Hamilton Olympic recorded its biggest win of the season in Round 15 of the NPL competition with a 7-0 drubbing of Newcastle Jets Youth on a windy afternoon at Darling Street Oval.
Simon Mooney opened proceedings for Olympic in the first minute of play when he floated a perfect free kick from the left, onto the head of Ben Koina, who had no problem planting the ball into the Jet’s net with a great header.
Before fifteen minutes were up, Olympic made it 2-0 when Jacob Bailey buried a rebound after a well taken shot by Pat Brown and a partial save by the Jets goalie.
Olympic are in complete control of the game and look very comfortable on the ball throughout.By the 17th minute Pat Brown floats a great ball from the left onto the head of Kane Goodchild who narrowly misses putting it in the back of the net.
A minute later, the same player intercepts a poor clearance by the goalkeeper but his shot is deflected for a corner by the body of a Jets defender. From the ensuing corner Kane Goodchild volleys a shot over the post!
Olympic are in total control of the match and are threatening the Jets goal with every attack.
By the 26th minute Mathew Swan fires a wonderful volley from outside the box forcing a difficult save by the keeper who finger tips the ball over the bar for a corner. Kane Goodchild does the same a minute later, only to see his shot deflected by the body of a defender.
Ten minutes later Mathew Swan weaves past two defenders and passes out wide to Simon Mooney who curls a shot past the keeper and into the far post to record a 3-0 score-line.
Kane Goodchild adds a fourth in the 41st minute and Olympic go into half time with an emphatic 4-0 score-line and a vintage performance to go with it. The Newcastle Jets Youth came out firing in the second half and in the first fifteen minutes took control of the game but were unable to create any goal scoring opportunities.
Olympic began to show their intentions in the 56th minute when Kane Goodchild played a through ball to Reece Cooper, who intern beat two defenders and whose shot was bent around the post by a desperate Jets goalkeeper.
In the 69th minute the Jets keeper was caught in possession of the ball from a back pass and an attempted clearance was intercepted by Kane Goodchild who had no difficulty making it 5-0!
A minute later Simon Mooney made it 6-0 with a simple tap-in from a Ben Koina shot and a rebound from the keeper who was unable to clear the ball.
Two minutes later Simon Mooney is tripped inside the box and the referee awards Olympic a penalty. Kane Goodchild attempts to score a hat-trick but his shot is saved by the keeper, only for Jason Korotkich to get at the end of the rebound and make the score 7-0!
The opportunities continued to fall Olympics way, until the very end but the score remained at 7-0.
NPL ROUND 15 RESULTS:
Lambton Jaffas – Edgeworth 1-2 Maitland FC – Adamstown Rosebud 0-2 Hamilton Olympic – Newcastle Jets Youth 7-0 Weston Workers – Charlestown City 1-0 South Cardiff – Broadmeadow magic 3-1
Hamilton Olympic were held to a 0-0 draw by Lambton Jaffas in Round 13 of the NPL at Arthur Edden Oval.
Despite the 0-0 scoreline and a match in which both sides cancelled each other out, both teams had opportunities to score, particularly Olympic!
After 11 minutes of play Alex Palozzi crossed into the Olympic area, John Majurovski brought the ball down and forced a corner from Danny Ireland.
On the half hour mark Reece Cooper served a delightful ball to Simon Mooney on the left who raced down the line and hammered a shot past Brad Swancott, only for the ball to rebound off the post!
After the break, the first goal scoring opportunity fell to Olympic when Reece Cooper put Kane Goodchild through, only for Brad Swancott to save with his feet!
A little later Reece Cooper tested the Jaffas goalie with a long range shot from outside the box while Michael Bridges did the same with Danny Ireland from a well taken free kick.
Minutes before the end Mason Campbell fired a shot from a good position only for the ball to be deflected for a corner by the Jaffas defence. From the corner Reece Cooper found himself with only the keeper to beat, but his shot sailed over the crossbar.
