Match of the Round
Newcastle Olympic FC 0-3 Weston Workers FC
A superb Aaron Niyonkuru hat-trick was the difference at Darling Street Oval as Weston Workers FC scored a dominant away victory in the Match of the Round against Newcastle Olympic FC on Saturday.
Niyonkuru scored two goals late in the first half as the Bears went into the break ahead 2-0, and the Weston striker added his third a minute into the second stanza.
The two sides’ goalkeepers were rarely troubled in the opening half-hour but it was Weston that came closest to opening the scoring when a powerful Yuta Konagaya strike cannoned out off the crossbar in the 25th minute.
The Bears looked dangerous out wide from the opening whistle, especially down the left edge as skipper Chris Hurley made several penetrating runs upfield from left back to give his side an extra number in attack.
Hurley set up the first goal in the 31st minute after he received a pass out wide in the attacking third from Connor Evans and then found Niyonkuru just inside the box with a sharp pass that allowed the striker to turn quickly and smash a powerful shot into the bottom left corner.
Niyonkuru doubled his side’s lead 12 minutes later when he ran onto a headed Olympic clearance just outside the box and drove a wonderful strike into the top left corner. The only thing better than the goal was the backflip celebration.
To complete the hat-trick, Niyonkuru was set up by Cooper Buswell who produced a classy flick into Niyonkuru’s path, and the in-form striker made no mistake with a one-on-one finish just 45 seconds after play had restarted in the second half.
Weston pushed hard for a fourth goal but some brilliant saves in the final 10 minutes from Olympic shot-stopper Adam Pearce kept the score at 3-0.
Bears goalkeeper Gerard Roebuck was rarely troubled at the other end as his backline combined well to limit chances for the home side, which saw Weston secure their fourth clean sheet of the year and earn the three points.
Coach Kew Jaliens had set out a clear game plan for his side to follow and he was thrilled that they stuck to it and were able to reap the rewards.
“We played a good game. I think we controlled the game,” Jaliens said.
“Olympic away is always a tough game, so we were very focused and we knew we needed to control the pace of the game.
“We worked the game plan that we had well and that resulted in the goals we scored. We knew there was going to be space out wide, and that’s where we found our joy.
“I’m happy with the total performance. Up until the end we stayed focused and concentrated.
“Now we have to keep going.”
Jaliens commended his entire team and said that he was particularly impressed with Niyonkuru’s performance.
“He’s formed good combinations with Yuta Konagaya and Cooper Buswell up top, and this is what he can do,” Jaliens said.
“It was a positive influence from him on the team and it’s very good for his confidence going forward.”
Weston leapfrogged Charlestown Azzurri FC into first on the table but they had to settle back in second to finish the weekend after James Pascoe’s men defeated Lake Macquarie City FC 4-0 the next day.
The Bears will now host Maitland FC in the Coalfields derby at Rockwell Automation Park this Sunday.
Olympic are now one point outside the top five in seventh place and will return to Darling Street Oval on Saturday when they host Cooks United FC.
New Lambton FC 0-3 Adamstown Rosebud FC
Adamstown Rosebud FC spoiled the party during New Lambton FC’s old boys day celebrations at Alder Park on Saturday with a 3-0 victory.
Rosebud opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Murray Peart ran onto a bouncing ball that had been lumped up-field from the back and chested it down into the box before finding the bottom right corner with a left-footed strike across New Lambton goalkeeper Alexander Bozinovski.
Adamstown took that 1-0 lead into the break and it remained that way with only 20 minutes left to play.
Two super subs put the result beyond doubt for Rosebud as Austin Howard scored in the 73rd minute and Oliver Rich netted in the 81st, less than a minute after entering the field.
Adamstown’s defence held strong and their goalkeeper Nick Hartnett made some big saves as the side secured the three points with a 3-0 victory.
The clean sheet was Adamstown’s first of the 2023 campaign and was the third win of the season. They face a tough task this weekend when they host the team on top of the table, Charlestown Azzurri FC, at Adamstown Oval on Saturday.
New Lambton also play on Saturday and will be hoping to bounce back from this week’s loss when they take on Valentine FC at Glendale’s Hunter Sports Centre in the Match of the Round.
Lambton Jaffas FC 1-1 Edgeworth FC
Lambton Jaffas FC and Edgeworth FC earned a point each at Arthur Edden Oval on Saturday after two late goals saw the sides finish all square at 1-1.
Neither side found the back of the net in the first-half going into the break unable to be separated.
It was the Jaffas that struck first when Kale Bradbery won a penalty and converted it in the 71st minute. Eagles goalkeeper Ben Conway dived the right way but Bradbery’s pinpoint shot found the bottom left corner.
Edgeworth had a chance to equalise from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute but Ben Kennedy was up to the task as he saved Sascha Montefiore’s strike.
Kennedy has now saved an impressive seven from eight penalties faced this year.
But the Eagles striker Montefiore would not be denied again, hitting the back of the net eight minutes later.
