Match of the Round
Maitland FC v Edgeworth FC
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 2:30pm
This weekend’s Match of the Round offers fans an early insight into finals football as Maitland host Edgeworth on Saturday at Cooks Square Park.
The Magpies and Eagles are two of the competition heavyweights and both teams have their sights set firmly on earning a top-five position.
Both sides are finals regulars and they met in the grand final back in 2020 when the Eagles were last crowned champions.
A nine-game winning streak has propelled Maitland up the table into second place and only two points behind league-leaders Charlestown Azzurri.
It has been an inspired turnaround for Mick Bolch’s men, who were sitting ninth on nine points after their first nine games but have since claimed all 27 on offer.
“We weren’t playing that bad in those first nine games. It’s football, sometimes you get the bounce of the ball and sometimes you don’t,” Bolch said.
“Anything that could go wrong was going wrong. Losing becomes a habit and that’s what it was at that stage. Now, winning has become a habit.
“The boys are turning up confident. Their body language is good and we are playing good football and scoring goals. There’s no one thing you can pin-point that turned it around, I think it’s just hard work.
“We’ve rectified problems at both ends of the pitch. I think, as a unit, the team’s doing really well.”
The Magpies’ most recent win was the largest by any team this season as they dismantled Lake Macquarie City 9-0 on home soil on Sunday,
But what says even more about the Maitland playing group is the fact that they backed it up with what their coach labelled their ‘best training session in two years’ on Tuesday night.
Bolch insisted he is not getting caught up in any talk of a premiership battle, and he is focusing solely on the task at hand, that being Edgeworth on Saturday.
“They have plenty of leaders and danger men,” Bolch said.
“[Jacob Pepper] and [Pat Wheeler] in the backline. They are very hard to break down, defensively. [Sascha] Montefiore has been doing really well up front, we need to control him. Then there’s Josh Rose who’s always done well against us. He’s a quality player who scores goals and sets goals up. We’ve got to watch those two up front, and then it’s about breaking down their backline.”
A boost for the Magpies sees in-form goalkeeper Taylor Pate return to the team on Saturday after he missed last weekend’s game getting married.
Maitland have not conceded multiple goals during their impressive winning streak and have kept five clean sheets in that run.
A lot of that comes down to Pate, who has made match-winning saves to earn the Magpies three points on several occasions.
“Our last loss was against Olympic and we were down 3-1 at half-time in that game. Our regular keeper got injured and Pate came in at half-time. We didn’t concede any more goals. Since then, we’ve won nine games straight and we’ve only conceded four goals in the nine games,” Bolch said.
“He’s done really well and he’s won a couple of games for us. Definitely the Magic game. He was the difference between the two sides on that day.
“He’s given the boys in front of him confidence.”
At the other end, James Thompson and Braedyn Crowley have both recently overcome injuries that hampered them during the first half of the season. The pair having started to click up front, putting all teams in the competition on high alert.
One of those teams is the Eagles, who will need to keep the strike partners at bay to earn a crucial three points on Saturday.
Edgeworth are ranked sixth on the table but are only seven points behind Azzurri and five back from Maitland.
While there’s no need for panic just yet, a win is as important as ever for Peter McGuinness’ men with only four games remaining in the season, and he knows his side have a real challenge on their hands.
“They are coming off a 9-0 win, so we have to shore up our defence to make sure we limit their chances,” McGuinness said.
“Braedyn and Tomo and Flynn [Goodman] are really good players, and Rhys Cooper is a good addition to them this year. They’ve got some boys that like to hit the target, and we’ve got to make sure we’re very sound, defensively, to nullify their opportunities. That’s our aim.
“They are on top of their game. There will be no sleeping in this one. Both teams will have to be on and be on for the whole game.”
Edgeworth have a few injury concerns, with Pepper, Tyson Jackson and Andrew Pawiak all in doubt, but may be at full strength if those three become available for selection.
The two sides are now focused on putting together a full 90-minute performance at Cooks Square Park this Saturday and claiming all three points on offer to set themselves up for the final three weeks.
