Monthly Archives: April 2016

Two goal Olympic hero, Rhys Cooper

In a match which will be remembered for three send offs and numerous yellow cards, Hamilton Olympic came away with a hard fought win against a tough and well organised Weston Workers.

In the opening 10 minutes supporters of both teams were treated with end to end free flowing football with neither side being able to control the game.

Weston were solid at the back and very compact in the middle in order to stop Olympic from taking control and giving it’s lethal front line the chance of creating goal scoring opportunities.

By the 19^th minute Kane Goodchild entered the box from the right and during a diagonal run was impeded by Weston goalie, Ben Kennedy. The referee pointed to the penalty spot and Kennedy was shown the red card!

With the numerical advantage, Olympic find themselves with more time on the ball and probe the Weston defence several times but are unable to score. Indeed, Weston leave their back line with only three players and try and keep the midfield compact. They continue to press hard and look dangerous on the counter. On one such counter-attack in the 38’ minute Mitchell Wallace extended Danny Ireland in order for Olympic not to concede the equaliser.

Olympic continue to test the Weston goal through Kane Goodchild and Leo Bertos but the score remains 1-0 at half time.

The second half begins with both teams playing in the same way as the first. Weston are trying to keep the midfield compact to contain Olympic and threaten with counter attacks while Olympic keep looking for a way through to a second goal which will put the game beyond the visitors.

Daniel Bird soon makes way for the flying winger Pat Brown who has an immediate impact with his pacey runs from the left.

During a cross, Kane Goodchild rode up high, headed the ball and despite it being cleared, the referee judged it had crossed the line and Olympic increased its lead to 2-0.

Throughout the game, the referee has been handing out yellow cards with ease and by 70^th minute, Simon Mooney collects his second and Olympic are also reduced to 10 players.

With the cushion of a 2-0 lead Olympic continue to test the Weston goal in search of a third through Kane Goodchild, Leo Bertos and Pat Brown.

A challenge by Robbie Turnball on Rhys Cooper lands him his second yellow and Weston are reduced to 9 players.

This gives Olympic more space to build and Pat Brown and Rhys Cooper have numerous near misses to make it 3-0. During one such attack Jacob Bailey passes to Rhys Cooper on the right who despite going out wide, unleashes a powerful drive which goes past the Weston goalie and into the far post to record 3-0.

The icing on the cake was placed seconds before full time when Rhys Cooper saw the keeper off his line and nailed him from the half way line to record an emphatic 4-0!

U19 had no problem disposing Weston 3-0 while the U22 left it right on full time to record a 2-1 win.

PS4 NPL NNSW Round 3 Results:

Valentine FC vs Lambton Jaffas  0-2

Hamilton Olympic vs Weston Workers  4-0

Maitland vs Newcastle Jets U21   post.

Charlestown City vs Adamstown Rosebud  2-0

Broadmeadow Magic  vs Edgeworth Eagles 1-1

TABLE:    FIRST GRADE

                                                                           P    W   D  L    F – A           P

1  Hamilton Olympic                               4     3    1   0    10-1             10

2  Edgeworth  FC                                       4     3    1  0     9-4               10

3   Broadmeadow Magic                        4     2     2   0  10-4               8

4  Charlestown  City                                 4     2     2   0  10-5              8

5  Maitland FC                                             3      1     2  0    3-1               5

6   Adamstown Rosebud                         3     1      0   2   5-10            3

7   Lambton Jaffas                                    4     1      0    2    4-7             3

8    Weston Workers                                3      0      1   2   3-9              1

9     Valentine                                             4      0     1   3    4-9              1

10   Newcastle Jets Youth                    3     0      1    2   7-12            1

                           PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 7:

                           U13 Valentine – Olympic 2-6

                           U14 Valentine – Olympic 0-7

                           U15 Valentine – Olympic 0-4

                           U17 Valentine – Olympic  0-3

source: Tom Tsamouras

http://hamiltonolympic.com.au/c5/

Saturday, April 30, 6pm
Darling Street Oval

Olympic enter the fourth round in third place where they sit on 7 points with Broadmeadow Magic, after drawing against Maitland in the opening match before beating both Adamstown and Lambton with three goals.

So far, the home side has conceded only a single goal in the entire competition, with a goal from Rosebud’s Matt Paul spoiling what could have been a completely clean slate so far for Michael Bolch’s side.

“Defensively we’ve been really good, we’ve only conceded that one goal that was a flick on with a deflection that caught us out, so we want to keep that going,” Bolch said.

“I think a part of that comes from the fact we’ve had the same starting eleven for the past two weeks, something that isn’t possible anymore since losing Marcus Duncan.”

Duncan was signed into the Melbourne PlayStation 4 National Premier League after the match against the Jaffas last weekend, but Bolch was quick to search out a signing that would replace him in the team.

The replacement came in the form of Grant Brown, a former Jaffas player who can play anywhere along the backline for his new club.

“With Brown coming in he’s definitely in contention for a spot, it’ll be him or Cody Lucas that comes into the side I’d say, but it’ll just be deciding who is more ready for the match.”

“Watching Weston play last weekend, I think that they were unlucky not to win against Broadmeadow, so we’re going to be focusing on set pieces – Trevor Morris’ sides are always well trained in that area. I think it’s going to be a hard game and we have to focus on everything that we’re doing well, as a team and a unit.”

The away side, Weston Workers, have had mixed fortunes in the league so far, with two close draws keeping them on seventh place, but a loss preventing them from climbing higher.