This draw keeps Olympic in second spot, 4 points behind Edgeworth Eagles who won away at Maitland.
Lambton Jaffas FC vs.Hamilton Olympic FC Sat 11 July 2:30 PM Arthur Edden Oval #JAFvOLY
In the Match of the Round for Round 13 of the Northern NSW PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues (PS4 NPL), the Lambton Jaffas host Hamilton Olympic in yet another crucial top four clash.
The 2014 Grand Final winners Lambton sit in third place on 24 points, following seven wins, three draws and just two losses.
They enter the final third of the competition on the back of five straight wins, crucial form going into a match with a team as successful as Olympic have been this year.
The side in blue and white occupied the top spot for a number of weeks, only to lose it last weekend in their first loss of the year, going down 3-1 to Edgeworth. Alongside seven wins and four draws Hamilton are a place and a point ahead of the Jaffas on 25, trailing Edgeworth by two.
Jaffas coach David Tanchevski is happy with his side’s success this season and is excited about the final six games of the competition.
‘We are in a much better position than this time last year and when you look at the games we have lost, we should have got at least a point out of them,’ he said.
‘The win on the weekend (against Weston) has given us a lot of confidence going into the match against Hamilton’.
‘We are confident, and we should be, we haven’t lost to Olympic since we came up (from NEWFM 1st Division to NPL) in 2013’.
These two heavyweights met back in a rescheduled Round 4 match on May 20, playing out a 1-1 draw. Jobe Wheelhouse opened the scoring in the first half, but a second half header from Olympic striker Kane Goodchild salvaged a point.
Since then the Jaffas have scored 17 points in eight games, and Hamilton have picked up 19, making them the two form teams of 2015 alongside leaders Edgeworth.
Hamilton will be searching for an improved performance after a flat Round 12 match against the Eagles, whereas Lambton will be looking to tighten up in their defence after conceding three in one half against Weston, so this match will have a more competitive edge to it than usual.
As usual the Match of the Round will be broadcast live on Bar TV, however the best spot to view the action come Saturday will be on the hill or in the grandstand at Arthur Edden Oval, as two of the seasons biggest sides go head to head.
Weston Workers FCvs.Newcastle Jets Youth Sat 11 July 2:30 PM Rockwell Automation Park #WWBvNEW
The second of two Saturday PS4 NPL matches this weekend will see the Weston Workers welcome the Jets Youth to Rockwell Automation Park as they look to put a horror Round 12 performance behind them.
The Bears went out all guns blazing against the Jaffas last Saturday, as first half goals to Garry McDermott, Wilson Edwards and Nathan Morris were cancelled out be a second half double to Jobe Wheelhouse which was split by a Luke Remington strike. The Jaffas completed their comeback as John Majurovski scored in the dying moments of the game.
It was just the fourth loss for the Bears this year, and combined with seven wins and a sole draw they are fourth on 22 points.
The loss against the Jaffas was further soured a day later when Broadmeadow defeated Maitland, closing the gap between the two sides (Magic and Weston) to two points.
The Jets won their first game in seven matches last weekend, beating South Cardiff 2-1, the score which they led by at half time.
In 2015 the Jets have surprisingly lost seven matches. Four wins and a draw have left them on 13 points in seventh spot.
These two clubs share a strong rivalry, with two thrilling matches being contested in 2014. In Round 7 the Bears were thumped 5-2 at home by the Youth side; their sole home PS4 NPL loss in over a year.
In the final round of the season Weston again hosted the Jets Youth with the Bears requiring a win to be crowned Premiers. In an enthralling match the score finished 1-1, the Jets scoring late to come from behind to win the Premiership.
This year they took part in the only Round 4 match to be played on schedule this season, and it was quite the opposite to their 2014 matches. The match played in pouring rain was locked at 0-0 at half time, then a scrappy Tom Waller goal in the second half won the Jets the three points.
