Monthly Archives: June 2016

PS4 NPL NNSW Round 12:Hamilton Olympic ready for Lambton Jaffas on Sunday

2.30pm, Sunday 3^rd July  Darling Street Oval

Last Meeting: Lambton 3 Hamilton 2 at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility, 19^th June, 2016 (Westfield FFA Cup)

Ladder: Hamilton 2^nd (24pts) Lambton 8^th (11)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Hamilton – Won Charlestown 6-0 (h)Drew Rosebuds 1-1 (a), Drew Magpies 1-1 (h),

Lambton – Won Weston 3-1 (a) Lost Magic 4-2 (h), Lost Eagles 5-0

Bottom Line

Lambton and Hamilton do battle for the second time in two weeks after the Jaffas’ upset Olympic in a 3-2 victory in the Westfield FFA Cup. Tight matches have been the trend between these two sides with 3 draws being played out between the sides in their last five PlayStation® 4 National Premier League Northern NSW clashes.

The only results in the competition which were not drawn in those five were Olympic’s 2-1 victory in the 1^st leg of the finals last season and their 3-0 win over the Jaffas in round 3 this season. The last time the Jaffas beat Olympic in PlayStation® 4 NPL competition was back in 2014.

Olympic started the season on fire, with seven wins in a row following their round one draw with Maitland. However, in recent weeks Olympic haven’t been taking their chances in front of goal and have surrendered their lead atop of the ladder to Edgeworth. Two draws against Maitland and Adamstown have hurt their minor premiership chances.

However, a dominant win on Wednesday against Charlestown will give Olympic’s frontline some much-needed confidence going into the weekend. Kane Goodchild got back on the scoresheet on Sunday and grabbed one as well on Wednesday, and he will be key to Hamilton’s hopes. If Lambton are not able to contain him – as they didn’t in round 3 when he scored a hat-trick – Hamilton will be hard to stop.

Lambton, on the other hand, looked to be struggling after a 5-0 defeat to Edgeworth in round 10. But, a return to form against Hamilton followed by a promising showing against Magic will give Lambton confidence going into the match against Olympic. A midweek win over Weston has breathed some life back into their finals hopes.

Goals have been Lambton’s undoing, scoring at just over one goal a game. But, those stats will matter little on Sunday. As evidenced in the Westfield FFA Cup, if Lambton turns up with the attitude and determination they did two weeks ago, they will give themselves every chance of claiming the win.

What the Coaches Said:

Mick Bolch (Olympic)

“They were very good in the second half in the FFA Cup. We’ve just got to replicate what we did in the first 30 minutes. We’re starting games really well at the minute, but we are just in a little lull at the minutes. At the moment we are just not being clinical. Go back five or six weeks ago we were creating plenty of chances and scoring goals, but at the moment we are scoring goals and just not finishing them.”

“Last year we didn’t play on the FFA Cup weekend and thought [we lost a bit of form] because we didn’t play in a fortnight, and now this year we have played and have a few bumps and bruises. I think it’s just about not taking for granted our position on the table.”

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“I don’t think the match against Hamilton [in the FFA Cup] will have much influence on this one. That’s because we are relatively decimated at the moment. I really don’t know at this stage what [players] I am going to have to put out against Hamilton. When you’ve got three or four of your best 11 out, it will affect you.”

“Someone’s misfortune is normally someone’s opportunity and this is a real opportunity for the young boys to stand up. You expect nothing less than massive amounts of enthusiasm and energy when you get some young boys in the team.”

Key: Kane Goodchild. If he is allowed the freedom he was offered in round 3, Lambton will find it tough to make it back to back wins against Olympic.

U19s Hamilton Olympic vs Lambton Jaffas  11.00 am Sunday 3 July Darling St Oval

U22s Hamilton Olympic vs Lambton Jaffas  12.45 am Sunday 3 July Darling St Oval

 TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                                 P     W  D  L   F – A   PTS

1. Edgeworth                          11      9   1   1         34-9     28
2. Hamilton Olympic            11     8   3   0        34-6      27
3. Broadmeadow Magic        11      6   4   1        32-18    22
4. Maitland                              11      4   4   3       19-13     16
5. Charlestown City               11      4   2   5       19-29     14
6. Newcastle Jets Youth       11      4   2   5        24-29    14
7. Valentine                            11      3   2   6        16-28     11
8. Lambton Jaffas                  11      3   2   6        16-21     11
9. Adamstown                         11      2   2   7        12-33     8
10. Weston Workers                11      0   2   9         6-26     2

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 15:

After the bye last week our youth NPL teams are away to Maitland this Saturday.

U13 Olympic  kick off 10.00 a.m. Saturday 2^nd  July at Cook Square Park

U14 Olympic  kick off 11.30 a.m. Saturday 2^nd  July at Cook Square Park

U15 Olympic  kick off   1.00 p.m. Saturday 2^nd  July at Cook Square Park

U17 Olympic  kick off   2.30 p.m. Saturday 2^nd  July at Cook Square Park

source: Tom Tsamouras

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

Valentine Phoenix v Adamstown Rosebuds

3pm, Saturday 2^nd July

Blacksmiths Oval

Last Meeting: Adamstown 2 Valentine 0 at Adamstown Oval, 24^th April, 2016

Ladder: Valentine 7^th (11) Adamstown 9^th (8)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Valentine – Won Maitland 1-0 (a), Lost Jets 4-3 (a), Won Blues 3-2 (h)

Adamstown – Drew Olympic 1-1 (h), Drew Magic 3-3 (h), Won Bears 2-1 (h)

Bottom Line

This is a crucial match for both sides in their aspirations for the top four. A win for Valentine and they will just be one win outside the top four while Adamstown will have to win this one if they are to have any hope of making the finals.

Valentine have been up and down all season, but have won two of their last three and will be full of confidence defensively after keeping their first clean sheet of the season against the Magpies in Maitland. In an interesting sidenote to the clash, Matt Paul lines up against his former club for the first time this season, and it will be interesting to see whether it will bring out the best in him.

In their match earlier in the season Valentine struggled to contain Chris Berlin, who has been in outstanding form of late, scoring two goals and having a hand in another against Magic, and against Hamilton he won the penalty which Alex Read scored. As well as Berlin, Thom Lino has caused problems up front for opposition defences and Valentine will need to be on the lookout for those two.

Adamstown’s form has improved in the last few weeks, and they are undefeated in three of their last four matches. A 2-0 loss to Edgeworth was by no means an embarrassment for the Rosebuds, with the score at 1-0 for most of the contest. Keigo Moriyasu grabbing a late opportunistic goal from distance to seal the points for the Eagles.

Defence is where Adamstown have been their strongest of late, conceding just five goals in their last four matches, at just over one goal a game – a welcome change from the 28 goals they conceded in their opening seven matches at an average of four goals per game. If they can show the same steel defensively against the Phoenix, it will go a long way to getting them the points.

Owen Littlewood is out through suspension due to yellow card accumulation for Adamstown while Thom Lino makes his return from suspension.

What the Coaches Said:

Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)

“[Last match] They took their time and slowed the game down and broke when they had to and scored two decent goals. Chances wise I think we still created six to eight chances throughout the game but our execution was pretty poor. That was the big thing abut that game, I remember the amount of passes that went over the sideline and it wasn’t good enough.”

Graham Law (Adamstown Coach)

“I though the [last match against them] was a pretty dominant performance from us. I thought 2-0 probably shaded them a little bit. We’ve just come through what many would perceive, but not me, as a really hard run with Magic, Hamilton, Edgeworth and have come out with our heads held high.”

“It will be difficult of the Belswans’ pitch, it’s a small park and a very sandy surface. It doesn’t greatly suit our game to an extent, as we like to get the ball moving, and pass the ball, so we might have to adapt a little bit to the pitch, but then so will they.”

Key: Valentine played arguably their worst match of the season against Adamstown in their last clash. Was it just themselves or do they not like playing the Rosebuds?

