Monthly Archives: July 2016

PS4 NPL NNSW Round 16 Preview: Hamilton Olympic await for Newcastle Jet’s landing at Darling St Oval

Posted on July 28, 2016 | Leave a comment

Hamilton Olympic v Newcastle Jets Youth 2.30pm Sunday 31^st July at Darling Street Oval

Last Meeting: Hamilton 5 Jets Youth 0 at Darling Street Oval, Saturday 21^st May 2016

Ladder: Hamilton 1^st (35pts) Jets Youth 6^th (17)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Hamilton – Drew Magic 1-1 (a), Won Eagles 3-1 (h), Won Bears 3-1 (a)

Jets – Won Rosebuds 4-1 (h), Lost Magic 10-2 (a), Lost Eagles 4-2 (a)

Bottom Line

Hamilton will need to put the disappointment of last weekend’s thrilling draw with Broadmeadow behind them when they take on the Jets Youth on Sunday. After the high of knocking Edgeworth off top spot, the week before Olympic must regroup after a result which handed Edgeworth the initiative in the premiership race.

The Jets Youth will be no pushovers, though, having lost just three of their last ten matches. The back end of the season has been fruitful for the Jets young guns with Cameron Joice, Krisitan Brymora and Cody Carroll leading their attacking charge. At the back, the acquisition of Matt Richardson has steeled up their defence.

However, the Jets must overcome history if they are to win this match. Their last win against Olympic came way back in their first meeting in round five of 2012 when the Youth side won 3-1 on that occasion. Since that day it has been all one-way traffic with Hamilton winning six of their last eight clashes, with two draws which both came in 2014 when the Jets were minor premiers.

In the context of the rest of the season, Hamilton need to win this if they are to have any hope of winning the minor premiership. Unless Edgeworth struggle in their last four matches, it is difficult to see them not getting at least nine points from their remaining four matches. Three wins from their last three get Hamilton to 44 points, and they would be hugely unlucky not to win the minor premiership after getting 44 points.

Back in round seven when these two sides met, the Jets Youth created plenty of chances, but didn’t finish them off and Hamilton made them pay (5-0)! On that afternoon Olympic were clinical in front of goal and coach Mick Bolch will be hoping for much of the same this weekend after a disappointing match in front of goal against Broadmeadow.

What the Coaches Said:

Mick Bolch (Hamilton)

“The Jets have obviously turned it around after the disaster against Magic, they had a good win on the weekend against Adamstown and a draw against Maitland who have been going well. They are young and sharp and very well disciplined. Zaney [Clayton Zane] has them shutting down very well, so we need to be very careful when we are in possession especially in our own third.”

“We just need to take our chances; we are creating plenty. We are playing some really good football at the moment. It’s just our execution and our end product needs to be a bit better. We need to be a bit more ruthless.”

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“This will be a big challenge for us from the physical perspective. Going forward in the last match they totally outmuscled us. With Edgeworth they are probably the most rounded team in the competition, they are hard to break down at the back, so that physical challenge is there trying got get beyond their back four and also in defence with [Kane] Goodchild up front.”

“Our actual performance against them last time was quite good, we executed the game plan quite well, but it was just the big moments where they outmuscled us, and punished us. These games against Edgeworth, Magic and Olympic, its trying to get through the first 20 minutes and settle into the match. A lot of teams try to put a lot of pressure against us in the opening part of the match.”

Key: The pressure is on Olympic to get the three points this weekend, while the pressure will also be on the young Jets as they vie for spots in NYL team. Who will respond better?

U22s Hamilton Olympic Sunday 31^st July 2016 12.45 kick off at Darling St Oval

U19s Hamilton Olympic Sunday 31^st July 2016 11.00 kick off at Darling St Oval

TABLE FIRST GRADE:

P W D L F – A PTS

Hamilton Olympic 15 10 5 0 43- 11 35
Edgeworth 14 11 1 2 41-14 34
Broadmeadow Magic 15 8 4 3 44 -23 29
Maitland 15 7 5 3 30-17 26
Charlestown City 15 6 3 6 25-34 21
Newcastle JetsYouth 15 5 3 7 33 -45 18
Valentine 14 4 3 7 21-34 15
Lambton Jaffas 15 3 4 8 21-30 13
Adamstown 15 3 2 10 18-44 11
Weston Workers 15 0 3 12 11-35 3