The return of Braedyn Crowley has been a huge boost for the Jets Youth. Crowley missed the majority of the season so far due to injury, but since his return has scored two of the side’s four goals in the past three matches. He will need to play an instrumental role this weekend against a Bears defence looking for redemption.
Weston and the Jets Youth always put on a great match for the fans who travel to Rockwell Automation Park. The atmosphere at the ground is always intense, and this weekend will be no different as one of the strongest sides in the PS4 NPL go head to head with some of the finest youth in the region.
South Cardiff FC vs.Charlestown City Blues FC Sun 12 July 2:30 PM Ulinga Oval #SCGvCCB
Whilst Saturday’s match between Lambton and Olympic is the Match of the Round, most eyes will be fixed on Sunday’s encounter which sees South Cardiff host Charlestown at Ulinga Oval.
The Gunners are currently sitting in last position on the PS4 NPL ladder on five points, following just one win, two draws and nine losses this season.
The Blues are just one place ahead of the Gunners on nine points, after three wins and nine losses in 2015.
As the competition’s final third begins this weekend this match becomes a must-win for both of these two struggling sides, and will shape the relegation battle with five matches remaining following Sunday’s full time whistle.
Last year Lake Macquarie were relegated with twelve points, and with Charlestown on nine a win can get them to that mark with five games remaining, ultimately putting them seven points ahead of the Gunners.
This would virtually put them out of the Gunners’ reach, however the side from Ulinga Oval will be determined not to allow this to happen.
Gunners coach Greg Asquith is looking forward to the match, suggesting it will be one of their biggest challenges of the year.
“Obviously there is no denying it’s a must win game for us,’ he said.
‘We need to maintain closeness with Charlestown, and they will be confident after beating Adamstown’.
‘It is really important that we get a result’.
Asquith has been boosted in recent weeks with several injured players returning to action. One of their two visa players Lee Ashton played a full game of Under 22’s last weekend, then backed up for 15 minutes of first grade as he continues his return from injury which is a good sign for the club.
The last time these two sides met was a rescheduled Match of the Round in Round 4 which the Gunners comfortably won 3-1.
Since then they have not recorded a point, losing eight in a row. The Blues have scored six points thanks to wins over Broadmeadow and Adamstown since then, giving them slightly better form heading into this match.
Both sides will know the importance of three points in this match, which sets up a highly anticipated affair. The two teams will both give their all for a win, so plenty of goals can be expected from the match, as well as a real competitive atmosphere.
Maitland FC vs.Edgeworth FC Sun 12 July 2:30 PM Cook Square Park #MFCvEFC
The second of two Sunday afternoon matches in Round 13 will see league leaders Edgeworth travel to Cook Square Park, looking to maintain their top spot.
They moved into number one last weekend, inflicting Hamilton with their first loss of the season. It was the Eagles ninth win, and alongside three losses they are on 27 points.
Maitland lost their eighth match of the year last weekend remaining in eighth position following their three wins and a draw.
Maitland’s two game winning streak was ended last weekend in a 3-0 loss to Broadmeadow Magic in disappointing circumstances. They conceded a silly penalty just before half time, and then conceded two after Magic went to ten men in the second half.
They will look to return to winning ways this weekend by making it three from four, but they have a tricky assignment in the firing Eagles.
Since their 1-0 loss away to Weston in early June Edgeworth have not been beaten, instead defeating all before them. They have qualified for the FFA Cup Round of 32, and shot to the top of the ladder.
Their goals for 2015 were to qualify for the Round of 32 and the PS4 NPL Finals. They have already achieved one, and are almost guaranteed the latter, so 2015 has already been a success for Coach Damien Zane.
He and his side will now be focused on the final six matches, more specifically, pushing on in the top spot and finishing there at the end of the season.