Last weekend saw Weston keep Broadmeadow Magic’s dangerous attacking force silent at Rockwell Automation Park, with a goalless draw giving both sides a point. This week Weston’s Trevor Morris looks for another clean sheet.

“Ben Kelly was fantastic last match and proved that he’s up to the challenge and now he gets to come up against Olympic after a tight affair against Magic last round,” Morris said.

“Saturday night with Hamilton will be completely different, they play totally differently to Magic and so there’s going to be changes on the menu for us. The main thing last weekend was we set up with two strikers up front and that shocked Broadmeadow a bit.”

“A defensive performance against Edgeworth didn’t really pan out as well as what we have had liked, so we looked to change some things and with Hamilton having Goodchild and Bertos and having them lurking for the break, we have to be really careful.”

“We need to find out how we can hurt them and I think that we can collect points away from home against them. Every game is totally different and has its own unique challenges to play against and I’m looking forward to rising to this one.”

Saturday night will prove if the Bears can repeat their strong unity from the match against Broadmeadow, or if Hamilton can continue to push their fantastic start to the league and claim another straight win at their home field.

U22 Hamilton Olympic vs Weston Workers  Sat 30 April Kick –Off 4.15 pm Darling St.

U19 Hamilton Olympic vs Weston Workers  Sat 30 April Kick –Off 11.30 pm Darling St.

TABLE:    FIRST GRADE

                                                                          P    W   D  L    F – A           P

1  Edgeworth  FC                                         3     3    0  0    8-3               9

2  Hamilton Olympic                                 3     2    1   0    6-1              7

3   Broadmeadow Magic                            3     2     1   0   9-3             7

4  Charlestown  City                                    3     1     2   0    8-5             5

5  Maitland FC                                                3      1     2  0    3-1             5

6   Adamstown Rosebud                            3     1      0   2   5-10          3

7    Weston Workers                                    2      0      1    1  3-5           1

8     Valentine                                                  3       0     1    2    4-7          1

9    Newcastle Jets Youth                           3     0      1    2   7-12         1

10  Lambton Jaffas                                        3      0      0    2  2-7          0

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 7:

After a washed out Round 6 against neighbouring Adamstown Rosebuds, the NPL Youth teams of Hamilton Olympic travel away to Valentine at Cahill Oval.

U13 Olympic  kick off 9.00 a.m.

U14 Olympic  kick off 10.30 a.m.

U15 Olympic  kick off 12.00 p.m.

U17 Olympic  kick off   1.30 p.m.

source:Tom Tsamouras

IN OTHER NPL FIRST GRADE GAMES:

Charlestown City Blues FC v Adamstown Rosebud FC
Sunday, May 1, 1.30pm
Lisle Carr Oval
The Match of the Round for the fourth weekend of the PlayStation®4 National Premier League is set to be played at Lisle Carr Oval, with the Charlestown City Blues welcoming the Adamstown Rosebud in what will prove to be a hotly contested battle.

Charlestown have put a win and two draws of the board already this season, having beaten the Newcastle Jets Youth handily in the second round, and now sit in third place on the ladder.

A victory over the Rosebud could put the Blues right into the middle of the top four teams, with Broadmeadow and Edgeworth coming up against each other this weekend and the chance to catch one – or both – of the teams will prove enticing for the home club.

Adamstown come into the match fresh off the back of their first win of the season, having downed Valentine after two defeats to Hamilton and Broadmeadow in the opening rounds.

The win put Adamstown into sixth place on the ladder with their coach Graham Law now turning his focus towards the team’s defensive strengths to keep the point collection going.

“After shipping ten goals in the first two matches, keeping a clean sheet was our main focus last week and to achieve that and get the win after going down to nine men was fantastic to see,” Law said.

“We have proven that we can get goals, so that’s going to be no problem for us going forward in the season, but it’s about clean sheets for us now and clean sheets are wins for us.”

With send offs and injuries last weekend, Law now looks to the depth that his squad has and focuses on bringing injured players back into the fold through training.

“We’re assessing all options for injured players during this week and there will be a chance for everyone that isn’t suspended to get back into the squad come the weekend.”

“Obviously with a few first team players out with the red cards from last weekend, there will be some changes, but that’s not something that we’ll decide upon until we’ve assessed fitness and playing capabilities as well as who we have available for the weekend.”

Charlestown’s undefeated streak so far will be put to the test against the improving Adamstown Rosebud, whose attack will make sure that the Blues will need to be on top of their game at the back of the pitch, while Adamstown will also be looking to keep the home side from the back of the net.

With the game set to be a defensive battle, each set of forwards will need to be as in-form as they can get.

Valentine FC v Lambton Jaffas FC
Saturday, April 30, 3pm
Cahill Oval

Returning home after a defeat at Adamstown Park last weekend, Valentine now look to claim a win over the Lambton Jaffas at Cahill Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Sitting in eighth place on the ladder and with a single point under their belt, newly-promoted Valentine will now look to take a win and three points to begin a climb up the ladder.

Valentine’s coach, Darren Sills, believes that the squad has what it takes to collect wins, but a lapse in concentration last weekend undid all the efforts that they had been building towards in the opening weeks.

“We have worked very hard on aspects of midfield play that is still making its way into our game and we’ve looked absolutely fantastic in training – it’s now a matter of getting into a game situation and executing our skills,” Sills said of the squad.

“Our formation and tactics in the first two weeks were spot on, but the second half last weekend showed where we are still lacking in our game.”

