macquarie City on Friday night.
Broadmeadow opened up a four-point gap to second-placed Lambton as they thrashed Newcastle Olympic 4-0 in their rescheduled round 11 match on Wednesday night.
While the Jaffas have a game in hand against Edgeworth, with the rescheduled round 11 match to be played on 24 July, Lambton will be desperate to down Lakes to stay within touching distance of the leaders.
Lambton will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing 1-1 draw with bottom of the table Valentine last weekend, with Jaffas needing a late Will McFarlane equaliser to salvage a point.
Lakes meanwhile have slipped to eighth but will be fresh having had their round 12 match with Edgeworth postponed due to the Eagles suffering player availability issues due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Lakes are five points outside the top five and will need to go on an outstanding run of form if they are to play finals football.
Weston Workers FC v Broadmeadow Magic
First grade match postponed due to COVID-19 player availability issues.
Newcastle Olympic v Edgeworth FC
Darling Street Oval, Sunday 2.30pm
Newcastle Olympic will look to bounce back when they host Edgeworth on Sunday.
Olympic will play their second match at Darling Street in four days after they suffered a 4-0 hammering at the hands of rivals Broadmeadow in their rescheduled round 11 match on Wednesday night.
Joel Griffiths’ side remain fifth but have now brought the chasing pack back into the race for finals places following three defeats in a row and only one win in their last five matches.
Edgeworth will be fresh having had their round 12 match with Lake Macquarie City postponed due to the Eagles suffering player availability issues due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Michael Bridges’s side are fourth but now have matches in hand on the rest of the top five and will be looking to make a move to regain touch with the leaders.
Charlestown Azzurri v Maitland FC
Lisle Carr Oval, Sunday 2.30pm
Charlestown Azzurri will be desperate to keep their finals hopes alive when they host a resurgent Maitland on Sunday.
Azzurri welcome the Magpies to Lisle Carr Oval needing to win to remain an outside chance of playing finals football. Charlestown are seventh, four points behind fifth-placed Newcastle Olympic.
But with games running out Graham Law’s side need to turn around their fortunes quickly after they were smashed 5-1 by leaders Broadmeadow last weekend.
Maitland though are looking up the table having won their last two matches in a row including a last gasp 3-1 victory over Olympic last weekend.
The Magpies are third, four points behind Magic with a game in hand.
Much like Lambton, Maitland will be looking to keep on winning to maintain pressure at the top.
