Maitland FC 3-1 Charlestown Azzurri FC
Maitland continued their winning streak after defeating Charlestown Azzurri 3-1 at Cooks Square Park on Saturday.
Maitland secured their seventh win in a row and are just two points behind Newcastle Olympic and Broadmeadow Magic in third on the table.
Indianna Auddino opened the scoring for Maitland in the 25th minute, stealing the ball off Azzurri’s defender Lori Depczynski to be one-on-one with the goalkeeper and slice the ball into the back of the net.
Things went from bad to worse for Azzurri, conceding an own goal four minutes later to give the Magpies a 2-0 advantage.
Charlestown were able to stage a comeback before half-time after Cassie Corder struck the ball from the right edge of the penalty box into the back of the net in the 44th minute.
The game remained 2-1 for the majority of the second half, with a disallowed goal called for a foul on Maitland’s goalkeeper keeping Azzurri from equalising.
Maitland were able to seal the three points in the 85th minute thanks to substitute Chelsea Greguric, who scored her 16th goal of the season to make the score 3-1.
Magpies coach Keelan Hamilton was happy with his team’s performance in what was a tight contest.
“I thought it was an even contest,” Hamilton said.
“We started a little slow but from the 15th minute, we got our grips with the game and took control of it.
“We got a little rushed with control and Cassie scored a really good goal.
Hamilton was impressed with his goalkeeper Imogene Tomasone’s efforts and agreed with the referee's decision of the disallowed goal.
“Imogene made a big save in a big moment,” Hamilton said.
“It was an unbelievable first save and then got her hands on the ball first.
“I think it was a pretty clear call. The referee got it 100% right.”
Azzurri’s coach Niko Papspiropoulos was pleased with how his side started but was disappointed with the mistakes that were made in the first half.
“I thought we had a bright start in the first 15-20,” Papspiropoulos said.
“We made an error similar to last week to cost us their first goal. Then the second goal was a result of a silly foul.
“Maitland are a quality side so giving them an early lead made things difficult for us.
“Those goals really shifted the momentum.”
But Papspiropoulos was pleased with parts of his team’s performance and knows that his team can improve.
“We take the positives out of patches of the game,” Papspiropoulos said.
“The effort from the team was there.
“We controlled the tempo for the first 20 minutes of the match. We have the ability but just need to be more consistent.”
Papspiropoulos felt differently about the referees decision of the disallowed.
“The second goal being disallowed hurt us,” Papspiropoulos said.
“I think that the decision was wrong but that is out of our control.
“There’s nothing you can do about that once the decision has been made.”
Charlestown remains in fourth on the table and will need to bounce back from their two defeats to stay on track to play finals football.
Newcastle Olympic FC 17-0 Warners Bay FC
Newcastle Olympic moves to the top of the table after thrashing Warners Bay 17-0 at Darling Street Oval.
Olympic were out for blood on Saturday, required to boost their goal difference to move above Broadmeadow Magic to the top of the table.
Eight of Olympic’s players made it onto the scoresheet, with Jemma House netting five goals, taking her total for the season to 20.
The tone was set early when House opened the scoring in 2nd minute of the match with a tap in off a corner.
Olympic took the total from 1-0 to 3-0 within the space of a minute when Sarah Walmsley and Sophie McDonald scored in the 29th minute.
House scored her second goal minutes later before things went from bad to worse for the Panthers when Olympic was awarded a penalty. Jorjia Hogg was able to convert from the spot, powerfully hitting the ball into the back of the net.
Georgia Amess put her name on the scoresheet, after sprinting into the penalty area and smashing the goal into the top of the net from a cross from House.
McDonald was able to score her second goal of the night just before half-time, with her team heading into the sheds 7-0 up.
The second half didn’t pan out any better for Warners Bay, with Olympic awarded another two penalties which Jessica Evan and Elodie Dagg converted.
The goals kept pouring in for Olympic, with House and McDonald scoring second half hat-tricks to take their total goals for the game to five and four.
Dagg also scored a hat-trick in the second half of the match and substitute Marion Dunbabin got her name on the scoresheet, heading the ball past Warners Bay’s goalkeeper’s fingertips and into the back of the net.
The 17-0 result allowed Olympic to jump Broadmeadow Magic to be league-leaders on goal difference.
But at the other end of the table, Warners Bay continues to look for points this season, unable to get a result so far.
Mid Coast FC 2-0 Adamstown Rosebud JFC
Emma Stanbury’s risky changes finally paid off as Mid Coast stunned Adamstown winning 2-0 at Taree Zone Field on Sunday.
Rosebud looked the more likely of the two sides to open the scoring in the first half but were unable to capitalise on their chances.
But Stanbury has continued to instil belief and confidence in her side throughout the season, as well as make some big changes, which finally paid off in the second half.
Middies’ goalkeeper-turned-striker Grace Davies put her side 1-0 up in the 47th minute. Rosebud’s goalkeeper Olivia Sneddon mishit the ball straight to Davies who then beat her defenders to chip it over Sneddon and into the back of the net.
Mid Coast increased their lead in the 63rd minute when Jorja Holborow headed the ball into the back of the net off a corner kick.
Things went from bad to worse for Rosebud after Tara Cousins was sent off the pitch after receiving a second yellow card.
But Rosebud’s 10 players were able to hold on and not let Mid Coast increase the scoreline any further.
This is Mid Coast’s third win of the season, as they continue to sit 7th on the table but the result will severely hurt Adamstown’s chances of making finals. Rosebud remains 11 points behind Charlestown Azzurri in fourth.
Broadmeadow Magic FC 4-2 New Lambton FC
Broadmeadow were able to secure another victory but not their spot at the top of the table on Sunday afternoon.
Jake Curley’s side were able to get the job done despite still missing leading goal scorer Adriana Konjarski to defeat New Lambton 4-2 at Magic Park.
But Newcastle Olympic’s 17-0 result meant that Magic would move to down to second on the table on goal difference.
Kirstyn Pearce opening the scoring in the 17th minute for Magic taping the ball into the back of the net after New Lambton’s goalkeeper was unable to clear the ball from a corner kick.
Lucy Jerram continued to showcase her threat in attack this season, smashing the ball into the top right corner just before half-time in the 44th minute.
New Lambton remained in the game, hitting the post and creating chances but were unable to capitalise in the first half.
Magic came out of the sheds firing, with Chelsea Lucas able to increase the lead for her team in the 47th minute to 3-0.
It looked like the comeback was on for New Lambton when Lauren Allan and Sarah Moore got onto the scoresheet to take the score to 3-2.
But Kiarra Lewis sealed the win for Magic, catching the goalkeeper off their line to bomb the ball into the back of the net from well outside the penalty box in the 83rd minute
The action did not end there, with Magic’s captain Kalista Hunter seeing red after receiving her second yellow card.
This hurts New Lambton’s finals chances, still nine points off Charlestown Azzurri who are fourth on the table.