“It’s a knee-jerk reaction to replace players when you get a loss or two in a row, but we’re looking at the two options that we have available to us for this weekend – do we drop players that aren’t performing as well, or stick with them and let them build on what they have been doing well?”

“Right now, until the dust settles, we’re working on structure and play styles and we can continue to do our homework against the teams that we’re coming up against, but it’s just the personnel that is up in the air.”

Lambton have also had issues with personnel, but their problems arise through availability rather than fitting into the side and coach James Pascoe knows that the team has been struggling with missing pieces.

“We had three niggling injuries in the squad last weekend and two missing players for work and a wedding out of town, so we’ve been playing down on strengths,” Pascoe commented.

“It also makes it hard for us when Hamilton sign one of our players – we lost Grant Brown to Olympic just last week and we’re still looking for a player to replace him. He was a great player at depth anywhere along the backline, so I’m keeping my eyes open for when the window is open to get someone else like that.”

“We also had a short-turn around after Broadmeadow on Wednesday this week and being light on numbers already will test our squad depth for sure. The missing players – Kev Davison and Ben Hay – will both come back into the side for fresher legs and aside from that it’ll be how players pull up from the games.”

“Right now we’re settling, it’s a time of change for the club with Tanchevski leaving, so I think we’re all coming together and getting together as a team, we’ll find our peak when we need it in the second half of the season.”

With new coaches both setting out to prove that their side is coming together, the battle between Sills and Pascoe will be an interesting match-up and the side to walk away with three points at Cahill Oval this weekend jumps right into the middle of the mix, provided fixtures elsewhere go their way this weekend.

Maitland FC v Newcastle Jets Youth
Sunday, May 1, 1.30pm
Cooks Square Park

Sunday afternoon sees Maitland come up against the Newcastle Jets Youth squad, as Maitland return to Cooks Square Park looking for their first home win of the season thus far.

Draws against both Charlestown and Hamilton at home have given Maitland two points, plus an away win over Valentine has left them with five points to their name and in fifth place on the table.

Maitland’s Steve Piggott knows that his side has to step up at home and capture some attacking form, or risk dropping points where they could be collecting all three.

“If we can put the chances that we’re creating into the back of the net, we will start to get wins,” he said.

“Being defensive has worked well for us so far in keeping the games close and we haven’t lost yet, but draws are not as good as wins and we want to have a celebration at home for the victory.”

Piggott is also wary of the Jets Youth and their capability to hit even the strongest defensive sides on the counter.

“The Newcastle Jets have proven that they can get goals, all that’s been letting them down so far has been their defence. They’re not lacking in the attacking department at all and we cannot risk that becoming a factor in the game.”

“We’re entering the match assuming that the Jets have a goal or two in them, so to get the win we have to be ready to go out there and get more goals than them and be the best at the back that we have been all season.”

“Even last weekend at Jack McLaughlan the Jets stayed in it against the Eagles and so we have to make sure that we can repeat our strong performances and look for the win at home for the boys and for the fans.”

The Jets Youth squad will be looking to their attackers again this week, just as their opposition are prone to do. With Cameron Joice still firing on good form with at least one goal in every match he’s played so far, the defence will be the main focus of the development squad.

Piggott’s strong defensive squad will be tested this weekend at Cooks Square Park and if they can keep their proven structure and form at the back, they may be able to take three more points to their name and keep their strong start to the season going.

The Jets Youth need a win however and Clayton Zane’s side will be eager to take a victory whatever the costs – if the game descends into a shootout, the Jets’ brilliant strikers could prove their worth and collect three points for the first time in the season.

Broadmeadow Magic FC v Edgeworth FC
Sunday, May 1, 2.30pm
Magic Park

The last game of the round is set to be a big match-up, with the defending champions Edgeworth travelling to one of the most difficult away games of the league – Magic Park.

Magic have already played mid-week, with goals from Kale Bradbery and Peter Haynes putting them up over the Jaffas to claim a 2-1 victory and keep their loss-less streak going in the league.

The two wins and a goalless draw puts them on seven points and well within reach of the top place on the ladder, should they defeat top-placed Edgeworth on Sunday afternoon.

Edgeworth have started their title defending season well, taking three straight wins in the opening rounds and sitting two points clear at the top of the table.

Damian Zane’s squad has proven that they are no strangers to taking strong wins and even a six-goal thriller from last weekend ended up going their way off the back of two fantastic goals from Keigo Moriyasu, who was a focus of Zane’s after the match.

“Moriyasu was fantastic in the match, but there will be certain games that suit him and others that don’t – the main risk we run now is if he stays good then people are going to focus on stopping him and we have to adapt to that to allow him the freedom to play.”

Zane was also focused on the rotation of his squad – a factor that he believes can carry them all the way.

“It’s a strong squad, with all the players contributing to victories and as such we use certain players for certain competitions and against other teams.”

“We left some senior players on the bench for the game against the Jets Youth squad, to give some of the other guys a go, but of course now players like Aaron McLaughlan are going to expect to be back in the team in Round 4.”

“It’s a fantastic team with great depth and so every week it has to be who is putting in a shift in training and seeing how we can line up the best team that we can to combat strengths and target weaknesses.”

“It won’t be the same team as last weekend, but it’s not set in stone until I’ve assessed them all week long and seen their efforts. Even Aiden Gardner and Daniel Minors, both who did really well in the match last week, will have to prove to me that they can put in another shift, so it’s all up for debate until players prove that,” Zane concluded.

