Hamilton Olympic lost their first home game on the last round of the season against a Maitland team which secured it’s place in next year’s NPL 24 hours earlier!
In perfect conditions Olympic began the match with a statistic which would send fear in any opposing defence – 17 goals scored in the last three matches played!
Maitland’s tactics to overcome this statistic was to play deep and with everyone behind the ball but the centre forward.
As a result, Olympic had to wait almost 10 minutes for their first sniff at goal with Simon Mooney firing a free kick from outside the box which didn’t trouble Ben Kelly.
Maitland returned the compliment with an opportunity of their own in the 21st minute with a failed diving header by Joel Wood.
On the half hour mark Maitland’s confidence grew and they began committing numbers in the middle third of the field swamping our midfield and denying our attack of service.
Despite this, a good through ball by Kane Goodchild to Matthew Swan on the left, enabled the later to get a shot on target from a narrow angle which didn’t trouble Ben Kelly.
A few moments later, Kane Goodchild receives the ball in midfield, makes a darting diagonal run, fires a shot on target but Ben Kelly is there again!
A replica run a minute later by the same player sees his shot well over the bar.
Just before half time a good cross from Matthew Swan from the left enables Kane Goodchild to fire-in a header which looked to have crossed the goal line, but which the referee claimed, it did not!
Half time finds both teams locked at 0-0 with Maitland playing a disciplined game defending in numbers and denying Olympic time on the ball and space in which to attack. The only way Olympic look like breaking the deadlock is through a flash of individual brilliance from one of our players.
Olympic create the first goal scoring opportunity of the second half when Kane Goodchild fires over the bar while 10 minutes later Danny Ireland is forced to bend a ball around the post.
On the hour mark a well taken free kick by Maitland finds Harrison Maguire on the edge of the far post, who brings it under control and who has no difficulty finding the back of the net.
Trailing 0-1 and with Maitland’s confidence growing, Olympic pushed forward but nothing seemed to be coming off.
Reece Cooper weaved his way into the box, forced a great save out of Ben Kelly, Pat Brown heads the rebound into the Maitland net but the linesman claims he was offside and the goal does not count!
Moments later, Reece Cooper turns his defender inside out and fires a shot on target, only to see Ben Kelly bend it around the post.
As Olympic commit players forward, one counter attack by the Magpies and a perfectly weighted cross to the head of Joel Wood and 0-2 is on the scoreboard!
This is our first home loss and the 2nd loss of the season. As a result we slip into 3rd position on the ladder and in next week’s semi-final we take on Lambton Jaffas.
NPL ROUND 18 (Final Round)
Adamstown – Newcastle Jets Youth 2-1
Lambton Jaffas – South Cardiff 2-1
Hamilton Olympic – Maitland 0-2
Broadmeadow Magic – Charlestown City 2-0
Edgeworth – Weston Workers 3-1
TABLE:
1 Edgeworth 40
2Lambton Jaffas37
3Hamilton Olympic 36
4Broadmeadow Magic 32
5 Weston Workers 29
6 Adamstown Rosebud 28
7 Newcastle Jets Youth 17
8 Maitland 15
9 Charlestown City 13
10 South Cardiff 9
NPL RESULTS:
U22s Hamilton Olympic – Maitland 1-1
U19s Hamilton Olympic – Maitland 2-0
SEMI FINALS:
U17s Hamilton Olympic – U15s Emerging Jets 1-4
U15s Weston Workers – Hamilton Olympic 2-0
JUNIOR RESULTS FOR SATURDAY 16/08/2015:
(season finished last week for most of our Junior Community teams but this week a washed out game from earlier in the season was played out with the following results)
U10s Hamilton Olympic – Beresfield 2-0
U9s Hamilton Olympic White – Minmi 9-0
U7s Hamilton Olympic A – Lambton 5-4
U7s Hamilton Olympic B – Minmi 23-1
Source: Tom Tsamouras
George Tsamouras Football Journey 