Charlestown Azzurri FC v Newcastle Olympic FC
Lisle Carr Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
Charlestown Azzurri will be hoping to get their premiership push back on track when they return to Lisle Carr Oval on Saturday to host Newcastle Olympic.
Azzurri have played their past three games on the road, during which they picked up four of a possible nine competition points.
Charlestown remains on top of the table but their lead has been cut down to two points as a red-hot Maitand side is now breathing down their necks.
In a major boost for Charlestown, suspended skipper Nigel Boogaard returns this Saturday after he missed last Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Weston.
Boogaard’s presence will help to add more organisation and communication at the back, which has contributed to Azzurri conceding the fewest number of goals this season.
Rene Ferguson slotted into the backline against the Bears on Sunday to give Azzurri more experience there alongside former A-League gun Taylor Regan.
But Ferguson, who is one of the classiest attackers in the competition, is expected to return to the front third this weekend.
Olympic will be watching him with a close eye after he scored a double in Charlestown’s 2-1 victory against them at Darling Street Oval in Round 8 back in April.
Olympic are heading out to Lisle Carr Oval this Saturday full of confidence after they snapped a four-game losing streak last week when they downed Valentine 2-1 on home soil.
Olympic are five points outside the top five with just four rounds to go, making this a must-win game for the side to keep their finals hopes alive.
Joe Langlois and Adam Pearce will return from suspension for Olympic, which will help boost the squad in their quest to secure three points.
Lake Macquarie City FC v Broadmeadow Magic FC
Macquarie Field, Saturday 2:30pm
Lake Macquarie City have a chance to end a four-game losing streak when they host Broadmeadow Magic at Macquarie Field on Saturday.
The Roosters last played at home in June when they defeated Adamstown 4-1. That was their only win of the year so far have been unable to build on it, losing their last four games buy a combined 24 goals to one.
A return to their home ground may bring about the winning feeling but it’s going to be another tough task against a side with finals aspirations.
Broadmeadow are locked in a top-five battle on the table. The side are ranked fourth on 33 points following a dominant 4-1 victory away from home against New Lambton last Saturday.
Magic sits only five points behind table-leaders Azzurri but only two ahead of sixth-placed Edgeworth.
Magic have finished second in two of the past three campaigns, and they will need to get the job done this weekend if they are to go one better in 2023.
Broadmeadow coach John Bennis is confident that the most efficient way to finish as high up the table as possible is to forget about the standings and focus on whichever team is up next, starting with Lake Macquarie.
“It’s week by week for us. I think if we just concentrate on the week-by-week scenarios, the rest will take care of itself,” Bennis said.
“We are not trying to look to far ahead. We’re just focused on picking up three points away to Lakes on Saturday. They made it very tough for us last game.
“We’ll be trying to work on what we learned from that game. Trying to create more opportunities to score and taking our chances is what we’ll be focusing on.”
Magic defender Sam Kamper was forced off at half-time last weekend during the win against New Lambton, and Bennis is hopeful he will be fit and ready come Saturday.
In good news for Broadmeadow, Will Ingram and Jarred Baker are close to returning to training following their injuries earlier in the season.
Weston Workers FC v Adamstown Rosebud FC
Rockwell Automation Park, Saturday 2:30pm
Weston Bears will be playing for a valuable three points that they’ll be hoping can help them climb back up the competition ladder when they welcome Adamstown Rosebud to Rockwell Automation Park on Saturday.
Weston have only picked up one point in their most recent three matches and that has seen them slip down the ladder to fifth.
The Bears are only two wins behind Azzurri but are just one point ahead of sixth-placed Edgeworth, making this Saturday’s game against Adamstown a crucial one to keep their finals destiny in their own hands.
Weston drew 1-1 with Azzurri at Rockwell Automation Park in front of a home crowd last Sunday.
Coach Kew Jaliens thought they played well in that match but admitted there were a few aspects of the performance they needed to tweak.
“I think we just have to keep going the way we played but add on a few things and correct the things that didn’t go so well,” Jaliens said.
“There’s still a long road towards the end of the season. But every game is going to be important for every team. It’s very close.