Magic Park could see Edgeworth go four games with straight wins, or it could be the location of the first dropped points for the defending champions all season.

One thing is already confirmed for the match however – Broadmeadow and Edgeworth will always bring their top game and their best players – it will be a match not to be missed, with the top of the table to play for and both teams eyeing the prize.

By Isaac McIntyre

Source: northernnswfootball.com.au

The 40 year polo shirts have just arrived and will be on sale at Darling St from this Saturday.

Price is only $40.

There is limited stock, so you have to be quick to not miss out.

source: Kon Tandos

Grant  Brown has signed for Hamilton and is likely to come into calculations for Olympic coach Michael Bolch for the clash with Weston on Saturday at Darling Street Oval.

The 22-year-old will come in as an injury replacement for Andrew Swan, who continues to battle an ankle problem.

Lambton Jaffas coach James Pascoe said the loss of versatile defender Grant Brown to Olympic ahead of their midweek clash with Magic was not ideal, but the club “won’t be dictated to on who will and won’t start”.

A former student at Hunter Sports High, where Pascoe is director of sport, Brown came to the Jaffas last year from Manly United. He was a regular starter, but Pascoe, who took over the Jaffas two weeks out from the season after David Tanchevski resigned, has preferred others in his starting line-up so far this season.

Brown lives at Buff Point on the Central Coast and wanted regular football in return for the time and expense of making the 50-minute drive to training. He said it was a desire Lambton could not fulfill. 

“I love football and I did a lot of travelling to play with Sydney United and Manly United, but I’m at the age now where I just want to play, and Lambton couldn’t guarantee that,” Brown said. “That’s when Bolchy came along and said we’ll have you.

“I had quite a successful season at Lambton last year and played pretty much every minute until I broke my hand. Obviously Pascoe is entitled to his opinion, and I’m not going to hold that against him, but I just want to play, and that’s the reason I made the move.”

Olympic coach Michael Bolch is pleased to add Grant Brown to his squad after the move of Marcus Duncan to Victoria, the injury to Swan and the coming loss of Tom Davies after round six.

source:theherald.com.au

A hat-trick to Kane Goodchild gave Hamilton a 3-0 win over Lambton Jaffas and kept Olympic undefeated after three rounds of the Northern NSW National Premier League on Saturday.

The Jaffas, who lost 2-1 to Edgeworth in their only other match this season, started the better but were unable to take their chances on at a wet and wind-blown Edden Oval. Luke Remington had their best opportunity but hit the woodwork.

Olympic, who drew 0-0 with Maitland and beat Adamstown 3-1 to start the year, then struck just before half-time when Goodchild hit a header off a Simon Mooney ball.

Olympic made it 2-0 in the 48^th minute when Goodchild pounced on a turnover, got in between two defenders and shot into the bottom left corner of goals from the top of the box.

The big striker, the 2014 golden boot, then put the result beyond doubt in the 82^nd minute when finishing a one-on-one chance off a Rhys Cooper pass.

Olympic coach Michael Bolch was pleased with his side’s second-half turnaround.

“We scored just on half-time but before that they had the better chances and the better of possession,” Bolch said.

“Remo hit the post and Danny [Ireland] made a good one-on-one save. We were with the wind but turned the ball over too much, overplaying passes a bit.

“The second half into the wind we controlled the ball a lot better.”

He said Goodchild, Cooper and Mooney were excellent up front and Ireland made two good saves.

Jaffas coach James Pascoe said the performance was an improvement for his side, who back up Wednesday night against Broadmeadow in their rescheduled round two match at Magic Park.

“The first half was a massive step forward on what we did against Edgeworth two weeks ago,” Pascoe said.

“I was really happy with it, apart from not taking our chances.

“We had six really good entries into their box and on a different day we could have been out of sight after 30 minutes.

“When they scored three or four minutes into the second half, that really stung us and I think they grew an extra leg off that

“We still probably still had three or four more real chances than them, but they were just sharper in taking them.”

Edgeworth stayed top of the table with a 4-2 win over the Jets Youth on Friday night. Brody Taylor and Keigo Moriyasu scored doubles in the Eagles’ third consecutive win of their premiership defence.

On Sunday, Adamstown host Valentine, Maitland welcome Charlestown and Broadmeadow travel to Weston.

U22s Lambton Jaffas – Hamilton Olympic 0-2

U19s Lambton Jaffas – Hamilton Olympic 1-7

All Youth NPL games were washed out.

Hamilton Olympic welcome Weston Workers to Darling Street Oval on Saturday 30th April, with kick off set at 6.00

PS4 NPL NNSW Round 3 Results:

Newcastle Jets Youth – Edgeworth Eagles  2-4

Lambton Jaffas – Hamilton Olympic  0-3

Adamstown Rosebud  –  Valentine FC  2-0

Maitland FC –  Charlestown City  1-1

Weston Workers – Broadmeadow  Magic  0-0

TABLE:

                                                                             P    W   D  L    F – A           P

1  Edgeworth  FC                                           3     3    0  0    8-3              9

2  Hamilton Olympic                                   3     2    1   0    6-1              7

3   Broadmeadow Magic                             3     2     1   0   9-3            7

4  Charlestown  City                                     3     1     2   0    8-5            5

5  Maitland FC                                                3      1     2  0    3-1             5

6   Adamstown Rosebud                             3      1      0   2   5-10         3

7    Weston Workers                                     2      0      1    1   3-5           1

8     Valentine                                                    3       0     1    2  4-7           1

9    Newcastle Jets Youth                            3      0      1    2   7-12         1

10  Lambton Jaffas                                        3      0      0    2  2-7           0

source:theherald.com.au

Lambton Jaffas FC v Hamilton Olympic FC
Saturday, April 23, 2:30pm
Arthur Edden Oval

A difficult game for the Lambton Jaffas comes at home for them in the early rounds, as Hamilton Olympic journey to Arthur Edden Oval for the third weekend of the PlayStation 4 NPL.