One player they will need to be wary of from the Maitland side this weekend is new signing Ryan Clarke. Clarke played in his first match last weekend in the loss to Broadmeadow, but impressed Coach Reece Thompson, and will only improve as he familiarises himself with the league and his team.
Maitland’s passion and desire is another danger point for the Eagles. The Magpies sat last for a long stretch of the season, but were determined to get off the bottom of the ladder, and achieved that with several important wins. They will be desperate for another over the league leaders this Sunday.
One of Edgeworth’s more significant wins this season came back in Round 4 at the hands of Maitland, beating them 4-1 in a rescheduled match in May.
Both sides play quality attacking football, moving the ball forward quick in transition, so this match should be a fast paced, exciting match up between two sides full of talented young players.
Adamstown Rosebud FC vs.Broadmeadow Magic FC Sun 12 July 2:30 PM Adamstown Oval #BUDvMGC
The final match of Round 13 of the PS4 Northern New South Wales National Premier League is the local derby between the Adamstown Rosebud and Broadmeadow Magic.
The Buds’ 2015 resurgence came to a disappointing stop last weekend as a twelfth minute Scott Smith goal saw Charlestown defeat them 1-0.
This year Adamstown have recorded four wins, draws and losses. They are six points outside the top four, on 16 points, in sixth place.
Magic edged closer to the top four last weekend following a 3-0 defeat of Maitland. They are now just two behind Weston, but trail leaders Edgeworth by seven.
Their six wins and two draws this season see them sitting on 20 points.
A big talking point of last weekend’s win over Maitland for Broadmeadow is the sending off of left back Luke Virgili. Maitland’s Joel Wood was free on goal until John Griffiths fouled the striker, however Virgili was sent off in a case of apparent mistaken identity.
Magic coach Rob Virgili was unsure if Luke would be available for this weekend’s match, but suggested the club is appealing, and said he has left the matter in their hands.
In timely fashion for Broadmeadow’s defence veteran Josh Piddington will make his return from suspension for the away side, ‘a huge boost’ according to Virgili.
Magic are no strangers to controversy, in fact the last time these two sides met back in Round 4 a goal five minutes into stoppage time separated the sides.
Guy Bates and Matt Paul sent the Buds into the break ahead 2-0, then a Dino Fajkovic screamer and a Scott Petit header made the score 2-2. The game looked set to end a draw, however Chris Berlin scored deep into stoppage time to complete the comeback for the Magic.
These two sides have everything to play for this weekend. Broadmeadow have the chance to go into the top four, whilst the Rosebud have the chance to move even closer to the finals positions.
Those present at the match can expect a hard fought match between two sides that play extremely attractive football, who will both feel as though they deserve to be sitting higher up the table this season, and who will use this weekend’s match to prove that.
Edgeworth Eagles put an end to Hamilton Olympic’s unbeaten run this season after recording a 3-1 victory in round 12 of the NPL competition.
In the opening minutes both teams struggled to control the ball as the match was played on a very heavy and bumpy Jack McLaughlan Oval.
The first good opportunity fell to Olympic when Pat Brown received the ball from the right, only to fire over the post.
Edgeworth gradually took control of the game with Olympic looking dangerous only on the break.
During a period of sustained pressure from the home side, Brody Taylor fired a shot onto the Olympic post, the rebound found another Edgeworth player whose shot was parried onto the other Olympic post by Danny Ireland and the rebound from this, fell in front of Ayden Brice who opened the score with a simple tap in. Olympic replied shortly afterwards with Pat Brown firing over the crossbar from a fine cross by Simon Mooney.
Thirteen minutes before half time Bren Hammel received the ball outside the area and put in a defence splitting ball to Brody Taylor who, with only Danny Ireland to beat, had no problem making the score 2-0 for the home side. A great save by Danny Ireland and a shot wide from a good position by Brody Taylor ensured the score remained 2-0 by the half time interval.
Olympic appeared to be giving the home side too much time and too much space in the first half.