Broadmeadow Magic v Weston Workers Bears

2.30pm Sunday 3^rd July

Magic Park

Last Meeting: Weston 0 Broadmeadow 0 at Rockwell Automation Park, 24^th April, 2016

Ladder: Broadmeadow 3^rd (22) Weston 10^th (2)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Broadmeadow – Won Jaffas 4-2 (a), Won Magpies 3-0 (h), Drew Rosebud 3-3 (a)

Weston – Lost Eagles 3-0 (h), Lost Jets 3-0 (a), Lost Rosebud 2-1 (a)

Bottom Line

While both sides sit at opposite ends of the ladder, their last match was a tight contest at Weston and gave an indication of just how strong Weston’s defence has been at stages this season – the 6^th best in the competition.

In fact, the last six contests have been split between the sides, Weston winning two, Magic two, and two draws. Broadmeadow have actually only won one match in the last five between the sides and the last time they beat Weston at Magic Park was 2013. Who could forget last year’s match at Magic Park? Jake Milsteed scoring the winner for the Bears in stoppage time for a 4-3 win, after being down 2-0 early on in the match.

Weston’s ability in front of goal has gone downhill since then and it seems that if they are to have any hope of claiming the three points at Magic Park on Sunday they will need multiple goals – coming up against the equal best-attacking side in the competition. And their attacking form of late – with just one goal from general play since round one – doesn’t bode well.

However, a goal against the Jaffas midweek will no doubt give the Bears some confidence going into the weekend’s clash, with Rurik Pereira grabbing his first goal of the season.

For Broadmeadow, since their 3-1 defeat to Hamilton, their attack has come to life. With 17 goals scored in their five matches since then. James Virgili has been almost unstoppable of late, scoring a goal and setting up another as he took his goal scoring tally to 12 for the season against Lambton on the weekend.

Kale Bradbury also got his 8^th of the season on the weekend, and containing those two will help Weston go a long way to getting points out of the match. But don’t discount the likes of Peter Haynes, Michael Kantarovski and Shane Paul in the midfield who have all been outstanding at different times this season.

 What the Coaches Said:

Bobby Naumov (Broadmeadow)

“Every game now is important. We set out a target a couple of weeks ago, we need to win and we drew with Adamstown which was disappointing, but we beat Maitland and we needed that. And we beat Lambton which was massive for us. We needed that win on the weekend as it sort of kills off Jaffas a little bit and we start getting closer to the top end than the edge of the four.”

“Any side is going to be hard, and if you don’t play well it will make things difficult. We’ve just got to look at trying to win every game or as many as we possibly can and where we finish then takes care of itself.”

Trevor Morris (Weston)

“People look at the results and say ‘you must be disappointed,’ which we are, but we are working so hard at training and we are doing things to try and rectify it. We just need to keep working hard to turn it around and the boys are doing that.”

Key: Broadmeadow’s attack was not able to get through Weston in round three, and with the quality they have in the front third they can’t afford not to score here or a top two spot could go begging.

Charlestown City Blues v Maitland Magpies

2.30pm Sunday 3^rd July

Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Maitland 1 Charlestown 1 at Cooks Square Park, April 24^th, 2016

Ladder: Charlestown 6^th (14) Maitland 4^th (16)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Charlestown – Lost Olympic 6-0 (a), Lost Jets 4-0 (h), Lost Phoenix 3-2 (a)

Maitland – Lost Phoenix 1-0 (h), Lost Magic 3-0 (a), Drew Olympic 1-1 (a)

Bottom Line

In terms of the top four, this is a huge match. A loss for Charlestown and their finals hopes could be over as a five-point gap from the top four with six matches to play could be difficult to reel in. A win for the Blues though and they will take the fourth spot from Maitland – provided the Jets Youth don’t beat Edgeworth.

This match is also important in terms of momentum and confidence, which is low on both sides at the moment. Maitland haven’t won since round 7 and are four matches without a victory. For Charlestown, their record is worse of late, with five straight losses seeing them slip from the top two to now 6^th spot on the ladder. But, the Blues have played some tough opponents of late.

Matches against Edgeworth, Hamilton and Broadmeadow as well as an improving Jets Youth side were always going to be tough. But, the manner of the losses is what would have worried coach Shane Pryce. Six goals conceded against Edgeworth and Hamilton and four goals conceded against the Jets and Broadmeadow were the major concern.

Maitland have also had a tough run of late, playing against Hamilton, Edgeworth and Broadmeadow as well. However, coach Steve Piggott was most disappointed with Maitland’s attack on the weekend against Valentine. Piggott said ‘I don’t know where we are going to get a goal from’ after the loss to the Phoenix.

There is no doubt Ryan Clarke will take the time to gel in matches with the rest of his side, having missed the opening nine matches of the competition, and it remains to be seen whether he can spark the Magpies spluttering attack. Ben Martin’s injury on the weekend was a major blow to Maitland and with a lack of options up front Maitland may still struggle in the attacking third.

Key: Confidence. Whichever side can put their past results behind them on Sunday will get their season back on track.

Edgeworth Eagles v Jets Youth

2.45pm Sunday 3^rd July at Jack McLaughlan Oval

Last Meeting: Edgeworth 4 Jets Youth 2 at Jack McLaughlan Oval, 22^nd April, 2016

Ladder: Edgeworth 1^st (28) Jets Youth 5^th (14)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Edgeworth – Won Rosebud 2-0 (h), Won Bears 3-0 (a), Won Jaffas 5-0 (h)

Jets Youth – Won Blues 4-0 (a), Won Phoenix 4-3 (h), Won Bears 3-0 (h)

Bottom Line

This match has all the hallmarks of what should be a cracking showdown at Jack McLaughlan Oval this Sunday. Edgeworth have won six straight since their loss at the hands of Hamilton Olympic, while the Jets Youth have won three straight and have lost just one of their last six matches.

Little is said about Edgeworth’s defence, with much of the focus on Hamilton Olympic’s backline over the opening 11 rounds of the season. However, the Eagles have only conceded two goals in their last six matches and haven’t conceded in their last three matches.

With Pat Wheeler, Josh Evans and Dom Bizzarri playing in the crucial centre back roles at various times throughout the season, they have helped the Eagles to the second best defence in the competition. With Wheeler out on Sunday, it will be up to Evans and Bizzarri to keep the Jets young guns at bay, and with the likes of Krisitan Brymora, Cody Carroll and Cameron Joice it will be a tough task.

Daniel McBreen is out for the Eagles, which will be somewhat of a blow to the Eagles attack. But, with Keigo Moriyasu scoring a double midweek and Bren Hammel and Dylan Holz getting on the scoresheet on Sunday against Weston there is plenty of attacking arsenal for the home side.

This match provides a great opportunity for the Jets Youth to see just home much they have improved since their round three match-up and once again the toughest challenge will be the lack of size and strength they will take into the game which comes with being a youth team.

But, what they lack in size they make up for in speed and skill and if the Jets front men are allowed enough space they will cause the Eagles plenty of problems at the back as they did in round three when they scored two goals.

What the Coaches Said:

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“It’s going to be at the end of a tough week, and it’s probably not the best team to be playing at the end of a tough week, to be honest. That’s where hopefully our squad can kick in and we can freshen a few blokes up. I expect it to be a pretty fast-paced and entertaining match.”

“We’ve been quite good defensively, conceding two goals in the last six games, and on the weekend we kept Weston to one shot on target. We’re never going to look as far as goal conceded as the best defensive team. I think a bit of that has got to do with how attacking we are.”

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“We are not having trouble creating chances. Against Edgeworth, we know that will not be as easy. They are a club that has had success. We played them in the first round and we know what their strengths are

 Key: With the Jets Youth improving every week, especially in defence, keeping Edgeworth’s competition best attack quiet will crucial to their chances of an upset.

source: northernnswfootball.com.au

On a cold night at Darling St Oval, Hamilton Olympic took on Charlestown City as part of  Round 9 of the competition which was washed-out earlier in the season.

