Match of the Round
Edgeworth FC v New Lambton FC
Jack McLaughlan Oval, Sunday 2:30pm
It’s a battle of the Eagles for this weekend’s Match of the Round as Edgeworth prepares to host New Lambton at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Sunday.
All eyes were on the Australia Cup Round of 32 draw on Wednesday night, during which Edgeworth were drawn to host A-League Men outfit Western United FC in a blockbuster knockout clash.
But it’s back to business in the league as Peter McGuiness’ men look to put a mid-season slump behind them and mount a finals push. Last Sunday’s victory against Lakes snapped a five-game winless run that had seen the Edgeworth Eagles fall from second to fifth.
Edgeworth’s coach is expecting a tough game from New Lambton, who are determined to end a six-game winless run.
“We’ve played them three times this year already. We played them in the pre-season in the Eagles cup and they were difficult, and then we played them the first time this season and beat them 3-0. We then we beat them in the Cup as well, which was a tough game,” McGuiness said.
“It’s the Eagles rivalry. They seem to always lift for us.
“By all accounts, they had a good showing last weekend against Valentine. But realistically, if we want to be up around the top three or four in the league, we’ve got to win this game and we’re going to give it a real crack.”
While the Eagles will continue their approach of only focusing on the next opponent, McGuiness thought that Jack McLaughlan Oval being named as the grand final venue had given his squad a spring in their step. He also commended the many hard-working people at Edgeworth, both past and present, who have contributed to making the Eagles’ home base one of the premier venues in town.
“That’s a great outcome for the club, for the people who’ve put so much time and energy into the infrastructure of the club,” McGuiness said.
“The amenities and facilities there are really, really good for NPL level. A really high standard.
“I’m glad for the committee and all of the people over the years that have put that effort in. I’m really happy for the club itself to be hosting the grand final.
“It gives us as a team a little more incentive too. It will spur the boys on a little bit, more than they already are, to get there.”
The Australia Cup draw has also created a great deal of buzz around Edgeworth. McGuiness said that his playing group were initially hoping for an away trip against an NPL club to give themselves a better chance of advancing, but they are now excited about the prospects of hosting an A-League club.
“I think it’s a great achievement for the NPL clubs from all the different cities and different states to get into the Round of 32. On top of your normal season as amateur part-time players, it’s a big workload,” McGuiness said.
“It’s great to make it. We’re there now and I think drawing Western United is a good outcome. We get to test ourselves against an A-League club. They are obviously full-time professionals, so it will be a difficult task.
“Is it unachievable though? Certainly not. It’s been proven before that it can happen. We will have a crack.”
While the Edgeworth Eagles are soaking up all the excitement surrounding their club, the New Lambton Eagles are also enjoying the 2023 season and are hoping to finish off the year by gaining some momentum that they can take into the off-season and then into the 2024 campaign.
Their coach Tom Davies took many positives out of their 0-0 draw against Valentine at the Hunter Sports Centre in Glendale last Saturday and he wants them to build on that throughout the rest of this season.
“It’s going to be a challenge and a difficult game,” he said of Sunday’s matchup against Edgeworth,” Davies said.
“But that’s what we wanted, to come up to the NPL and play against the best teams.
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s one of the better facilities in the league to play at.
“Edgeworth are pushing for finals so this is obviously an important game for them to keep picking up points, so for us, it’s really important that we make that difficult for them.
“It’s really important to us as well that in our last six games, we pick up as many points as we can.”
Lambton Jaffas FC v Lake Macquarie City FC
Arthur Edden Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
Two sides with opposite goals meet at Arthur Edden Oval on Saturday when Lambton hosts Lake Macquarie City.
Jaffas are the defending champions and are determined to play finals football again and have a crack at going back-to-back.
New Lambton are ranked sixth on the table but sit just three points behind second-placed Weston.
Lake Macquarie City on the other hand are a young team at the bottom of the table determined to improve each week.
Under the guidance of coach Steve Piggott, the Roosters are certainly achieving that.
Piggott thought his side were very good in their 3-1 loss against Edgeworth at Jack McLaughlan Oval last week and he now wants to see more of the same against the Jaffas on Saturday.
“It was our best performance against a top five side all year. It’s encouraging and we are still moving forward,” Piggott said.
“We are playing short. We are not playing long anymore, and we’ve been doing that for the past four or five games. We want to get forward with three or four shorter passes instead of playing long and not getting the seconds.
“We are playing out from the back too, which has been good.
“This weekend, I want to see the same. I’d like to see us apply pressure on the ball up the top and see if we can win the ball in our attacking third instead of in our back third.
“I enjoy seeing these players test themselves against the best players in the competition. All I ask is that they are improving each week. If you get that right across the group, it’s good for the future.”
A formation change in Round 10 for the Roosters has had a positive impact on the side, giving the players a bit more freedom out on the pitch.
David Tanchevski’s Jaffas are undefeated in four games following their 1-0 win at home against Broadmeadow Magic last Sunday and they are determined to make that five this Saturday against a side they beat 3-1 away from home back in April.