At half time Ben Koina replaced Pat Brown and Cody Lucas took the place of Jason Korotkich.
Whatever was said by Michael Bolch at half time, Olympic came out firing in the second half. They looked hungrier, were first to the ball and won most 50-50 balls.
Within a minute, a well taken free kick by Simon Mooney resulted in Ben Smith being unable to hold the ball and the rebound was hammered into the Edgeworth net by Jacob Bailey.
Before the Olympic supporters could recover from their celebrations a great pass by Jacob Bailey to Kane Goodchild enabled the later to break from the right and with only the keeper to beat, fired his shot onto the Edgeworth post.
Simon Mooney then rounded half the Edgeworth defence from the right and after sending a low cross across the face of the home side’s goal, Michael Swan fired over the post.
By now, Olympic took control of the game and dictated play, while Edgeworth were reduced to simply counter attacking football.
During one of these counter attacks, a good cross from the right found the head of Ayden Brice who buried it into Danny Ireland’s net for a 3-1 lead!
The rest of the game was spent with Olympic pressing for a second goal and Edgeworth counter-attacking and looking for a fourth. The best clear cut chance for Olympic fell to Ben Koina who collected the ball from a poor clearance by Ben Smith but was unable to fire it into an empty net.
After this result, Olympic slips to second place on the table, 2 points behind Edgeworth.
TABLE: Edgeworth FC 12 9 0 3 12 27 Hamilton Olympic FC 12 7 4 1 11 25 Lambton Jaffas FC 12 7 3 2 11 24 Weston Workers FC 12 7 1 4 3 22 Broadmeadow Magic FC 12 6 2 4 12 20 Adamstown Rosebud FC 12 4 4 4 1 16 Newcastle Jets Youth 12 4 1 7 -4 13 Maitland FC 12 3 1 8 -9 10 Charlestown City Blues FC 12 3 0 9 -16 9 South Cardiff FC 12 1 2 9 -21 5
Senior NPL Edgeworth vs Olympic 1st Grade lost 1-3 (Jacob Bailey) Under 22s lost 0-3 Under 19s lost 1-3 Youth NPL Olympic vs Emerging Jets Under17s lost 0-1 Under 15s won 2-1 Under 14s lost 1-3 Under 13s lost 0-6 Zone League 2 Olympic vs Raymond Terrace
1st Grade lost 0-4 2nd Grade lost 1-4 JUNIOR RESULTS FOR SATURDAY 04/07/2015
U13s Olympic won 3-1 U12s Olympic – Morisset 2-2 U11s Olympic – U10s Olympic – Beresfield 13-0 U9s Olympic Blue – Nelson Bay 15-2 U9s Olympic White – Minmi 6-1 U8s Olympic – result not supplied U8s Olympic – result not supplied U7s Olympic – Lambton Jaffas 3-4 U7s Olympic – Minmi 19-0 U6s Olympic – Cooks Hill 5-1 U6s Olympic – result not supplied
Hamilton Olympic were held to a 2-2 draw by a spirited Adamstown Rosebud side in Round 11 of the NPL competition.
