PS4 NPL NNSW Round 14 Preview

Broadmeadow Magic will be looking to keep their confidence flowing after a successful long weekend in the Westfield FFA Cup where they qualified for the Round of 32 for a third time.

Match of the Round

Valentine Phoenix v Broadmeadow Magic
2.30pm Saturday 17th
 June at Cahill Oval
Last Meeting:
 FFA Cup Round 6: Broadmeadow 4 Valentine 0 at LMRFF.
Ladder: Valentine 2nd (25pts), Broadmeadow 7th (15)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):
Valentine – Won Roosters 1-0 (h), Won Blues 3-1 (h), Lost Eagles 0-1 (h)
Broadmeadow – Won Bears 4-1 (a), Lost Eagles 0-3 (a), Lost Olympic 1-2 (h)

Bottom Line

On their path to Westfield FFA Cup qualification, they disposed Valentine 4-0 in round six, a victory which should give them the mental edge along with their 3-2 defeat of the Phoenix in the PlayStation®4 NPL Northern NSW in Round 3.

However, in the Westfield FFA Cup match-up, Phoenix played a vastly inexperienced line-up in comparison to the one which will take the park on Saturday and coach Darren Sills is opting to put the cup on the backburner.

Sills is putting all his resources into leading Valentine into the finals of Northern NSW’s premier competition for the first time since 2009.

Valentine have been almost unstoppable in the league losing only three times this season, and more importantly only recording the one draw which has seen them rise up to second on the ladder.

Key: Can Magic take their Westfield FFA Cup confidence into the NPL?

 

Lambton Jaffas v Weston Bears
2.30pm Saturday 17th
 June at Arthur Edden Oval
Last Meeting:
 Round 3, 2017: Weston 2 Lambton 2 at Rockwell Automation Park.
Ladder: Lambton 1st (26), Weston 10th (7)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Lambton – Won Eagles 2-0 (a), Won Olympic 3-2 (h), Lost Jets 1-2 (h)
Weston – Lost Magic 1-4 (h), Lost Roosters 0-2 (a), Lost Phoenix 1-2 (a)

Bottom Line

The Jaffas will look to forget the disappointment of their Westfield FFA Cup clash with Edgeworth and take confidence out of their last match in the PS4 NPL NNSW where they outplayed the same opposition on their home patch.

The difference is this weekend Lambton will be without midfield maestro Jobe Wheelhouse who was injured just before half-time in the Jaffas 5-0 Cup defeat to the Eagles and it will provide an acid test as to how well they can cope over the next six weeks.

Lambton sits first on the ladder with just over half of the season played. They have been outstanding up to this point of the season. Add in Ryan Griffiths to the mix who scored in his PS4 NPL NNSW debut at Edgeworth and the Jaffas have the ingredients to win the premiership and go deep into the finals series in 2017.

It’s been an emotional week for Weston with coach Steve Piggott’s wife Jodi passing away during the week. The young Bears will look to do their coach proud on Saturday as the footballing community rallies around their mentor.

Key: How well will Lambton deal with the loss of Captain and star midfielder Jobe Wheelhouse?

 

Maitland Magpies v Newcastle Jets Youth
2.30pm Sunday 18th
 June at Cooks Square Park
Last Meeting:
 Round 3, 2017: Maitland 4 Jets Youth 2 at LMRFF.
Ladder: Maitland 5th (17), Jets Youth 9th (9)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Maitland – Drew Blues 1-1 (h), Lost Rosebuds 1-3 (a), Lost Jaffas 1-2 (h)
Jets – Won Rosebud 3-2 (a), Won Jaffas 2-1 (a), Lost Magic 1-5 (h)

Bottom Line

With a four-point gap between Maitland and the top four and a game in hand on Hamilton Olympic who sit in fourth and have the bye this weekend the Magpies really need three points this weekend.

It has been a sluggish month for Maitland, who haven’t won in their last three PS4 NPL NNSW matches. They have struggled since their crushing 7-0 demolition of Broadmeadow at Magic Park, with their main troubles coming in front of goal.

While they showed their best performance of the month against Edgeworth in round seven of the Westfield FFA Cup on Tuesday night, the Magpies still were unable to find the back of the net. In the PS4 NPL NNSW so far this season, apart from the 7-0 victory, Maitland have only scored 11 times in 11 matches.

In a boost for Maitland they play a side who has the worst defensive record in the competition, in the Jets Youth who have conceded 31 goals in 11 matches, however, in front of goal, the Jets have scored more than the Magpies, with 19 goals thus far.

Key: Can Maitland continue their strong form after a quality performance against the Eagles in the FFA Cup?

 

Adamstown Rosebud v Edgeworth Eagles
2.30pm Sunday 18th
 June at Adamstown Oval
Last Meeting:
 Round 3, 2017: Edgeworth 6 Adamstown 0 at Jack McLaughlan Oval.
Ladder: Adamstown 11th (7), Edgeworth 3rd (24)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Adamstown – Lost Olympic 0-3 (a), Lost Jets 2-3 (h), Won Magpies 3-1 (h)
Edgeworth – Lost Jaffas 0-2 (h), Won Magic 3-0 (a), Won Lakes (a), Won Phoenix 1-0 (h)

Bottom Line

Adamstown caretaker coach Nick Webb has been thrown in the deep end in his NPL coaching debut with his side first taking on Hamilton Olympic, and now Edgeworth in consecutive PS4 NPL NNSW matches.

After building to their first win of the season against Maitland in round 11 under former coach Pete McGuinness, Adamstown have now lost two straight. Webb will need to right the ship or risk the Rosebuds finishing rock bottom in Northern’s top flight for the first time since they were relegated in 2007.

The loss against Hamilton showed defensively Adamstown are still quite frail, have conceded six goals now in their last two clashes and conceded two-and-a-half goals on average per game.

In their last meeting, Edgeworth put six on the Rosebud’s after a first half red card to the now departed Daniel Yaxley. Apart from that big win, the Eagles have struggled to find form in front of goal at PS4 NPL level.

Key: After a draining weekend of FFA Cup matches can Edgeworth put in one last effort before the bye?

 

Lake Macquarie Roosters v Charlestown City Blues
2.30pm Sunday 18th
 June at Macquarie Field
Last Meeting:
 Round 3, 2017: Charlestown 1 Lakes Macquarie 1 at Lisle Carr Oval.
Ladder: Lakes 6th (16), Charlestown 8th (12)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):
Lakes – Lost Phoenix 0-1 (a), Won Bears 2-0 (h), Lost Eagles 1-2 (h)
Charlestown – Drew Magpies 1-1 (a), Lost Phoenix 1-3 (a), Lost Bears 0-3 (a)

Bottom Line

After a week of turmoil where coach Shane Pryce was told that he would not be employed at the Blues after this season, Charlestown will look to put it to one side and build on their confidence boosting a 1-1 draw with Maitland from their last outing.

Before the Magpies match-up, the Blues season was spiralling out of control after three straight losses and after a promising start the year it looked as though it may turn pear-shaped.

But, against the Magpies, Shane Pryce’s side showed determination and drive to claim a point, holding on for the 1-1 draw as the Magpies came at them in the second 45 minutes.

With the loss of seven first team players since the start of the season, Pryce has blooded some of Charlestown young guns who have not let the side down.

Lake Macquarie had the weekend off after their rescheduled clash with the Jets Youth was cancelled following the deluge which hit the Hunter last week.

Key: Will the Blues step up for Shane Pryce after the announcement this week that it will be his last season at the helm?

 

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