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 19:

U13 Emerging Jets Youth vs Hamilton Olympic Sunday 31^st July 2016 kick off 10.00 a.m. at Lake Macquarie Football Facility

U14 Emerging Jets Youth vs Hamilton Olympic Sunday 31^st July 2016 kick off 11.30 a.m. at Lake Macquarie Football Facility

U15 Emerging Jets Youth vs Hamilton Olympic Sunday 31^st July 2016 kick off 1.00 p.m. at Lake Macquarie Football Facility

U16 Emerging Jets Youth vs Hamilton Olympic Sunday 31^st July 2016 kick off 2.30 p.m. at Lake Macquarie Football Facility

Zone League 2
Olympic vs Wallsend
Saturday at Islington Oval
1st Grade kick off 4.00
2nd Grade kick off 2.15pm

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

Valentine Phoenix v Broadmeadow Magic

3pm Sunday 30^th July at Blacksmiths Oval

Last Meeting: Broadmeadow 3 Valentine 3 at Magic Park, Sunday 22^nd May, 2016

Ladder: Valentine 7^th (15) Broadmeadow 3^rd (29)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Valentine – Drew Bears 2-2 (h), Won Jaffas 3-2 (a), Lost Rosebuds 2-0 (h)

Broadmeadow – Drew Olympic 2-2 (h), Won Jets 10-2 (h), Lost Eagles 2-0 (a)

Bottom Line

The real question regarding this match is which Valentine side will turn up on Saturday? The Phoenix have had some outstanding showings this season, knocking off Charlestown and Maitland, both sides who are above them on the ladder, while they also held Broadmeadow to a 3-3 draw last time out.

However, disappointing showings against Weston last outing, Adamstown, and Lambton this season have ensured the Lake Macquarie based side sit ten points outside a finals spot and not within touching distance. This match will be a real test for the Phoenix, with Broadmeadow in red hot form after disposing of the Jets Youth 10-2 a couple of weeks ago and holding rivals Hamilton to a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

Broadmeadow’s record against the Phoenix is also red hot, with Magic last tasting defeat against Valentine back in round 18 of 2010, by a scoreline of 2-0. Incredibly, the man who scored the two goals for Valentine that afternoon, Shane Paul, would have lined up for Broadmeadow is he wasn’t suspended.

The key to this match lies in Valentine’s ability to keep Broadmeadow’s attack weapons at bay. James Virgili, Kale Bradbury and Peter Haynes were on song last weekend and the first half seems crucial to this match. However, the loss of Virgili will have a significant impact on Broadmeadow’s attacking threat.

Magic have scored 21 of their last 31 goals in the first half of matches. Valentine have the attacking arsenal to break down Broadmeadow as they showed back in round seven, but if they are unable to keep them out it will make things difficult for the home side.

James Virgili is out for Broadmeadow with a shoulder injury sustained last weekend, as is Shane Paul and Michael Kantarovski who are out suspended. Jon Griffiths returns from suspension while Matt Hoole will return from an ankle injury.

What the Coaches Said:

Rob Virgili (Broadmeadow)

“We want to keep winning games so we can run towards the finals in some good form. We were disappointed with our defence last game, we were up 2-0 and it ended up 3-3. We need to score early to open things up, because the longer the game goes without scoring, the harder it is the breakdown a side like Valentine.”

“We are a confidence side and I think we have the confidence there it is just a matter of playing for the full 90 minutes. I don’t look at the matches where we drop points to Edgeworth and Hamilton as the premiership matches, I see the days where we dropped points to Adamstown and Valentine as the ones that cost us when we look back on it.”

Key: Consistency. If Valentine can put two halves of quality football together on Saturday, Magic may be stunned for the second time this year against the Phoenix.

Charlestown City Blues v Edgeworth Eagles

2.30pm Sunday 31^st July at Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Edgeworth 6 Charlestown 1 at Jack McLaughlan Oval, Sunday 22^nd May 2016

Ladder: Charlestown 5^th (21) Edgeworth 2^nd (34)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Charlestown – Won Bears 3-2 (a), Drew Jaffas 0-0 (h), Won Rosebuds 3-1 (a)

Edgeworth – Lost Olympic 3-1 (a), Won Magic 2-0 (h), Won Jets 4-2 (h)

Bottom Line

A loss for Charlestown in any one of their final three matches will see their finals hopes evaporate, and they couldn’t have asked for a tougher run home if they had tried. Matches against Edgeworth, Broadmeadow and then Hamilton to finish off the trifecta will no doubt make it difficult for Shane Pryce’s men to overcome the 5 -point gap between themselves and fourth-placed Maitland.