The Jaffas game last weekend was delayed due to heavy weather in the city and left them sitting with only a single loss to their name and on no points in the 2016 season.

Conversely, Hamilton are undefeated over two weekends so far, taking a win and a draw to secure four points and prove why they are constant finals-favourites in the Northern NSW leagues.

Their success last weekend came from their dangerous attacking forwards, including A-League import Leo Bertos and his forward partner, Simon Mooney.

Mooney himself scored a brace last weekend as Hamilton downed the Rosebuds and will be looking to repeat his stand-out performance in the coming match, with the Jaffas’ defence sure to be focusing their efforts on keeping Mooney from scoring positions.

Lambton’s new coach, James Pascoe, will be looking to take his first win in the league after his move to the Jaffas, and the home game at Arthur Edden Oval could prove to be a perfect place for his squad to get their season underway.

When the Jaffas clash with Olympic, sparks always fly and the battle at Arthur Edden Oval will be another meeting in their long and documented history – the only thing left to be decided is who will be remembered for the three points and who will be leaving the Oval disappointed at the end of Round 3.

U19s Lambton Jaffas vs Hamilton Olympic Arthur Edden Oval Sat. 23^rd April Kick off 11.00 a.m.

U22s Lambton Jaffas vs Hamilton Olympic Arthur Edden Oval Sat. 23^rd April Kick off 12.40 p.m.

Newcastle Jets Youth v Edgeworth FC
Friday, April 22, 8:30pm
Jack McLaughlan Oval

Round 3 of the PlayStation®4 National Premier League in Northern NSW kicks off on Friday night with Edgeworth playing against the Newcastle Jets Youth squad at Jack McLaughlan Oval.

Two straight victories have put Edgeworth on top of the table in the league and their fine form will carry right into the game against the Jets Youth.

The Jets however have had a struggle getting their season started, with a draw and a loss leaving them on only a single point. The team will be hard pressed on Friday evening to keep Edgeworth’s forwards out, having conceded eight goals in the season already.

The Jets have proven that they can score goals, with Clayton Zane’s young star Cameron Joice looking to put a goal to his name for the third game in a row.

Zane’s cousin and his rival coach for the match, Damian Zane, knows that Joice can be a danger in attack and that the Jets Youth squad have proven their mettle in forward plays.

“Joice is very mobile and makes some great runs and we’re going to have to be at our very best defensively to win, if it turns into a shoot-out it could get a bit ugly, they have a lot of goals in them so we have to make sure we’re sound,” Edgeworth’s Zane said.

“With Jim Fogarty out for up to six weeks with his injury, Josh Low has come up to play in the first grade and after a great performance when he was called upon last week, he definitely deserves another chance to lead the defence.”

“He surprised me last week, when we were preparing for the game he had no nerves at all and his mentality was great. A lot of the squad handles their nerves perfectly, which I think was massive in the big games last season, so to see Low ready to play gives me confidence.”

The other returning player for the Eagles is their captain, Josh Evans. His presence on the field will go a long way to steadying the ship as the side look for their third straight win.

For Damian and Clayton however, the match also takes on a slightly personal note, with family bragging rights on the table if one can take a win over the other.

“No doubt both of us want the win, but we also have to remember at the end of the day that the squads come first and our targets are different,” Damian said with a chuckle.

“He is focusing on development and I am focusing on winning, so it’s a senior team playing against a youth development squad and if we don’t get the win I’ll be disappointed, especially considering our already strong start.”

“Getting beat by your cousin isn’t something you take lightly however, and so of course we’re both going to have a few words before the match,” he added.

With family rivalry alight in the match and Edgeworth looking to continue their dominant title defence in the third round of the season, Jack McLaughlan Oval is set as the stage for a battle with bragging rights to play for along with three crucial points.

The Match of the Round is not one to be missed, with developing stars, defending champions and the pride of the Zane family on the line for both cousins – nothing but a win will satisfy either coach, or the squads that they lead in the 2016 season.

Weston Workers FC v Broadmeadow Magic FC
Sunday, April 24, 2:30pm
Rockwell Automation Park

Broadmeadow Magic travel to Rockwell Automation Park for the first match of Sunday afternoon, after the wash out of their Round 2 match last weekend.

With only one game played so far, Magic sit in fifth place on three points on the ladder, but the game in hand gives them a chance to push to the top of the ladder, granted they take a win.

Weston are yet to claim a win this season, sitting in seventh position with only with only a single point to their name. Having dropped points to the defending champions last weekend however, Weston’s coach Trevor Morris knows the loss cannot dampen spirits.

Morris claims the opposite in fact, stating that the defeat at the hands of a side that clearly have gelled and are playing with the freedom created by confidence, gave his side a lesson that was well learned.

“We’re a work in progress for sure and the loss was something that we can take on the chin and add to our development. We defended extremely well under pressure and proved where our assets lie.”

“For the game ahead there will definitely be some changes in the squad, with Magic posing a danger with their speed and mobility. Bradbury and Virgili definitely have to be combatted and we have to be cautious when we play them because they are lethal on the transition.”