Olympic went on the attack from the opening whistle and had Charlestown on the back-foot from the outset. Charlestown were able to keep Olympic out until the first 14’ minutes but a good through ball by Kane Goodchild to Tommy Spencer who had his shot blocked, resulted in Rhys Cooper hammering the re-bound into an empty Charlestown net 1-0.

Olympic continued to dominate the game, created chances and like in the previous two games, were not converting their opportunities to finish the game off.

On the half hour mark Rhys Cooper played a wonderful ball to Kane Goodchild who crossed from the right to find the head of Tommy Spencer who had no problem making it 2-0.

Three minutes later Kane Goodchild put a defense splitting ball through to Rhys Cooper who hammered the ball into the Charlestown net to make the score to 3-0.

No sooner had the celebrations stopped on the grandstand of Darling St Oval, a quick one-two between Bird and Bertos resulted in the former being intercepted in the box and the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Leo Bertos then planted his shot into the Charlestown net for a 4-0 lead and the result in the bag.

Half time found Olympic with a 4-0 lead and cruising to another victory.

The second half continued with Olympic dominating play and threatening with more goals.

Charlestown’s cause was not helped when Jarryd Johnson succeeded in getting himself sent off for dangerous behavior. From the ensuring free kick Rhys Cooper curled a cross to the head of Kane Goodchild who buried it into the Charlestown net for a 5-0 score-line.

Charlestown’s misery was put to an end when Simon Mooney smashed a shot into the Charlestown goal, after collecting a rebound from Ben Koina. 6-0.

Although all the Olympic players deserve to be congratulated for a vintage performance, Rhys Cooper left his stamp on the game through not only scoring two goals, but being everywhere over 90”.

Our next match is on Sunday at Darling St Oval against Lambton Jaffas.

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                                 P     W  D  L   F – A   PTS

1. Edgeworth                           11     9   1   1         34-9     28
2. Hamilton Olympic            11      8   3   0       34-6     27
3. Broadmeadow Magic         11      6   4   1       32-18   22
4. Maitland                              11      4   4   3       19-13   16
5. Charlestown City                11      4   2   5      19-29   14
6. Newcastle Jets Youth         11      4   2   5     24-29   14
7. Valentine                              11      3   2   6      16-28    11
8. Lambton Jaffas                   11       3   2   6      16-21    11
   
9. Adamstown                          11       2   2   7      12-33    8
10. Weston Workers                 11       0    2   9      6-26     2

source:Tom Tsamouras

HAMILTON coach Michael Bolch said his side needed to regain their finishing touch or risk a repeat of 2015 after drawing 1-1 with Adamstown and conceding the ladder lead to Edgeworth.

Olympic opened the scoring in the seventh minute on Sunday with Kane Goodchild’s far-post header off a Matt Swan cross and were in control against the ninth-placed side. However, a penalty against Grant Brown on Chris Berlin in the 23rd minute gave the hosts a chance to equalise, which Alex Read converted.

Both sides then failed to take their chances in a round-11 match marred by heated clashes on and off the ball, and words exchanged between benches. Neither coach wanted to comment on the refereeing.

The draw, which followed Hamilton’s 1-1 result with Maitland, allowed Edgeworth to jump OIympic into top spot with a 3-0 win at Weston. Hamilton were undefeated leaders last year until losing to Edgeworth in round 12. From there, the Eagles clinched the premiership and Hamilton finished third.

“I don’t think we played bad against Maitland or bad today,” Bolch said. “We’re creating chances, but not taking them. The cutting edge has probably been a bit stale the last couple of weeks but it’s up to us to address it and fix it.

“It’s similar to last year. We were undefeated up until round 12, lost to Edgy and let it go, so we need to turn things around in the next couple of weeks.”

Adamstown coach Graham Law was disappointed not to get the three points but proud of the effort. 

“We lost 5-0 to Jaffas [in round seven] but we were so in that game, and that was the turning point,” Law said. 

“We’ve been so consistent since then, and we’ll give Edgy a game on Wednesday night.”

source:the herald.com.au

U19s Adamstown vs Hamilton Olympic   1-2

U22s Adamstown vs Hamilton Olympic   1-2

PS4 NPL NNSW ROUND 11

Lambton Jaffas – Broadmeadow Magic  2-4

Adamstown Rosebud – Hamilton Olympic  1-1

Maitland  – Valentine  0-1

Charlestown City  – Newcastle Jets 0-4

Weston Workers – Edgeworth  0-3

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                                  P     W  D  L   F – A   PTS

1. Edgeworth                           10      8   1   1      32-9     25
2. Hamilton Olympic            10      7   3   0      28-6     24
3. Broadmeadow Magic         11      6   4   1      32-18   22
4. Maitland                              11       4   4   3      19-13   16
5. Charlestown City               10      4   2   4      19-23   14
6. Newcastle Jets Youth        11      4   2   5      24-29   14
7. Valentine                              11      3   2   6      16-28   11
8. Lambton Jaffas                   10       2   2   6      13-20    8
9. Adamstown                          10       2   2   6      12-31    8
10. Weston Workers                  10     0    2   8        5-23    2

Youth NPL
Olympic – Bye

Zone League 2

Olympic vs Medowie

1^st grade Olympic won 6-2

2^nd Grade Olympic won 9-1

This Wednesday Night

1^st Grade play a deferred fixture Olympic vs Charlestown at Darling St Oval kick off 7pm

source:Tom Tsamouras

Adamstown Rosebud v Hamilton Olympic                                                 2.30pm, Sunday 26^th June Adamstown Oval

Last Meeting: Hamilton 3 Adamstown 1 at Darling Street Oval, April 16, 2016

Ladder: Adamstown 9^th (7) Hamilton 1^st (23)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Adamstown – Drew Magic 3-3 (h), Won Bears 2-1 (h), Lost Jaffas 5-0 (a)

Hamilton – Drew Maitland 1-1 (h), Won Phoenix 5-0 (a), Won Jets 5-0 (a)

Bottom Line

The big question about this match is: How will Hamilton respond after their first loss of 2016 on Sunday? Many expected Olympic would get through to the final 32 of the Westfield FFA Cup when they met Lambton on Sunday after a tremendous start to the season. But it wasn’t to be.

There is no doubt Olympic players will be hurting, but they can’t forget what they have already done this season from their nine matches. Seven wins and a couple of draws against Maitland have Hamilton leading the competition with an outstanding defensive record, where they have conceded just five times.

There is still plenty more for Hamilton to achieve this season without worrying about the Westfield FFA Cup, with a place in the PlayStation® 4 NPL Finals if they can win the minor premiership. How well the players respond this weekend against Adamstown will provide a huge indication of where Hamilton’s confidence is at.

After a run of injuries and suspensions to key players to start the season, Adamstown’s line-up appears more settled and an improvement in their results has shown. A win against Weston followed by a spirited 3-all draw with Broadmeadow where they just wouldn’t go away will no doubt steel the Rosebuds for the back half of the season.

Chris Berlin was in fine form against his former club Broadmeadow in their last outing and he will need to be on song again if Adamstown are to breach Hamilton’s defence. The Rosebuds are just one of four sides to have scored against Olympic this year, with now Valentine’s Matt Paul scoring their goal late on in their 3-1 loss.

Adamstown Captain Dan Clements could make a return from injury, but coach Graham Law believes he is more likely to return midweek against Edgeworth or in round 12.

Grant Brown returns for Hamilton after missing the Westfield FFA Cup due to already playing in the competition for Lambton, and Leo Bertos will also return after missing Sunday’s game as he was completing a coaching course.

What the Coaches Said:

 Graham Law (Adamstown)

“They will be the wounded beast after their [FFA Cup] match on the weekend. They are still an exceptionally good team, and quite rightly so have been the best team this year. We will get one of our hardest games of the season this weekend, I’ve got not doubts about that.”