The match was seconds away from entering extra time when Montefiore got onto a Josh Rose cross and headed home an equaliser from close range to make the score 1-1.
Neither team could find a winner settling for one point each as they both moved to 25 points on the ladder, falling two points behind Maitland in fourth.
Edgeworth is the higher-ranked of the two sides as they have a superior goal difference. The Eagles are fifth and the Jaffas are sixth.
Both sides will play at home this Sunday as Edgeworth hosts Lake Macquarie City FC at Jack McLaughlan Oval and the Jaffas welcome Broadmeadow Magic to Arthur Edden Oval.
Cooks Hill United FC 1-3 Broadmeadow Magic FC
Broadmeadow Magic scored a crucial win to remain in the Premiership race with a 3-1 victory away from home against Cooks Hill United FC at the Fearnley Dawes Athletic Centre on Saturday.
The visitors took a 1-0 lead into half-time after Sam Donnellan picked out the bottom right corner from close range after Josh Benson found him with a cross from the left edge.
Magic doubled their lead in the 49th minute when a deflected Bailey Wells shot rolled into the path of Riley Smith who made no mistake from inside the six-yard box.
Wells put Magic ahead 3-0 in the 88th minute when he scored into an empty net after his initial shot beat Cooks Hill goalkeeper Daniel Eisenhauer but rebounded out off the post.
Cooks Hill’s Campbell Ross tucked a shot inside the right upright after pouncing on a loose ball just inside the 18-yard box in the 90th minute, however, it was too little, too late.
Broadmeadow remains third on the table as they were able to not lose any ground to the Weston Bears and Charlestown Azzurri ahead of them.
Magic’s win also keep them three points clear of Maitland FC and move five points ahead of both Edgeworth FC and Lambton Jaffas FC.
Next up for Magic is a trip to Arthur Edden Oval on Sunday to tackle the Jaffas, while Cooks Hill will be looking to bounce back a day earlier at Darling Street Oval where they will challenge Newcastle Olympic.
Valentine FC 1-2 Maitland FC
Maitland FC stretched their winning streak to six matches when they defeated Valentine FC 2-1 at the Hunter Sports Centre in Glendale on Saturday night.
The competition’s leading goal-scorer Braedyn Crowley earned high praise off Magpies coach Mick Bolch labelling him as one of the driving forces behind the team’s recent success.
Crowley was able to deliver once again opening the scoring for Maitland in the 18th minute after charging into the box and onto the end of a brilliant Flynn Goodman pass and finding the bottom left corner.
Goodman set up another goal in the 34th minute when he crossed the ball from the right sideline and picked out Charles Cox who drove a powerful volley from outside the 18-yard box into the back of the net.
Maitland went into half-time with that 2-0 lead but it was Valentine that struck in the second-half when Nicholas Martinelli slotted the ball into an empty net in the 57th minute.
Valentine worked hard to find an equaliser but could not crack the Magpies’ defence a second time as Pate made some crucial late saves to help earn Maitland earn a 2-1 victory.
The win sees Bolch’s side stay in fourth, keeping pace with Charlestown Azzurri FC, Weston Workers FC and Broadmeadow Magic FC at the top of the table.
Maitland will be on the road again this Sunday when they travel to Rockwell Automation Park for the Coalfields derby against Weston.
Valentine remains in eighth and they return to Hunter Sports Centre on Saturday when they host New Lambton FC in the Match of the Round.
Charlestown Azzurri 4-0 Lake Macquarie City FC
Charlestown Azzurri FC proved why they are top of the league, defeating Lake Macquarie 4-0 on Sunday.
Azzurri’s Rene Ferguson and Regan Lundy both scored doubles as James Pascoe’s side finally flexed their muscles up front.
Azzurri have been impressive defensively all year, having only conceded 13 goals in 15 games and now having kept six clean sheets, but Pascoe wanted to see more from his men in the attacking third.
“Right now, we’re in a little phase where we need to make sure that we’re executing better in the front third, and today was a step forward with that for us, one that we hope we can build on week to week,” Pascoe said.
Ferguson struck first when he finished off a swift team play that saw the home side go from box to box in six passes, and then Lundy doubled the side’s lead in the 35th minute when he found the bottom left corner with a powerful strike from just inside the 18-yard box after playing a brilliant one-two with Ferguson.
Lundy scored with an almost identical strike eight minutes into the second stanza after Jackson Frendo won possession in the attacking third with a brilliant tackle.
Ferguson put the icing on the cake in the 83rd minute when he volleyed home from close range after getting onto the end of a superb Matthew Johnson cross.
Pascoe was pleased with his side’s efforts at training during the week and was proud that his men took that out onto the field on Sunday.
“It was one of those games that you’re expected to win but they’re sometimes the hardest games,” Pascoe said.
“We had a good week of preparation and the performance probably matched that, which was pleasing.”
Charlestown will be looking to continue their form when they travel to take on Adamstown Rosebud.
Last place Lake Macquarie will continue to search for their second win of the campaign when they go head-to-head with Edgeworth.