Adamstown Rosebud FC v Newcastle Olympic FC
Adamstown Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
Two sides looking to bounce back from losses last weekend meet on Saturday when Adamstown Rosebud host Newcastle Olympic at Adamstown Oval.
Both teams failed to get on the scoresheet in their most recent match as Olympic went down 2-0 at home against Cooks Hill United while Adamstown lost 1-0 against Charlestown Azzurri.
Olympic will not only be determined to find the back of the net again this Saturday, but are also focused on getting their season back on track. A three-game losing streak has seen them fall four points outside the top five.
With just five games remaining, this weekend’s clash is virtually a must-win game for Olympic.
Harry James and Glen Chapman are on gameday coaching duties as first grade coach Joel Griffiths continues to serve a suspension, and they will be looking for an improved performance at Adamstown Oval.
Rosebud are well and truly out of finals contention this season but are hoping to finish as high as possible on the table.
It would be a tough task, but Rosebud can still finish as high as seventh in 2023, but to do so, they will need to defeat the team that currently occupies that spot.
Olympic prevailed the last time these two sides met back in April at Darling Street Oval, winning 3-1 and will be hoping to take all three points from the Rosebuds again this Saturday.
Cooks Hill United FC v Charlestown Azzurri FC
Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field, Saturday 3pm
Charlestown Azzurri have opened up a six-point lead in the Premiership race and will be hoping they can maintain or even extend that when they meet Cooks Hill United away from home at the Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field on Saturday.
The match will be Azzurri’s fourth game in a row against teams in the bottom five on the ladder as Cooks Hill currently sit in ninth.
Azzurri have got the job done in their previous three matches, most recently winning 1-0 away at Adamstown last Saturday.
Last Saturday Azzurri won 1-0 against Adamstown which was James Pascoe’s men’s seventh of the campaign as they continue to boast the best defensive record in the competition, having only conceded 13 goals in 16 games.
The last time Azzurri and Cooks Hill met, Azzurri came off the better of the two teams, winning 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Callum Bower.
Cooks Hill United enter this weekend’s fixture full of confidence after earning just their second clean sheet of the campaign last Saturday when they scored a 2-0 away win against Newcastle Olympic.
The victory was their fourth of the season and they now sit just three points behind eighth-placed Valentine, who they can climb above on the table if they get the job done against the league-leaders this Saturday.
Broadmeadow Magic FC v Maitland FC
Magic Park, Sunday 2:30pm
Broadmeadow Magic are hoping to put an end to swooping season and crush the longest winning streak in the competition when they host Maitland Magpies at Magic Park on Sunday.
Magic beat the Magpies earlier this month in the Australia Cup as they prevailed 3-0 on home soil, but Maitland’s seven-game league streak dates back to mid-May.
John Bennis’ Magic are looking to bounce back from a 1-0 loss against Lambton last Saturday that ended a six-game unbeaten run.
There was a sense of excitement and disappointment around Broadmeadow last night – excitement as they discovered that they would host their Australia Cup Round of 32 match against NPL NSW club Sydney United 58 FC. But the side are disappointed as Bennis announced that he would step aside from the head coaching role at the end of 2023.
There is a lot on the line at Magic Park this Sunday and both sides are well aware. The winner would finish the weekend in outright third at worst and could very well rise to second, while the loser could fall as low as sixth.
Both sides are on 30 points following nine wins, three draws and four losses each in their respective 16 games as Maitland sits third and Magic sit fourth based on goal difference.
More goals can be expected in this Sunday’s clash when the two sides who have found the back of the net the most during the 2023 competition finally go head-to-head again.
Weston Workers FC v Valentine FC
Rockwell Automation Park, Sunday 2:30pm
Weston Workers FC are looking to get back in the winner’s circle when they host Valentine on Sunday after conceding ground to Charlestown Azzurri in the Premiership race last week.
The Bears were unbeaten in six games heading into last Sunday’s Coalfields derby but that came to an end as the Magpies won 3-1 at Rockwell Automation Park.
Weston are back at home this weekend and are intent on not only getting their Premiership pushback on track but also maintaining their narrow lead over the four sides below them.
The Bears are currently second on 31 competition points but fifth-placed Edgeworth and six-placed Lambton Jaffas are just three points behind.
With just six rounds remaining, every match is a must-win game for the top seven teams.
Valentine’s slim finals chances took a hit last Saturday when they drew 0-0 against New Lambton in what coach Adam Hughes had labelled a must-win game at Glendale’s Hunter Sports Stadium.
Valentine are nine points outside the top five in eighth place and will need to beat Weston to stay in contention.
Their trip to Rockwell Automation Park kick-starts a run of away games for the club as they prepare to play five of their last six games in the regular season on the road.
Kew Jaliens’ Weston Bears have only lost three games all year in the league in 2023, one of which was against Valentine in a mid-week rescheduled Round Six match. Valentine are hoping to do the double over the Bears this Sunday.