“This will be a good test. I can feel something in the camp right now. I felt it before the Magic game, the boys just seem to be gelling. They did stuff together on the weekend, the characters are coming out. If we can back up a good performance against Magic, with one against Olympic, then we will set ourselves up for a stronger second half of the season to the first.”

Mick Bolch (Hamilton)

“They have done really well the last couple of weeks. Scott Carter back in goals for them is big, he’s a brilliant shot stopper and they have improved well defensively since he has come back from suspension. Chris Berlin is scoring some good goals.”

“We’ve got to bounce back from our first loss on the weekend in the FFA Cup where we were pretty poor in the second half. The boys were devastated to be knocked out and it’s going to be tough mentally lifting them up with three games in seven days.”

Key: Were Hamilton’s defensive frailties which Lambton exposed last weekend a flash in the pan or have sides finally found out how to break Olympic down?

U19s Adamstown vs Hamilton Olympic    11.00 am Sunday 26 June Adamstown Oval

U22s Adamstown vs Hamilton Olympic     12.45 pm Sunday 26 June Adamstown Oval

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                                     P     W  D  L   F – A   PTS

1. Hamilton Olympic              9      7   2   0     27-5     23
2. Edgeworth                            9      7   1   1      29-9     22
3. Maitland                                9      4   4   1     19-9      16
4. Broadmeadow Magic           9     4   4   1     25-16    15
5. Charlestown City                 9      4   2   3     19-19   14
6. Lambton Jaffas                    9      2   2   5     11-16     8
7. Newcastle Jets Youth         9      2   2   5     16-26    8
8. Valentine                               9      2   2   5     12-24    8
9. Adamstown                           9      2   1   6     11-30     7
10. Weston Workers                   9     0    2   7     5-20    2

Youth NPL
Olympic – Bye

Lambton Jaffas v Broadmeadow Magic

2.30pm, Saturday 25^th June
Arthur Edden Oval

Last Meeting: Broadmeadow 2 Lambton 1 at Magic Park, 27^th April, 2016

Ladder: Broadmeadow 3^rd (19pts) Lambton 7^th (8)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Lambton – Lost Eagles 5-0 (a), Drew Jets 1-1 (h), Won Rosebud 5-0 (h)

Broadmeadow – Won Magpies 3-0 (h), Drew Rosebud 3-3 (a), Won Blues 4-2 (a)

Bottom Line

After an upset victory over unbeaten league leaders Hamilton Olympic at the FFA Cup on the weekend, Lambton will have a renewed sense of vigour when Broadmeadow travel to Arthur Edden Oval for the Match of the Round in the PlayStation® 4 National Premier League Northern NSW competition.

The home side shocked many on Sunday with a 3-2 victory over Olympic to book their place in the final 32 of the prestigious Westfield FFA Cup. Especially after their performance just a week earlier, when they fell away badly in the second half to lose 5-0 to Edgeworth.

Lambton may well have rediscovered their mojo and with Rhys Tippett fit and firing the Jaffas could present Broadmeadow with another tough task. The last time they met, back in round 2, in a midweek catch-up match, Broadmeadow got out to an early 2-0 lead. But in the second half the Jaffas fought back and could have easily snatched a late point after Jamie Byrnes got on back for the visitors.

Broadmeadow have been very up and down of late, with dominant performances such as wins against Charlestown and Maitland intertwined with a couple of 3-all draws with Valentine and Adamstown. While they have been impressive in those wins, it has been Magic’s defence which has been their issue.

But, after just their second clean sheet of the year against Maitland last Wednesday, it seems Magic made be turning things around. The return of Matt Hoole from overseas will no doubt be of benefit to the visitors in this clash.

In a crucial match for both sides, a win here for Magic and Lambton’s finals hopes appear remote, while if Lambton can claim the three points, they may be hard to beat for the rest of the year.

Ben Higgins and Scott Pettit will play 22s for Magic in their return from hamstring injuries while Michael Kantarovski could miss the match with a hamstring strain. Matt Hoole will start on the bench with Bobby Naumov saying he is ‘yet to regain full fitness’ after his overseas trip.

For Lambton, Alex Palozzi and Joel Grenell are both overseas and will miss the match. Riley McNaughton will most likely return in the 22s.

What the Coaches Said:

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“I don’t think it will be any different [to out last match against Magic]. They are probably having a little trot like we did at the start of the year in terms of not having their absolute top 11 able to be there due to various reasons with Michael Finlayson’s injury and Dino Fajkovic heading overseas.”

“You have to do a couple of things [when combating their pace]. You have to get pressure on the ball before a pass can be played to them so you must restrict the supply they get by being nice and aggressive. The second part of that is that you need to deny them space in behind by just defending that fraction deeper than you otherwise would.”

Bobby Naumov (Broadmeadow)

“I don’t think we played any worse than what we have been playing so far this season against Maitland. The difference was that we actually competed and the boys were up for it mentally and physically they challenged. It was pleasing to see and it has been missing the past few weeks.”

“I don’t think their [Lambton’s] win on the weekend was an upset. When you look at their players and the calibre of players, they have a good side and one that everyone should be fearing. When you’ve got people like Majurovski, McPherson, Wheelhouse in that side and Swancott they’ve got a good base and backbone. You’d be a fool to take them likely.”

Key: Both have been on a rollercoaster ride of late, so which side can get it together on Saturday?

Charlestown City Blues v Jets Youth

2.30pm, Sunday 26^th June

Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Charlestown 5 Jets Youth 2 at Lisle Carr Oval, April 17^th, 2016

Ladder: Charlestown 5^th (14) Jets 6^th (11)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Charlestown – Lost Phoenix 3-2 (a), Lost Magic 4-2 (h), Lost Eagles 6-1 (a)

Jets Youth – Won Valentine 4-3 (h), Won Weston 3-0 (h), Drew Jaffas 1-1 (a)

Bottom Line

Charlestown’s season has taken a turn for the worst in recent weeks, with three losses in a row, and it won’t get any easier taking on a Jets Youth side who after a slow start to the season, have hit their straps of late.

After conceding just six goals in their opening six matches the Blues were sitting second on the ladder and only two points off top spot. Not bad for a side who was written off at the start of the season, and expected not to feature in the finals.

However, in just three matches the Blues have dropped to fifth, and in doing so conceded 13 goals. They are in desperate need of a win to keep in touch with fourth placed Maitland, who are two points ahead of them.

The loss of Scott Smith through suspension, from the red card he received against Valentine will no doubt hurt the Blues in the front third. Rene Ferguson, Jarryd Johnson and Andy Kjiln will need to be on song in attack against a Jets side who can’t stop scoring.

The Jets have scored seven goals in their last two NPL matches, and if you included their friendly against Shandong, which they won 5-0, that’s 12 goals in their last three matches. The Youth side have warmed to the task lately and coach Clayton Zane has them firing on all cylinders.

The biggest improvement in the Jets over the season, has been in defence. Leaking 16 goals in their opening seven matches was a major issue for the Jets, but in their last three matches they have conceded just four.

Last time they met the Blues, they conceded five, and this will provide a good measure as to just how far the Jets have come since round 2.

What the Coaches Said:

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“Technically they are really, really good and are very fit. We’ve got to turn up and be the senior team and get my senior players to step up. Not saying so much they we’ve got to be physical with them. We’ve just got to stamp the way we want to play really early.”

“When we lose the ball, we need a collective effort to win it back. I just don’t think there is enough of us doing that. We just are leaving it up to a couple of players to do the hard work. We are a team that all needs to work hard to get something out of a game.”

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“I think that first half last time [against Charlestown] was one of our better halves of football over the first half of the season. Obviously we never had a lot of depth with our backline – we couldn’t play a back four and at that particular time. We had a back three for that game. We’ve got strength in numbers now and can play a back four.”