“Magic hit you on the break, but if we know our jobs and what we can do to stop them, then they can’t hurt us as badly as we’ve seen them do to other clubs in recent weeks. Remaining focus is key to the match.”

Last week saw Weston lose more than points during the match, with Will Myers coming off with a concussion in the match and forcing changes to be made from Morris.

“Will Myers is alright now though,” Morris said as an update.

“It’s going to be assessed in training throughout the rest of the week, he was groggy and concussed when he came off so we’re not going to be pushing that at all. If he’s okay, then he will be starting – no doubt about that.”

“Zac Sneddon also did well when he dropped back into defence to replace Will last week, so it’s good to see that we have depth for the backline and that if Will can’t make it back to fitness within the week then Sneddon can step in with confidence,” Morris concluded.

The matchup is the first time that Broadmeadow travel away from home in the season so far and both sides will be looking to exploit the change of scenery for the dominant side.

Weston cannot be underestimated though and with only one big win under their belt, Broadmeadow have yet to prove that they are a force in the 2016 season – this game could go either way for either side that will see three points go into either sides’ pockets come the final whistle.

Adamstown Rosebud FC v Valentine FC
Sunday, April 24, 2:30pm
Adamstown Oval

Adamstown Rosebud play at home for the first time this season as they take on this years promoted Valentine in a bid to drag themselves off the bottom of the table.

With a massive loss that opened the season for the Rosebud and with their second weekend not much better, Adamstown needs to turn around their two defeats with a victory at home, or risk falling behind the pack climbing the ladder.

Valentine haven’t been able to chalk up a win in the Play Station 4 NPL either, but a draw against Charlestown has put them in sixth place, with a chance to climb higher if they can defeat the Rosebud’s.

Phoenix’s assistant coach, Sam Griffin, knows that defence will be the focus of the match for Valentine as they travel away from home.

“A clean sheet is a must for our team, we’re working on defensive structure and to prove that will be a big boost, especially against Adamstown who have so many capable attacking players.”

“We’re going to change some things, mostly due to a suspension for Wilson Edwards and Josh Swaddling returning back from injury. He proved he’s ready with his second half appearance last weekend and with Alex Serapas looking doubtful, Swaddling fits into that spot perfectly.”

“We refuse to play a negative brand of football, if we had five defenders in front of goals we wouldn’t be looking to create a very good atmosphere of football, so we’re going to go with four at the back and have them get used to the three men in the wall with them.”

The Rosebud’s will be eyeing Chris Berlin and Alex Reid to both prove themselves in front of goals in the third weekend of the competition, Phoenix’s head coach Darren Sills and Sam Griffin will be keeping tabs on the dangerous attackers.

After two weeks with Jake Hamilton between the sticks for Adamstown, veteran keeper Scott Carter returns for the home team as well, and Adamstown’s coach Graham Law knows that his return will be a massive boost for the side.

“Jake had an exceptional game against Hamilton last weekend, but we just can’t be overlooking nearly seven years of experience in the form of Carter,” Law commented.

“One of the most experienced keepers in the league playing for the side always brings confidence with it and other teams look at Carter and see strength and experience and that goes a long way in the mental aspect of the game for both sides as well.”

“Overall the only change to the side may be Carter coming back in however, we’re still testing players after nine changes in the off-season and I think that they need time to play together to prove that they can rise above and beyond.”

“It’s only two games in, and away losses to Broadmeadow and Hamilton aren’t hugely surprising results. The alarm bells will be going if we get to mid-season and we’re still like this, but for now we’re just taking it a game at a time and it’s good to return home,” Law concluded.

Either side could claim the three points, but on the day there can be only one winner and only the competition will decide whether it’s the team in dire need of a bounce-back win, or the team that is still sniffing for their first top division win of the season.

Maitland FC v Charlestown City Blues FC
Sunday, April 24, 2:30pm
Cooks Square Park

Cooks Square Park is to be the home of the final match of the 3^rd round this weekend, when Maitland welcomes the Charlestown City Blues.

Maitland have had a strong start to the season so far, keeping Hamilton from the back of their net in a tense 0-0 draw and then downing promoted Valentine to collect three points from the early clash.

The four points have put them in fourth place, only two off the top of the table and right in the middle of the fight of the competition.

Charlestown have also had a great opening handful of games, claiming a win last week against the Jets Youth squad in a 5-2 battle at Lisle Carr Oval, after drawing to Valentine in the opening clash.

Both teams are locked on the same points and a victory could put distance between the mid-table pack – a result that Charlestown’s Shane Pryce is all too aware of.

“We have to take points early and make sure that we’re in a good position when the middle of the season starts approaching,” he commented.

“The thing is we’re coming up against Maitland now and I highly respect Steve Piggot in all footballing circles in Newcastle and I know he’s a great coach, so it’s going to be a hard fought content up there whether we change things or not.”

“We’re carrying the high from the victory last weekend and I believe that you shouldn’t change a winning side if you don’t have to, so that will be the focus. We got five goals last weekend and we want to sneak points from Piggo’s side, so of course we’re going to use that confident set of players,” Pryce concluded.

Of course, Maitland’s coach Piggot may have other things to say about losing points at Cooks Square Park, and has promised the home fans a focus on entertainment as well as points.

“Defence is a big part of our plans, but we want to give the fans something to cheer about at home as well. We have had zero goals at home in the season so far and while points collected are good points, we want to net goals for the people that come see us every week as well.”