Along with Valentine, Charlestown have proved the doubters wrong all year and this presents another chance to do so. Edgeworth will be somewhat more fatigued and tired than they would usually be after an energy-sapping trip up north, and it provides Shane Pryce’s men with an opportunity to pounce.

Recently, it has been the Eagles who have had the upper hand in the matches between the two sides, with the Eagles having won four of their last six clashes. Edgeworth have piled on the goals in the last three matches between the sides, winning those by a combined margin of 12-2. Charlestown’s major challenge sits with keeping the Eagles’ attacking weapons quiet, and they did that for much of their round 7 clash until they conceded four goals in the final 24 minutes of the match to go down 6-1.

The loss of leading goal scorer Rene Ferguson to a hamstring injury will be a huge blow for the Blues in the attacking third. His strength on the ball and goal scoring ability will be sorely missed, but on the positive side for Charlestown, it will give a young player a chance to prove their worth against one of the competition’s top sides.

Along with Rene Ferguson, Billy Gibbons (knee) and Cameron Hughes (thigh) who was going to start against his old club are both out for the weekend’s clash.

What the Coaches Said:

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“Obviously, they are the benchmark of the competition, and hopefully, they will be returning from a victorious FFA Cup game. At the positions they are in on the table, with a game in hand and one point off the lead, I am guessing they won’t be holding back either. It will be on at our home ground for them, we’ve just got to try to spoil the party.”

“The last few weeks the guys have shown in football terms individually who they are and they have reflected who they were in the first five-six weeks of the competition. They have got a bit more confidence and I’m happy with that and I think we have a good group to build on. Hopefully, we can push [Maitland] all the way for the finals spot.”

Damien Zane (Edgeworth)

“Just because of the week we have had it’s a danger game. We’ll bring in a few guys and add a bit of freshness if we get across the line, I think we will be looking good for the rest of the year. The effort the boys put in against FNQ Heat was phenomenal. We won’t be our freshest on the weekend, but its juts one of those games where we need to turn up and grind out a win.”

“We’ve got three games in the next seven days, so the next week is probably going to decide the premiership. It just comes back to the squad we have. I believe we have the best squad in the league, and everyone is going to have to play their part to the end of the year and I’m sure they all will. This is where our depth will really start to shine through.”

Key: Fatigue. The humidity of Cairns will take its toll on Edgeworth, but do they have the fitness in them to ensure that has no impact on Sunday.

Adamstown Rosebud v Lambton Jaffas

2.30pm Sunday 31^st July at Adamstown Oval

Last Meeting: Lambton 5 Adamstown 0 at Arthur Edden Oval, Saturday 21^st May 2016

Ladder: Adamstown 9^th (11) Lambton 8^th (13)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Adamstown – Lost Jets 4-1 (a), Lost Magpies 4-2 (a), Lost Blues 3-1 (h)

Lambton – Lost Magpies 4-1 (h), Drew Blues 0-0 (a), Lost Phoenix 3-2 (h)

Bottom Line

It is incredible how much can change over the course of a year. Last season at this point both of these sides were pushing for a finals spot, this year they will be aiming to salvage something from the remaining three matches of the season. Both have had no luck with injuries this season, and the Rosebuds have also not been helped by red cards handed out with monotonous regularity.

Lambton’s season seemed to be heading upwards after a slow start to the season when they incredibly upset Hamilton Olympic in the FFA Cup. But, it wasn’t to be and now the Jaffas are slowly forgetting that winning feeling. It will be more than a month since they last won – a 3-1 win against last-placed Weston – when they take the field against Adamstown on Sunday, which doesn’t bode considering they have an FFA Cup clash in less than two weeks.

The smaller pitch of Arthur Edden Oval has seemed to hinder the Jaffas this year, as they have won just one of their home matches this season, funnily enough against the side they play on the weekend. So a trip away from Arthur Edden Oval may be a blessing in disguise. While the Jaffas haven’t won for a month, they haven’t lost away from home in almost two months and that was against Edgeworth.