“I think the improvement [in defence] is down to a bit of added pressure on the personnel there. Matt Richardson is fit now so straight away when you have six players to pick from when you select your back four it means one has to miss out. In the last two weeks, there has been competition for places, and people are looking over their shoulders now which is a good thing to have.”

Key: Charlestown’s defence will need to return to its early season dominance against the Jets. If not, the likes of Krisitan Brymora, Cameron Joice and Cody Carroll could have a field day.

Weston Workers Bears v Edgeworth Eagles

2.30pm Sunday 26^th June

Rockwell Automation Park

Last Meeting: Edgeworth 2 Weston 0 at Jack McLaughlan Oval, April 15, 2016.

Ladder: Weston 10^th (2) Edgeworth 2^nd (22)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Weston – Lost Jets 3-0 (a), Lost Rosebud 2-1 (a), Lost Magpies 3-0 (h)

Edgeworth – Won Jaffas 5-0 (h), Won Magpies 3-1 (a), Won Blues 6-1 (h)

 Bottom Line

The last time these two sides met at Rockwell Automation Park, it was the Bears who claimed a 1-0 victory courtesy of a Carl Thornton header, but it seems for the Bears those are distant memories, after their performances this season.

Weston have now lost six matches in a row, and haven’t tasted victory in the PlayStation® 4 NPL since round 15 last year when they beat Charlestown – a run of 12 matches without a win.

In defence they have been stout, hard to break down and determined and in the process have only conceded 20 goals this season. Which for a side who are sitting dead last, is an incredible effort. But this season, after every match bar round one, it has been like groundhog day for Weston. The focus has been their attack. It’s hard to look elsewhere with just two goals – both penalties – in eight matches.

But, positives are there for the Bears, with the performances of youngsters Lachlan Rowan and Isaac Peek giving the fans a positive glimpse into the future. They’ll get a great opportunity to test themselves against the competitions best when Edgeworth come to town.

The Eagles have been their old selves over recent weeks, with four straight wins since the disappointment of a loss at home to Olympic. They got through the Westfield FFA Cup weekend unscathed with big wins over Urunga and Singleton and find themselves in the final 32 for a second straight year, no doubt with the memories of that incredible match against Melbourne City in the back of their mind.

Damian Zane’s rotating line-up has ensured competition for spots remains over the course of the season, and he will be keen to ensure that there will be no complacency coming up against a side who sit last. He will be aiming for his first win as a coach at Rockwell Automation Park, and remember from his playing days that a trip to Weston is always a tough one.

Former Jets Youth player and defensive midfielder Dylan Murphy will play his first match for Weston after coming back from college football in America. Lee Ashton will most likely return from a hamstring strain, while Rurik Pereira is in doubt for the clash.

What the Coaches Said:

 Trevor Morris (Weston)

“When you look at Edgeworth on Sunday, we have the Jaffas, Wednesday, Magic on Sunday and then Hamilton the following Sunday, so it’s not a bad couple of weeks. It’s a great opportunity for the younger boys. I told them if you can look that man in the mirror and know you did your best that’s all I can ask for.

“Obviously they’ve got some strengths and they are mobile, they shut you very quick, and they press high up the field. I expect to spend a lot of time without the ball. We’ll put into practice this week, how we can combat that.”

Key: It will be a great opportunity for Weston’s youngsters to test themselves against the Eagles. Can they rise up to the challenge against the visitors?

Maitland Magpies v Valentine Phoenix

2.30pm, Sunday 26^th June

Cooks Square Park

Last Meeting: Maitland 3 Valentine 2 at Cahill Oval, April 16^th, 2016

Ladder: Maitland 4^th (16) Valentine 8^th (8)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Maitland – Lost Magic 3-0 (a), Drew Olympic 1-1 (a), Lost Eagles 3-1 (h)

Valentine – Lost Jets 4-3 (a), Won Blues 3-2 (h), Lost Olympic 5-0 (h)

Bottom Line

If this match is half as action packed as the round two thriller at Cahill Oval, fans heading to Cooks Square Park on Sunday are in for an entertaining contest. Two red cards, five goals and plenty of feeling was witnessed last time these two sides did battle. It took a Matt Thompson goal in the final minutes after he blocked a Beyhan Irmako clearance to separate the two sides.

Recently, Maitland have come through their three toughest tests of the season in their last three matches and unfortunately for the Magpies they have just one point to show from them. Coming up against the three sides above them on the ladder the Magpies have struggled to find the back of the net – scoring just twice in the three matches.

The return of Ryan Clarke against Broadmeadow Magic was a welcome one for the Magpies and with his speed down the right combined with Matt Comerford’s on the left will no doubt improve the home sides goal scoring stats of late.

For Valentine, they took three steps forward with an impressive come-from-behind win over Charlestown in round 10. But, it was two steps back against the Jets where a poor first half saw the Phoenix concede four goals, which ultimately they couldn’t recover from.

Defence has been an issue for Valentine most of the season and is critical in this one. They have conceded 18 goals in their last five matches, and against a Maitland side who normally doesn’t conceded many chances in the front third could be limited.

The return of Dean Heffernan from suspension is a big inclusion at the back for the home side.

Chris Brown is in doubt for the Phoenix with a hamstring issue, while Reece Pettit and Ridge Marpu return from suspension. Josh Swaddling and Wilson Edwards will both return from injury in the 22s.

What the Coaches Said:

Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)

“If we can do what we did in the second half against the Jets which was to get in their face a bit and make it a bit uncomfortable and hopefully get one early, then we’ll give ourselves a chance.”

“Away from home against Maitland is one of the tougher fixtures. It would be a confidence booster if we got our first clean sheet out of this. Not saying that it’s not doable, we’ve got Reece Pettit back which strengthens up our backline.”

 Key: Maitland’s attack has wavered in recent weeks, as has Valentine’s defence. So if Maitland can find some goals, the question will be whether Valentine can breach Maitland’s solid defence.

source:northernnswfootball.com.au

Lambton Jaffas FC and Edgeworth Eagles FC have been confirmed as Northern NSW Football’s (NNSW) representatives at this year’s Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32, after winning their Round 7 matches on this evening.

Match one of the Round 7 Qualification Round was a tough contest between the PlayStation 4 National Premier League (NPL) giants, with the Jaffas fighting for the cup and securing a 3-2 win over the NPL table leaders.

Edgeworth dominated Singleton in a 7-0 win in the match two of the Qualification Westfield FFA Cup Round. Last year they had made it to Round of 32 and will have their eyes on progressing to Round of 16.

Northern NSW Football clubs are yet to make it to the Round of 16 in the Westfield FFA Cup since the inception of the cup in 2014.

The two will join the mix to play off against Preliminary Round club-based winners from fellow states, as well as Hyundai A-League Clubs.

The official LIVE Fox Sports draw is to take place on Thursday 30^th June 3pm on FOX Sports to determine whether either of these teams will play host to a Hyundai A-League or rival State League club.

Results of today’s matches are as follow;

Lambton Jaffas FC 3 (57′ Wheelhouse, 75′ Wood, 85′ Tippett) defeated Hamilton Olympic FC 2 (8′ Moonie, 87′ Koina)

Edgeworth Eagles FC 7 (21’ & 44’ Moriyasu, 39’, 68’ & 86’ Taylor, 40’ McLoughlin, 78’ Holz) defeated Singleton Strikers FC 0

Source:northernnswfootball.com.au

Day one of the Westfield FFA Cup Qualification Weekend was played at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility which proved to be a tough contest for the four fixtures.

Belmont Swansea pushed off to a good start in the first half of their match however the Jaffas proved to be too strong and dominated the NEWFM First Division team 4-2.

Match two was a tight contest with NEWFM First Division rivals trying to knock each other out of the park, however it was Singleton who held form and scored themselves a 2-1 win over the Redbacks.