“We have that key defence at the back and from that we can build into great counters and work on finishing the chances that come to us when they do get created. I think this week we’ll be taking a few more goals than we have been.”

With the Park set to see attitude changes from both sides, after Charlestown admitted that they must work on defence and Maitland acknowledging their desire for more goals, the game is sure to be open, free-flowing and dangerous for both sides.

By Isaac McIntyre

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 6:

After a gutsy away performance last week at Football Mid North coast, our NPL Youth return to Darling St Oval on Saturday and take on neighbouring Adamstown Rosebuds.

U13s Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 23^rd  April Darling St Oval kick off 10.00 a.m.

U14s Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 23^rd  April Darling St Oval kick off 11.30 a.m.

U15s Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 23^rd  April Darling St Oval kick off 1.00 p.m.

U17s Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 23^rd  April Darling St Oval kick off  2.30 p.m.

source:Tom Tsamouras

http://hamiltonolympic.com.au/c5/

Hamilton Olympic cruised past Adamstown Rosebud in their first home game of the 2016 NPL competition.

On an ideal night for football the supporters of both Olympic and Adamstown as well as neutral fans were thoroughly entertained at Darling St Oval on Saturday night.

A strong Olympic outfit with free flowing football and a plethora of goal scoring opportunities throughout the first half left no doubt about the result of the game. Despite dominating possession, Olympic went into half time with only a 2-0 lead, care of Reece Cooper and Simon Mooney.

On the hour mark Simon Mooney unleashed a thunderbolt which put the game beyond the young Rosebud team which never stopped trying all night.

A consolation goal by Matt Paul 7 minutes from time rewarded them for their efforts but the result was never in doubt.

Next Saturday Olympic travel to Arthur Eden Oval to take on Lambton Jaffas at 2.30 p.m.

Ps4 NPL NNSW FIRST GRADE ROUND 2:

Edgeworth 2 defeated Weston 0

Maitland 3 defeated Valentine 2

Hamilton Olympic 3 defeated Adamstown 1

Charlestown City 5 defeated Jets Youth 2

Broadmeadow v Lambton washed out

U22s  Olympic – Adamstown 5-3

U19s  Olympic – Adamstown 3-1

NPL YOUTH ROUND 5:

U17S  Football Mid North Coast – Olympic   1-2

U15S  Football Mid North Coast – Olympic   1-1

U14S  Football Mid North Coast – Olympic   4-0

U13S  Football Mid North Coast – Olympic    2-2

source:Tom Tsamouras

http://hamiltonolympic.com.au/c5/

After the 0-0 stalemate in Maitland, Hamilton Olympic welcome Adamstown Rosebud to Darling Street Oval in Round 2 of the competition and the first home game of the season.

Adamstown arrive in Darling St after a 7-2 mauling at the hands of Broadmeadow Magic in the first round of the competition and will be seeking to tighten their defense.

Despite dominating play in Maitland, Olympic were unable to find the back of the net and need maximum points against Adamstown on Saturday night. Kick off is at 6.00 while the U22s begin at 4.15 and U19s at 2.30.

PS4 NPL ROUND 2:

Edgeworth Eagles     vs   Weston Workers  Friday 15^th  April Jack McLauglan Oval  kick off  9:00 p.m.

Valentine FC  vs  Maitland FC  Saturday 16^th April Cahill Oval  Kick off 3.00 p.m.

Hamilton Olympic  vs  Adamstown Rosebud  16^th April Darling ST Oval kick off  6.00 p.m.

Newcastle Jets Youth  vs Charlestown City 17^th April Lisle Carr Oval kick off 2.30 p.m.

Broadmeadow Magic vs Lambton Jaffas 17^th April Magic Park kick off 2.30 p.m.

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 5:

While the seniors do battle with Adamstown, the NPL Youth teams of Olympic will be put to the test in Taree against Football Mid North Coast. The four NPL Olympic Youth teams have won every game they have played in each age division in every round played so far this season!

Football Mid North Coast in Taree will certainly put our boys to the test on Sunday.

U13s Mid North Coast  vs Olympic Sunday 17^th April Taree Zone Field kick off 10.00 a.m.

U14s Mid North Coast  vs Olympic Sunday 17^th April Taree Zone Field kick off 11.30 a.m.

U15s Mid North Coast  vs Olympic Sunday 17^th April Taree Zone Field kick off 1.00 p.m.

U13s Mid North Coast  vs Olympic Sunday 17^th April Taree Zone Field kick off  2.30 p.m.

In the meantime, an audit of team sheets by for the NPL competition has revealed that Charlestown, Football Mid North Coast and Edgeworth have fielded ineligible players. As a result of the breach of regulations and in accordance with the regulations, results for the following matches have been amended to 3-0 wins in favour of the opposing team.
 
Round 1 NPL Youth 13 years Broadmeadow Magic FC v Football Mid North Coast, Round 1 NPL Youth 15 years Charlestown City Blues FC v Valentine FC Round 1 NPL Youth 17 years Charlestown City Blues FC v Valentine FC Round 1 NPL Senior 19 years Lambton Jaffas FC v Edgeworth Eagles FC Round 1 NPL Senior 22 years Lambton Jaffas FC v Edgeworth Eagles FC.
 
The results have been amended and competition points tables have been
updated accordingly.

source: Tom Tsamouras

http://hamiltonolympic.com.au/c5/

RETURN: Kane Goodchild playing in last year’s grand final against Edgeworth.