The home team made its intentions known to Adamstown in less than a minute of play when Matt Harper sent in a perfect cross from the right for Mathew Swan to fire over the crossbar. Simon Mooney had a shot blocked two minutes later and the Adamstown goalie saved a well taken free kick by the same player from outside the box, after Owen Littlewood brought down Rhys Cooper. After twenty minutes of play Rhys Cooper found space from the left to curl a shot which narrowly missed the far post. Simon Mooney intercepted a poor clearance by Scott Carter three minutes later, and with only the keeper to beat, fires into the hands of Scott Carter. Sustained pressure by Olympic with a free kick from outside the box and two consecutive corners leave the home crowd convinced that the match wasn’t going to be any easy afternoon for the home side. Adamstown appear to be playing with guts and determination and are definitely not sitting behind the ball to soak up pressure. On the half hour mark Rosebud’s Daniel Clement sees a yellow card for a clumsy foul on Andrew Swan. Seven minutes later, a second poor clearance by Scott Carter is intercepted by Jacob Bailey who sees the Adamstown goalie off his line and sends a perfect curler from outside the box into an empty net to open up the score for Olympic 1-0! Five minutes from the interval Rhys Cooper has the chance to make it 2-0 but with only the keeper to beat, is denied by a brilliant save from Scott Carter. Seconds before half time, Adamstown break on the left with Nick Bale who is denied initially by Danny Ireland, but whose second shot finds the back of the net, to ensure that both teams go into half time locked at 1-1. The second half resumed with Olympic going on the attack and Adamstown threatening on the break. After four minutes of play Rhys Cooper received a cross from the left and riffled in a shot past an outstretched Scott Carter to put Olympic in front yet again, 2-1. A shot wide from a good position by Kane Goodchild and a double save by Scott Carter from an effort by Rhys Cooper, denied Olympic from increasing the score. Adamstown refused to crumble and increased the intensity of the game in search of the equaliser. Mathew Paul tested the Olympic defence with a free kick form outside the box, with the later stretched to clear the ball. Two consecutive corners by Adamstown force great saves by Danny Ireland. Midway through the 2nd half, Adamstown appeal for a penalty claiming a hand ball inside the area with the referee awarding only a corner. From The corner Mathew Paul sends in a curling shot to the near post which Danny Ireland is unable to clear and Adamstown equalise 2-2. The game continued to be in the balance with goal mouth action until the end. Despite a numerical advantage by Olympic after a red card was shown to Daniel Yaxley for his challenge on Pat Browne, the home side was unable to score for a 3rd time. The draw finds Olympic still in 1st place but with only 1 point in front of Edgeworth who collected an away victory at Broadmeadow Magic and who Olympic play in Round 12! Earlier in the day Olympic U22s beat Adamstown 5-3 and U19s 4-0. NPL RESULTS: Sunday 28th June: Charlestown City – Lambton Jaffas 1-3 Broadmeadow Magic – Edgeworth 1-2 Weston – South Cardiff 1-0 Newcastle Jets Youth – Maitland FC 0-1 Hamilton Olympic – Adamstown Rosebud 2-2 TABLE
P W D L P 1 Hamilton Olympic FC 11 7 4 0 25 12 25 2 Edgeworth FC 11 8 0 3 25 13 24 3 Weston Workers FC 11 7 1 3 16 12 22 4 Lambton Jaffas FC 11 6 3 2 25 15 21 5 Broadmeadow Magic FC 11 5 2 4 27 18 17 6 Adamstown Rosebud FC 11 4 4 3 19 17 16 7 Newcastle Jets Youth 11 3 1 7 20 25 10 8 Maitland FC 11 3 1 7 17 23 10 9 Charlestown City FC 11 2 0 9 13 30 6 10 South Cardiff FC 11 1 2 8 13 33 5
This weekends results: Senior NPL Olympic v Adamstown 1st Grade Olympic won 2-2 (Jacob Bailey, Rhys Cooper) Under 22s drew 5-3 Under 19s drew 4-0 U17s Olympic – Broadmeadow Magic 2-0 U15s Olympic – Broadmeadow Magic 2-2 U14s Olympic – Broadmeadow Magic 1-4 U13s Olympic – Broadmeadow Magic 0-6 JUNIOR RESULTS FOR SATURDAY 28/06/2015 U13s Olympic – washed out U12s Olympic – washed out U11s Olympic – New Lambton 1-1 (Saturday), Lambton 7-2 (Sunday) U10s Olympic – washed out U9s Olympic Blue – Nelson Bay 11-0 U9s Olympic White – washed out U8s Olympic – Cooks Hill 9-1 U8s Olympic – Cooks Hill 4-3 U7s Olympic – washed out U7s Olympic – washed out U6s Olympic – Cooks Hill 4-1 U6s Olympic – Cooks Hill 22-2
The NPL returns this weekend with all the Round 11 fixtures set down for Sunday.