PlayStation 4 National Premier League table leaders, Hamilton Olympic proved to be too strong for Armidale team Norths United dominating them in a 4-0 performance.

Edgeworth evened the scores between themselves and Urunga after Urunga beat them in the State Cup Final in 2013, securing a 3-0 win.

Tomorrows matches will confirm Northern NSW Football’s (NNSW) representatives for this year’s Westfield FFA Cup of Round 32, who will join the mix to play off against Preliminary Round club-based winners from fellow states, as well as Hyundai A-League Clubs.

The official LIVE Fox Sports draw is to take place either on Thursday 30^th June to determine whether either of these teams will play host to a Hyundai A-League or rival State League club.

Full Round 6 Results as follows:

Lambton Jaffas FC 4 (9′ Majurovski, 45′ & 68′ Wood, 49′ Remington) defeated Belmont Swansea FC 2 (4′ Wilson, 23′ Hadlow)

Singleton Strikers FC 2 (37′ Burrell, 72′ Hall) defeated Thornton Redbacks FC 1 (15′ Subat)

Hamilton Olympic FC 4 (9′ Spencer, 22′ Mooney, 60′ Vallone, 74′ Bertos (P)) defeated Norths United Football Club 0

Edgeworth Eagles FC 3 (26’ Fayers, 61’ Moriyasu, 79’ Garland) defeated Urunga Raiders FC 0

‘Final Four’ Fixtures
Sunday 19^th June
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility

10am Match 1 Lambton Jaffas FC v Hamilton Olympic FC
12pm Match 2 Edgeworth Eagles FC v Singleton Strikers FC

Youth NPL
Olympic vs Weston
Under 17s Olympic won 3-0
Under 15s Olympic won 2-1
Under 14s Weston lost 0-2
Under 13s Weston lost 2-6

source:northernnswfootball.com.au

The Westfield FFA Cup Qualification Weekend will be played at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility (LMRFF) this Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June as the final eight teams compete for a place in the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 and the chance to take on Hyundai A-League sides.

The ‘Final Eight’ fixtures will see PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues sides Hamilton Olympic FC, Edgeworth Eagles FC, Lambton Jaffas FC, along with NEWFM 1st Division teams Belmont Swansea FC, Thornton FC, Singleton FC, as well as Norths United FC from Armidale and North Coast side Urunga FC battle it out for a place in the ‘Final Four’ fixtures and ultimately the opportunity to represent Northern NSW Football in the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32.

The winners of the ‘Final Eight’ matches will identify the final four teams to contest the Round of 32 spots. All ‘Final Four’ fixtures will be drawn from the hat on Saturday, June 18 to play on Sunday, June 19.

The two winners will automatically qualify to represent Northern NSW Football in the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32.

‘Final Eight’ Fixtures
Saturday 18^th June
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility

10am Lambton Jaffas FC v Belmont Swansea United FC
12pm Singleton Strikers FC v Thornton Redbacks FC
2pm Hamilton Olympic FC v Norths United FC
4pm Edgeworth Eagle FC v Urunga FC

‘Final Four’ Fixtures
Sunday 19^th June
Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility

10am Match 1 Kick Off
12pmMatch 2 Kick Off

Please read the below information for everything you need to know about attending the Westfield FFA Cup at the LMRFF.

General Information:

Where can I park?
The parking areas are shown in red on the below map. Should the LMRFF parking become full, overflow parking is available adjacent to Speers Point Swim Centre. Additional overflow parking is available adjacent to Speers Point Park and Macquarie Field (access via Creek Reserve Road). Please be advised that no cars are permitted to park on the roads within LMRFF.

source:northernnswfootball.com.au

Hamilton Olympic suffered their second loss of points of the season at the hands of the same team that caused them to lose their first, Maitland Magpies.

After a 0-0 draw in the opening round of the season at Cook Square Park, Hamilton Olympic have powered their way to the top of the league by winning every game in the first half of the season.

On Sunday afternoon, Maitland put the brakes on the Olympic goal scoring machine by holding Olympic to a 1-1 draw.

In a tight and physical match, Olympic peppered the Maitland goal but after half an hour of play, only had a header by Kane Goodchild over the bar and a shot just wide from inside the box by the same player!

Admittedly, during this time, Danny Ireland was a mere spectator, with Maitland not creating a single goal scoring opportunity of note.

A couple of half chances fell to Olympic and one to Maitland by the end of the first half and both teams went to the dressing rooms locked at 0-0.

Maitland was well structured not to allow Olympic to score but offered little danger to the Olympic defence.

The compressed play by Maitland continued in the second half but ten minutes after the interval, Rhys Cooper received a ball from Tommy Spencer and from outside the box managed to tuck a shot through half a dozen Maitland defenders to the inside corner of the Magpie goal, 1-0!

This put the hearts of the Olympic faithful back in their place and the three points appeared on the horizon.

The match continued with Maitland very tight at the back but now showing some enterprise in front of the Olympic goal. During one such move, the Olympic defence retreated, Matthew Thompson received the ball inside the box and without a defender anywhere near him, he had enough time to pick his spot and tuck the ball into the Olympic net!

Despite the efforts of the Olympic players in the 6 minutes that remained, the 1-1 score line remained.

U22s  Hamilton Olympic – Maitland  4-1
U19s  Hamilton Olympic – Maitland  3-1

PS4 NPL NNSW ROUND 8

Newcastle Jets Youth – Weston Workers 3-0

Valentine – Charlestown City Blues  3-2

Adamstown Rosebud  – Broadmeadow Magic 3-3

Hamilton Olympic – Maitland 1-1

Edgeworth  –  Lambton Jaffas  5-0

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                                     P     W  D  L   F – A   PTS

1. Hamilton Olympic              9      7   2   0     27-5     23
2. Edgeworth                            9      7   1   1      29-9     22
3. Maitland                                9      4   4   1     19-9      16
4. Broadmeadow Magic           9     4   4   1     25-16    15
5. Charlestown City                 9      4   2   3     19-19   14
6. Lambton Jaffas                    9      2   2   5     11-16     8
7. Newcastle Jets Youth         9      2   2   5     16-26    8
8. Valentine                               9      2   2   5     12-24    8
9. Adamstown                           9      2   1   6     11-30     7
10. Weston Workers                   9     0    2   7     5-20    2

Youth NPL
Olympic vs Charlestown
Under 17s Olympic won 3-1
Under 15s Olympic won 3-1
Under 14s drew 1-1
Under 13s Olympic won 3-0

Zone League 2
Olympic vs Muswellbrook
1st Grade Muswellbrook won 2-6
2nd Grade Olympic won 5-1

source: Tom Tsamouras

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

          WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

       HAMILTON OLYMPIC ANNUAL TRIVIA NIGHT

* WHEN: FRIDAY 22 July 7.00pm for a 7.30pm START SHARP

* WHERE: Greek Community Hall, Skelton Street Hamilton (Close to St Francis Xavier, off Parkway Avenue)

* COST: $15 per player

* FANTASTIC RAFFLE PRIZES

* BRING YOUR OWN NIBBLIES

* BYO ALCOHOL as the premises are not licenced.

* Coffee/ tea and cakes provided on the night

* BOOK YOUR TABLE OF 8, 9, or 10

by contacting CON on 0423221352,

Heath on 0437776650 or by emailing secretary@hamiltonolympic.com.au

Hamilton Olympic v Maitland Magpies
Sunday, June 12, 2:30pm
Darling Street Oval

Last Meeting: Maitland 0 Hamilton 0 at Cooks Square Park, April 10, 2016 (Round 1)

Ladder: Hamilton 1^st (22) Maitland 3^rd (15)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Hamilton – Won Phoenix (a) 5-0, Won Jets (h) 5-0, Won Magic (h), 3-1

Maitland – Lost Eagles (h) 3-1, Won Bears (a) 3-0, Drew Jaffas (h) 0-0

Bottom Line

Hamilton will be aiming to get their first win over Maitland at home since they were promoted at the end of 2014 when the Magpies travel to Darling Street Oval on Sunday.