“We have to stay positive and try to get three points from every game we play.”
Weston take on an Adamstown side that presents a tricky task on Saturday. The Rosebud cannot qualify for the finals series this season but have shown they will fight to the end and put a dent in other club’s finals hopes.
Rosebud have racked up wins against Valentine, Olympic and New Lambton, and have pushed premiership hopefuls Charlestown and Lambton all the way to full-time in one-goal losses.
Adamstown took points off Weston earlier in the year when the sides drew 2-2 at Adamstown Oval in Round 8 on Anzac Day, and the Rosebud now have their sights set on earning all three points away from home this Saturday.
Cooks Hill United FC v Valentine FC
Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field, Saturday 3pm
A rivalry resumes when Cooks Hill United host New Lambton at the Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field this Saturday.
Cooks Hill gaffer Chris Zoricich is enjoying his first season in charge at the club and has them playing some impressive football of late.
While Zoricich wants three points out of this Saturday’s home clash, he see it as just another game for the squad.
“Nothing changes for us. We are playing now with a lot of confidence,” Zoricich said.
“Getting three results in a row has helped for sure to solidify that we are doing the right thing. Getting the wins against good opposition has made it easier for the guys to buy in more.
“Now it’s more of the same. We won’t change anything. I understand it’s a bit of a rivalry in the past between New Lambton and Cooks Hill, but I’m not buying into that, it’s just another game for us.
“If we can get another result, that would be fantastic, but if we don’t, I just want a good performance again. But I think that if we do that, the result will take care of itself.”
These two sides have accepted they won’t be playing finals football in 2023, but they are determined to finish their seasons on a high and take momentum into 2024.
Cooks Hill is ranked eighth on the table on 22 points and New Lambton is 11th with nine points.
New Lambton’s Sam Maxwell will miss this Saturday’s clash between the two sides after he received another red card last weekend in New Lambton’s 4-1 loss against Broadmeadow Magic.
While Maitland’s incredible nine-game winning streak is the talk of the competition at the moment, there’s another brewing lower down the table as Cooks Hill have won their past three matches.
Cooks Hill entered the NNSW NPL competition from the second division last season and finished ninth on the 11-team ladder after picking up 18 points in 20 games. They’ve already earned more points than that in fewer games in 2023, and now they have the chance to kick on and secure their best NPL finish yet.
Valentine FC v Lambton Jaffas FC
Hunter Sports Centre, Saturday 5pm
The final match of the weekend will see Valentine host Lambton at the Hunter Sports Centre in Glendale under lights on Saturday evening.
Jaffas are currently flourishing in the league after their 3-2 win against Adamstown last weekend extended their unbeaten run to six games.
Lambton have now won three games in a row, keeping them in the premiership hunt as they finished the round just four points back from the top-ranked Charlestown Azzurri.
The Jaffas will be boosted by the return of their latest signing, Nikolai Topor-Stanley, who missed last weekend’s game. The former A-League player played in back-to-back matches against Broadmeadow Magic and Lake Macquarie City after joining the club last month, but was rested by coach David Tanchevski last weekend.
Tanchevski said the only disappointing aspect of his side’s win over Adamstown was the way they conceded both goals through defensive mistakes, and he expects Topor-Stanley to help secure the backline when he returns.
Jaffas have had a season riddled with injury but are starting to get everyone back on deck.
Matt Hoole and Scott Pettit have recently returned, and Sakeel Balfour Brown is expected back this Saturday. But it looks like Finn Todhunter could potentially miss the rest of the year as his knee injury keeps him sidelined.
Valentine’s slim finals hopes evaporated last weekend when they lost 2-1 at Darling Street Oval against Newcastle Olympic.
Coach Adam Hughes’ focus is now on winning as many games as possible during the run home, while giving young players at the club game time in an environment that exposes them to playing in a side that is pushing hard for three points every week.
The challenge could not be any more appealing this Saturday as they host the defending champions who are in good form and are determined to keep the ball rolling.
Valentine goes into the remainder of the season without Tom Duggan, who has signed for Portuguese club FC Serpa. The talented forward will be a significant loss up top for the side.