There are some important matchups, which could well decide the fate of several teams pushing for a finals birth and trying to avoid the drop.
NEWCASTLE JETS YOUTH v MAITLAND FC@ Cooks Square Park
Three points is vital for both teams. Maitland is only 2 points from the bottom and need another performance like their 4 nil win over South Cardiff to give themselves some breathing space. Jets Youth have been disappointing this season. To be honest they should be on top or at least in the top half. The Jets last win was in Round 5 against Charlestown City and since that game they have conceded 15 goals. It’s a different story for the Magpies who have won two of their last four including pushing title defenders Lambton and current leaders Hamilton all the way. So Maitland would have to go in as slight favourites, especially with the game at Cook Square Park.
HAMILTON OLYMPIC v ADAMSTOWN ROSEBUDS @Darling Street
Fresh from a weekend off, Olympic will look to maintain their lead on top of the NPL when they host neighbours and rivals Adamstown Rosebuds. The Rosebuds bowed out of the FFA Cup last Sunday and it was their first loss in all competitions since early May. Hamilton has not suffered defeat in the NPL yet and they will be confident of continuing that trend in front of a strong Darling Street crowd. When these two last met it was a 2 all draw at Adamstown.
CHARLESTOWN CITY v LAMBTON JAFFAS @ Lisle Carr Field
It has been a season of ups and down for theses two clubs, unfortunately for the Blues their has been more downs. A win in Round 9 over then leaders Broadmeadow was followed up with a disappointing home defeat to Edgeworth. Lambton have turned an patchy start to the season around with three wins on the trot and now find themselves in the top 4 for the first time since Round 4. 10 goals in those past three victories has built a nice base for the defending champions to once again be a contender for the title. With Broadmeadow and Adamstown breathing down their neck, a slip up against Charlestown will see all their hard work go out the window. A crucial game for both teams, could just bring a load of goals.
BROADMEADOW v EDGEWORTH FC @ Magic Park
Last week these two showed great form to win their way through to the FFA Cup Round of 32. Edgeworth carried their NPL form into last weekends cup ties whilst the Magic had a form reversal after dropping from first to fifth on the NPL ladder in 3 weeks. Although Broadmeadow has lost their previous 3 NPL games they still boast the best attack in the league with 26 goals. Edgeworth are not far behind them with 21 but it’s there defence which holds the key to victory. When they last met in Round 3, it was a big win for the Magic 4-1. The biggest margin against the Eagles all year, so the Magic know a way past the Eagles defence which makes for an exciting clash at Magic Park this Sunday.
WESTON WORKERS v SOUTH CARDIFF @ Rockwell Automation Park
Last years runners-up have had a few indifferent performances of late. The Bears fell to Adamstown in Round 10 but had strong wins over Broadmeadow and Edgeworth but are they the real deal?
The Bears host a Gunners side desperate for a win and the lads from South Cardiff will be quietly confident of an upset as they defeated the Bears at Rockwell last season 1 nil. It hasn’t been the fortress in 2015 that Weston would have like either, with only 2 wins from 5 games. A win is vital for different reasons, it could just mean that this will produce plenty of goals.
Hamilton Olympic cemented their 1st place on the NPL ladder on Sunday afternoon at Darling Street oval with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Broadmeadow Magic.
In perfect weather conditions and before a huge crowd at Darling St Oval, Olympic began the onslaught in the 2’ with a flick on by Kane Goodchild which found unmarked Andrew Swan, who shot wide of the mark.
By the 12’ sustained pressure by the home side resulted in a free kick just outside the Magic area. Simon Mooney lined up his shot, and while the Magic defence was napping, he opened the account for Olympic 1-0.