In the three matches, these two sides have played since Maitland were promoted, there has been one draw, in round one this year, a win for Maitland in a boil over in the final round last season and a win for Hamilton when they travelled to Cooks Square Park last season.

Hamilton has been almost unstoppable this season, defeating every team so far they have played, except the Magpies. In doing so they have conceded only just four goals, an incredible statistic that should not be underestimated.

As we approach the halfway mark of the season, looking back at past Minor Premiers’ defences over 18 rounds gives an indication of just how miserly Olympics’ defence has been.

In 2013 Minor Premiers Broadmeadow conceded 29, Lambton and Hamilton had the best defence conceding 23. In 2014 the Jets Youth conceded 25 goals. Fifth-placed Edgeworth had the best defence that season with 19 conceded. In 2015 Minor Premiers Edgeworth, along with Lambton and Hamilton all conceded 22.

So after this weekend, at the halfway point, we will get to see just how Hamilton’s defence is tracking and baring a calamity, it will make good reading for Olympic fans.

For Maitland it has been their defence which had done the talking as well this season. With the second-best defence behind Hamilton, they have conceded just eight goals this season. Maitland’s attack is their area of concern.

In matches they have played against the other sides in the top 6 of the ladder, (all except Broadmeadow) Maitland have managed just two goals. The other 16 goals they have scored have come against the bottom four.

Expect a tight and tough contest on Sunday, as two well drilled defensive sides do battle. Don’t forget either that Hamilton boast the best attack in the competition as well. But, if Maitland can keep Hamilton quiet they will give themselves every chance of making it two from two at Darling Street.

For the first time this season all of Mick Bolch’s squad will be available while Dean Heffernan is suspended and will miss the match for Maitland. Brock Oakley returns from his suspension for Maitland.

What the Coaches Said:

Mick Bolch (Hamilton)

“They started very defensively in the first round. I think we have improved a lot since the first round as a group. As a team Kane Goodchild is in really good form, he only came on in the second half in the first round. I’m sure he’ll prove a handful from up top this weekend. I thought we lacked a bit of creativity and a few ideas in the first round in the front third.”

“They’ve got a great goalkeeper, Carl Thornton has been one of the best centre-backs in the comp for the last ten years. Matt Thompson is very good. They have got quality all over the park. When Steve had Weston a couple of years ago they were probably one of the best defensive sides in the comp. He’s brought three of his starters over in Brock Oakley and the two Thornton brothers. They are always going to be tough to break down, we just need to be patient and be better with the ball.”

Key: Matt Comerford and Ryan Clarke. If Maitland’s two speedsters can find an opening in Hamilton’s watertight defence, Maitland will believe they have the defence to win it.

U19s Hamilton Olympic  vs  Maitland  11.00 am Sunday 12 June Darling St Oval

U22s Hamilton Olympic  vs  Maitland  12.45 pm Sunday 12 June Darling St Oval

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                           P     W  D  L   F – A   PTS

1. Hamilton Olympic               8      7   1   0     26-4     22
2. Edgeworth                             8      6   1   1      24-9     19
3. Maitland                                8      4   3   1      18-8      15
4. Broadmeadow Magic           8      4   3   1     22-13    15
5. Charlestown City                 8      4   2   2     17-16    14
6. Lambton Jaffas                    8      2   2   4     16-6       8
7. Adamstown                           8      2   0   5     8-27      6
8. Newcastle Jets Youth          8     1    2   5     13-26     6
9. Valentine                               8     1    2   5      9-22      5
10. Weston Workers                  8     0    2   6     1-17       2

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 13:

After the washed out games of last week the Olympic NPL youth teams are away to Charlestown this Sunday.  

U13 Olympic  kick off 10.00 a.m. Sunday. 12^th June at Lisle Carr Oval

U14 Olympic  kick off 11.30 a.m. Sunday. 12^th June at Lisle Carr Oval

U15 Olympic  kick off   1.00 p.m. Sunday. 12^th June at Lisle Carr Oval

U17 Olympic  kick off   2.30 p.m. Sunday. 12^th June at Lisle Carr Oval

source: Tom Tsamouras

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

Edgeworth Eagles v Lambton Jaffas
Sunday, June 12, 2:45pm
Jack McLaughlan Oval

Last Meeting: Lambton 1 Edgeworth 2 at Arthur Edden Oval April 9, 2016 (Round 1)

Ladder: Edgeworth 2^nd (19pts) Lambton 6^th (8)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Edgeworth – Won Magpies (a) 3-1, Won Blues (h) 6-1, Won Phoenix (a) 4-1

Lambton – Drew Jets (h) 1-1, Won Rosebud (h) 3-0, Drew Magpies (a) 0-0

Bottom Line

The Lambton Jaffas travel to Jack McLaughlan Oval this weekend to meet Edgeworth in the Match of the Round of the PlayStation® 4 National Premier League Northern NSW competition. The Jaffas will be keen to erase the disappointment of their opening round loss to the Eagles where they conceded two goals in the final ten minutes to go down 2-1 after skipper John Majurovski put the Jaffas in front.

Recent statistics are against the Jaffas when they take on the Eagles, the Lambton based club have only taken home the three points once in their last five clashes against Edgeworth. Incredibly the last four clashes between the sides have been won by a score of 2-1 and Edgeworth have won the last three.

However Lambton have been in their best form of the season over the last five weeks, losing just one of their last five matches and they will be no pushover at Edgeworth. They have the 4^th best defence in the competition with 11 goals conceded, but it is in attack where they will need to improve if they are to beat the Eagles. They have the 7^th best attack in the league and their opponents have scored more than double the amount of goals than them this season.

For Edgeworth, ever since their 3-2 loss at Hamilton they have gone on a scoring spree. The Eagles have scored 13 goals in their last three matches and the hardest part for their opponents is picking which player to target. Daniel McBreen, Keigo Moriyasu, Brody Taylor, Keanu Moore, Bren Hammel and Aaron McLoughlin have all scored in the past three weeks confirming that Edgeworth can look to anyone for goals.

The real battle on Sunday will be between Edgeworth’s attack and Lambton’s defence and if Lambton are able to keep Edgeworth’s attacking weapons quiet, they will give themselves every chance of getting a result.

What the Coaches Said:

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“All the games I’ve seen them in they have probably dominated but just haven’t take their chances. Even as far back as when they played Hamilton. The first half they probably had the best chances and dominated to a degree, but just haven’t managed to put them away. But I’m sure with Joel Griffiths coming in that they are working on that are some good results aren’t far off.”

“[After we beat them in round 1] people said that we got them in the last ten minutes. But I thought we had the better of the chances. So far this year we have scored six or seven and haven’t conceded in the last 15 minutes. I’d say that is maybe not good luck but that stat shows we finish off well and we are never out of the game.”

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“We won’t change too much. I’m full of respect for Edgeworth on what they have done over the last 18 months or so. They are a good, young, mobile team. We just need to go and play our game, that’s the only way that we are going to get the points we need to figure at the back end of the season. We are not the sort of team that can defend for 80 minutes and then pinch one of the break.”

“The bench this weekend will pretty much be full of boys from the 22s that haven’t played a minute in first grade. Not an ideal situation, but a really good chance for those boys to step up against a good side and show that they are keen to be part of what we are going to build going forward.”

Key: Lambton’s defence has been miserly this season and if they can keep Edgeworth quiet, they could spring an upset.