HAMILTON target man Kane Goodchild will return to the Olympic starting side this weekend against Adamstown after recovering from an ankle injury he suffered playing rugby union.

Goodchild, who turns 29 on Friday, was the Northern NSW golden boot in 2014 with 13 goals for Charlestown then scored 12 last season after moving to Darling Street.

The imposing striker damaged ankle ligaments playing at fullback for the Australian police rugby union side in a tournament in England in late October and has missed much of the pre-season.

He pulled up sore after an FFA Cup win over Charlestown on April 2 and has completed only three weeks of full training.

Goodchild replaced Daniel Bird (groin) at half-time in last weekend’s goalless draw with Maitland but will start on Saturday night against Rosebud, who were hammered 7-2 by Broadmeadow Magic last weekend.

Olympic coach Michael Bolch has changed formations this season to give Goodchild more support after the striker was badly isolated in last year’s 2-0 loss to Edgeworth in the grand final.

A-League veteran Leo Bertos and Tom Spencer played as strikers last week before Bertos switched to left wing when Goodchild came on.

Bolch expects to retain that line-up if Bird does not recover this week.

“I’ve never been a fan of just one up front,” Bolch said.

“Last year Goody got a bit isolated up front by himself. In the grand final it was really noticeable.”

Bolch was a frustrated onlooker at Cooks Square Park on Sunday as Olympic, again one of the title favourites this season, struggled to break down Steve Piggott’s side.

“We just couldn’t find that final pass,” Bolch said. “The day was 32, 33 degrees. We do play a high-intensity pressing game, and I think that took a bit out of us and played into their hands.

“They got blokes behind the ball and really clogged up space for us to play. We should have done a lot better. Our execution and composure wasn’t great in the first half. We probably had 70 per cent of the possession but didn’t do a great deal with it.

“They had a couple of good chances in the second half, good one-on-ones where Danny Ireland has made good saves when they caught us on the counter-attack.”

Bolch said Maitland would continue to do well against sides who brought the game to them.

“They’ll be very hard to beat up there. They’ve got some quality in their side. You’ve got Matt Trott, Heffernan, Crowell and Matt Thompson who have all played A-League. You’ve got Carl Thornton, who has been probably one of the best defenders in the comp for the last 10 years.

“When they’ve got to take the game to the opposition, it will be interesting, but they’ve got the players to do it. I think they’ll definitely finish a lot higher than they did last year. Their starting 11 is as good as anyone else’s.”

source:theherald.com.au

Maitland Magpies and Hamilton Olympic played out a 0-0 draw in the opening round of the Ps4 NPL NNSW FIRST GRADE competition for 2016.

Olympic began the opening 10 minutes with total territorial domination but being unable to penetrate a well organised Maitland defence.

The first goal scoring opportunity came to Rhys Cooper in the 10^th minute after receiving a lovely through ball from Daniel Bird. The flying Olympic midfielder turned Carl Thornton inside-out but a thunderous shot from within the area, didn’t trouble the Maitland goalie Matthew Trott.

Olympic continued to enjoy the lion’s share of possession but Maitland kept them out and on occasions threatened with counter attacks themselves.

By half time, Olympic recorded only one clear cut opportunity to score to Maitland’s none.

The second half began with Kane Goodchild in place of Daniel Bird for Olympic.

Despite this, Olympic continue to dominate possession, but are unable to open up the Maitland defence for clear cut goal scoring opportunities.

There are many physical tackles in the middle of the field forcing the referee to issue a number of yellow cards.

Olympic continue to probe the Maitland defence desperately trying to find a way through but the magpies stand firm in numbers.

During a counter-attack in the 54^th minute Olympic fans froze in their seats when Matt Comerford put Jye Mackeller through with a defence splitting ball, only for Danny Ireland to narrow his angle down and force him to shoot across the face of goal! This was Maitland’s first clear goal scoring opportunity of the game.

Olympic increase the intensity and force all the Maitland players, other than Dean Heffernan, inside their final third of the field. Despite this, the magpie “fortress” holds firm and in the 58^th minute Jye Mackeller forces a great save from Danny Ireland who was a spectator in the Olympic goal until then.

Olympic intensify their attacks, desperately trying to find an opening, allowing Mackeller to catch them on the counter and force another fine save from Danny Ireland.

In the 65^th minute Olympic force the ball from a Leo Bertos corner into the Maitland net but the referee claimed that the Maitland goalie was fouled and the goal was not allowed to stand.

Michael Bolch then introduced Pat Brown into the game in place of Tom Spencer. Immediately, an attack involving Rhys Cooper and Pat Brown resulted in Kane Goodchild heading narrowly wide.

Olympic continued to push for the opening goal and Maitland resisted until the final whistle.                 

Next Saturday Olympic welcome Adamstown Rosebud to Darling St Oval for a 6.00 kick-off.

Ps4 NPL NNSW FIRST GRADE ROUND 1:

Lambton Jaffas – Edgeworth Eagles 1-2

Maitland – Hamilton Olympic  0-0

Charlestown – Valentine  2-2

Broadmeadow Magic – Adamstown Rosebud 7-2

Weston Workers – Newcastle Jets Youth 3-3

U22s  Maitland – Olympic 1-1

U19s  Maitland – Olympic 0-2

NPL YOUTH ROUND 3:

U17S  Olympic – Maitland  2-0

U15S  Olympic – Maitland  4-0

U14S  Olympic – Maitland  3-0

U13S  Olympic – Maitland  4-0

Source: Tom Tsamouras