In the 24’ the same player from another free kick saw his shot curl just above the crossbar.
The rest of the half continued with Olympic comfortably controlling the midfield and Magic unable to create any clear cut chances for an equaliser.
The second half began with Magic trying to get around the Olympic defence from the flanks but despite numerous crosses, Danny Ireland’s goal was un-penetrable.
As Magic chased the game for the equaliser, Olympic looked very dangerous on the break. During one of these counter attacks, a cross from the left found Andrew Swan inside the area, who did not hesitate in sending the ball at the back of the net and the Olympic supporters in the seventh heaven!
Magic continued to attack with Kale Bradbury firing into the arms of Danny Ireland and Josh Cox forcing the Olympic goalie to curl it over for a corner.
Olympic continued to counter attack with the best opportunity falling to Andrew Swan, seconds before the final whistle, who blasted over the top!
Despite the pressure from Magic, Olympic were able to hold on the 2-0 score line until the final whistle.
Next round Hamilton Olympic host Adamstown Rosebuds at Darling Street Oval at 2.30.
Hamilton Olympic defeated Maitland at Cook Square Park in the last game in Round 1 of the 2015 NPL Competition.
Within a minute from kick off the Olympic defence was caught napping, forcing goalkeeper Danny Ireland to bring down Joel Woods inside the penalty area! The ensuing penalty was converted into a goal by Blake Thompson, putting Olympic on the back foot from the beginning of the match.
In the next 10 minutes Olympic struggled to settle on a very bumpy surface at Cook Square Park, enabling Maitland to dominate possession and play the game in our third of the field.
As the game wore on, Olympic adapted to the conditions and slowly took over possession and began attacking from the flanks.
In the 37th minute Matt Thompson forced an excellent save from Danny Ireland but a minute later Denis Fajkovic brought down Kane Goodchild inside the penalty box, and from the ensuing penalty, the Olympic forward had no difficulty in sending the Maitland goalkeeper the wrong way.
In the last 10 minutes of the first half Olympic put Maitland under considerable pressure with darting runs from the flanks.
The teams went into half time locked at 1-1.
In the second half Olympic continued to pressure the Maitland goal in search for the second goal while the desperation by the home side to avoid defeat resulted in a small number of scuffles between players from both teams.
In the 70th minute a poor clearance from Maitland goalkeeper Benn Kelly resulted in Simon Mooney intercepting the ball and passing it to Rhys Cooper who fired it over the cross bar!
Seven minutes later Kane Goodchild flicked on a header inside the area to Simon Mooney who didn’t hesitate in burring the ball into the Maitland net and putting Olympic 2-1 up.
Moments later a scramble inside the Maitland penalty box almost resulted in a third goal but the home side were able to clear the ball.
The closing minutes of the game saw Mason Campbell limp off the field and give his place to Cody Lucas while Matt Harper fired a shot into the hands of the Maitland goalkeeper instead of a gaping goal.
It wasn’t pretty but Olympic won the 3 points which leaves it in first place on 21 points, ahead of Weston on 19 and Edgeworth on 18.
Olympic U22s defeated Maitland 2-0 and U19s 3-1.
Next Sunday, Olympic host Broadmeadow Magic at 2.30 at Darling Street Oval.
ROUND 9 NPL RESULTS:
Newcastle Jets Youth – Adamstown Rosebud Fc 1-2 Charlestown City – Broadmeadow Magic 1-0 Maitland – Hamilton Olympic 1-2 South Cardiff – Lambton Jaffas 0-5 Weston Workers – Edgeworth 1-0
TABLE
Hamilton Olympic 21 Weston Workers 19 Edgeworth Eagles 18 Broadmeadow Magic 17 Lambton Jaffas 15 Adamstown Rosebud 12 Newcastle Jets Youth 10 Charlestown City 6 South Cardiff 5 Maitland 4
George Tsamouras Football Journey 