Jets Youth v Weston Workers Bears
Saturday, June 11, 2:30pm
Rockwell Automation Park

Last Meeting: Weston 3 Jets 3 at Rockwell Automation Park, April 10, 2016 (Round 1)

Ladder: Jets 8^th (5) Weston 10^th (2)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Jets Youth – Drew Jaffas (a) 1-1, Lost Olympic (h) 5-0, Won Rosebud (a) 3-0

Weston – Lost Rosebud (a) 2-1, Lost Maitland (h) 3-0, Lost Blues (a) 1-0

Bottom Line

The Weston Bears will be looking to climb off the bottom of the PlayStation® 4 NPL ladder when they meet the Jets Youth at Rockwell Automation Park this weekend. The two sides met this season back in round one, where a see-sawing contest finished in a 3-all draw. In that match Garry McDermott scored a hat-trick but since that day the goals have dried up rapidly. They have managed just two goals in the seven matches since.

The last six matches between the sides have been split three ways, Weston winning two, the Jets two with two draws as well. Weston though have only lost one of their past 5 matches against the Jets, on a very rainy weekend last season where they went down 1-0.

The Bears have made some new signings this week with Rurik Pereira joining the club after playing Brazilian and American College Football while Jayden Nakhoul and Michael Ledwidge join the growing list of talent in Northern NSW from the Central Coast.

Vision has emerged online of Pereira playing for American College side Carson-Newman scoring from an extraordinary bicycle kick. If he can bring that kind of quality to the Bears attack, he may be the missing link they need up front.

For the Jets it will be very much the same style of play, looking to attack against Weston and control possession. Early in the season, it was the Jets defence which was letting them down and they conceded 20 goals in their opening five matches at an average of four a game. Over the last three weeks they have halved that stat, conceded just six goals in three matches at an average of two a game.

Key: The Jets have been held scoreless just once this season, so it’s hard to see them not scoring here. If Weston’s front third can fire as it did in round one, this one could go down to the wire.

Valentine Phoenix v Charlestown City Blues
Saturday, June 11, 2:30pm
Blacksmiths Oval

Last Meeting: Charlestown 2 Valentine 2 at Lisle Carr Oval, April 10, 2016 (Round 1)

Ladder: Valentine 9^th (5) Charlestown 5^th (14)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Valentine – Lost Olympic (h) 5-0, Drew Magic (a) 3-3, Lost Eagles (h) 4-0

Charlestown – Lost Magic (h) 4-2, Lost Eagles (a) 6-1, Won Bears (h) 1-0

Bottom Line

A lot has changed since Charlestown and Valentine last met back in round 1, with Charlestown skyrocketing into the top half of the ladder and Valentine dropping towards the basement.

The first contest between these two sides this year was an even encounter, much the opposite of the previous four matches both sides played against one another. Charlestown had one those four by a combined score of 18-4 and Valentine will be aiming to break a five game winless streak dating back to 2012 against the Blues.

For the home side, it has been hard to gauge their improvement over the season to date. Their last three matches have been against competition heavyweights in Edgeworth, Broadmeadow and Hamilton and this weekend serves as a good barometer as to how far both these sides have come since round one.

Valentine had a respectable 3-all draw with Magic sandwiched in between two thumpings they copped at home to Edgeworth and Hamilton. With no wins from four matches so far this season at the graveyard known as Cahill Oval, a change to Blacksmiths Oval could be as good as a holiday for Darren Sills’ men.

For Charlestown, they too have been hard to gauge over the last few weeks. The copped a battering from Edgeworth, but were in the contest for 60 minutes, followed by a disappointing 4-2 loss to Broadmeadow Magic.

Missing the match against competition leaders Hamilton could be a blessing for the Blues and this contest with Valentine could help restore some confidence which may have been lost over the last couple of weeks. There is no doubt this match will be a tight affair and going on the early season result will be anyone’s game.

Josh Swaddling will miss the game with a hip injury, while Wilson Edwards is out with a knee injury.

What the Coaches Said:

Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)

“We have definitely changed our shape since we started the season against them and we’ll be trying to be more defensively be minded going into it. We are halfway through the year and haven’t kept a clean sheet yet. We are scoring a goal a game so the day we keep a clean sheet we will win.”

“Generally, except the game against the Jaffas, we are creating enough chances. We are pretty decent with the ball, it’s just our defensive roles are letting us down. The boys are also looking forward to playing on a different pitch. Cahill Oval is just not conducive to good football.”

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“I think Valentine have been fairly good this year to be honest. I think they are well structured and Sillsy has got them playing decent sort of stuff. They are hard to break down and have some dangerous players. They showed in the first game, when we let our guard down, they can hurt you and take points away from you.”

“Missing the game on the weekend against Hamilton, it gives us a chance to freshen up, all the niggles go away and we get a chance to reset coming against a team who are coming off a loss. Our confidence is a bit down, and I’d assume after their last match theirs is too. So it’s a good chance to get back in winning ways.”

Key: Which Charlestown and Valentine sides will turn up? Both have had their hot and cold spells throughout the season and whoever wants it more on Saturday will get the result.

Adamstown Rosebud v Broadmeadow Magic
Sunday, June 12, 2:30pm
Adamstown Oval

Last Meeting: Broadmeadow 7 Adamstown 2 at Magic Park, April 10, 2016 (Round 1)

Ladder: Broadmeadow 4^th (15) Adamstown 7^th (6)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Adamstown – Won Bears (h) 2-1, Lost Jaffas (a) 5-0, Lost Jets (h) 3-0

Broadmeadow – Won Blues (a) 4-2, Drew Phoenix (h) 3-3, Lost Olympic (a) 3-1

Bottom Line

After their round one thumping at the hand of Broadmeadow, round ten couldn’t have come soon enough for Graham Law’s men. The Rosebud’s will be looking to erase memories of their 7-2 loss at Magic Park when they return home to Adamstown Oval on Sunday.

In fact, Adamstown will be looking to do more than just erase that loss. The Rosebud’s have not beaten Broadmeadow since they were promoted at the end of 2013. From five matches since Adamstown’s promotion, Magic have taken home 15 points out of a possible 15.

In their last match, against Weston, Adamstown won their second match of the season and jumped from 9^th to 7^th on the ladder. With a few men back from injury and suspension in recent weeks including Dan Yaxley and Scott Carter, the Rosebud could spring a few surprises in the last half of the season.

A win for the home side here would close the gap between the top five sides and the bottom five and no doubt will give themselves every chance of playing finals later in the year. A loss will lead to the hopes of Adamstown featuring in their first finals campaign since promotion look remote.

For Broadmeadow, after a couple of weeks where they lost to rivals Olympic and drew with Valentine, they returned to form against Charlestown in their last outing and they will be aiming to entrench themselves in the top four if they win at Adamstown.

Their potency in attack has been a talking point this season with form Newcastle Jet James Virgili and speedster Kale Bradbury bagging 15 of the sides 22 goals this season. But defence is where both Rob Virgili and Bobby Naumov will want to see improvement, with only one clean sheet this season.

What the Coaches Said:

Bobby Naumov (Broadmeadow)

“The main thing for us is to try and get consistency in what we do and in terms of how we want to play, not too many changes game by game. I’ve just got a belief that if we do the right things properly the other teams have all got to react to us.”

“[We won’t rest players because of the midweek match] You can’t take any chances against any team. That is when you get yourself into trouble. We just have to go out there and play the best in both. You play your strongest side and always try and win and go that way.”

Graham Law (Adamstown)

“If you do not take your chances against Broadmeadow Magic, when you have them, they will take theirs. We will create chances on the weekend, I have no doubt about that and we have to take them. We hope not to make the same mistakes, as we did in round one, with their pace. We are working very hard on a few things this week at training.”

“We got a win under our belt against Weston and unfortunately the match against Edgie was postponed. I’ve seen little glimpses, the boys are starting to get to know each other now, because it’s a very new team. A few of their characters are starting to come through. If we can keep a zero, we can win the game. But, we need to take our chances when we have them.”

Key: The opening half. 11 of Broadmeadow’s last 15 goals have come in opening half. If Adamstown can keep them quiet early and stay in the contest, Broadmeadow could be in for another tough match. 

Source: northernnswfootball.com.au