After a mid-season spike in form, Adamstown have really struggled of late, losing four of their last five matches, and slipping to 9^th on the ladder. It has been a tough year for Graham Law, but this back end of the season provides Adamstown’s coach with a chance to blood some young players in preparation for next season.

This weekend’s match-up also gives Adamstown a chance to beat Lambton for the first time since the Rosebuds were promoted at the end of 2013. In the five matches the sides have played since then it has been all the Jaffas, winning four, along with a 1-1 draw last season.

What the Coaches Said:

Graham Law (Adamstown)

“The difficult part to the back end of the season is coming up with reasons to be motivated, which in itself shouldn’t be a problem. We need to stay motivated, we can still claim three or four places, and it is my job to keep the boys motivated.”

“We have a lot of good players coming through the club, and we will see where we are at the end of the season and some of those boys might get an opportunity.”

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“I think based on facts, our home record is horrendous. It’s the same for both teams when we turn up there, and I have been told the home record has been pretty decent over the last two or three years. We have tried to put our finger on the problem and have adjusted our game at home, and in our eight home games we have had a different approach at times.”

“We haven’t tried to do something consistently which hasn’t worked for us. We’ve tried to vary between defending deep, pressing high and playing out from the back. I think all of those things contribute to a lack of consistency as has having to pick a team based on who is available rather than form.”

Key: Desire. With an NPL season both sides will want to readily forget, whoever has the most heart will win this one.

Maitland Magpies v Weston Workers Bears

2.30pm Sunday 31^st July at Cooks Square Park

Last Meeting: Maitland 3 Weston 0 at Rockwell Automation Park, Sunday 22^nd May 2016

Ladder: Maitland 4^th (25) Weston 10^th (3)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Maitland – Drew Jets 1-1(h), Won Jaffas 4-1 (a), Won Rosebuds 4-2 (h)

Weston – Lost Blues 3-2 (h), Drew Phoenix 2-2 (a), Lost Olympic 3-1 (h)

Bottom Line

Weston’s chance to finish with at least one win in season 2016 is running out fast, but, a derby battle with Maitland which normally brings out the best in both sides, regardless of their positions on the ladder, gives the Bears an opportunity to break their duck against their main rivals.

Last season it was a 0-0 draw against lowly Maitland in round 14 which cost the Bears a spot in the finals. In a match Weston were expected to win, and consolidate a top four spot, they were unable to put a valiant Magpies side away. A year later, and history repeats, albeit both sides are in opposite spots on the ladder.

If Maitland win, they will be all but assured of a finals spot. However, if the Bears can spring a major upset, or even share the points with the home side, Maitland could face a nervous final two rounds of the season.

Maitland will be tough to beat, though, and have been outstanding in the final third over the past three weeks. After a slump through the middle part of the season where they lost three of four matches, the Magpies won three straight before their midweek draw with the Jets and scored 10 goals in the process. Matt Thompson the architect, controlling the midfield and playing the best football we have seen from him in his two seasons at Maitland.

For Weston to win this it will come down to their defence. The Bears just don’t have the fire. Maitland have scored nearly three times the amount of goals that Weston have over the 15 matches so far. If the visitors can frustrate Maitland in attack and grab a goal for themselves, we could have a real game on our hands. If Maitland gets away, though, it could be a long afternoon for Bears’ fans.

Ryan Clarke is in doubt for the match against Weston, while Blake Thompson, who missed the game with the Jets could return against Weston on Sunday.

What the Coaches Said:

Reece Thompson (Maitland)

“I think we are probably one win away from securing a finals place, and we would love to do that in the local derby. We’ve played well the last few weeks and a lot of the credit has to go to Matt Thompson and Dean Heffernan and the playing group.”

“We are a really tight-knit playing group, we went out after the Saturday game and it’s just good to get that club culture vibe back. Piggo probably did the hard work at the start of the year getting the structure in place. It’s just been easier for me, and with Matt Thompson and Dean Heffernan around it has really just smoothed things out.”

Trevor Morris (Weston)

“I think [Maitland] are into the finals, personally, I think they will make it. We turn up every week thinking we will win; we have nothing else to lose. I turn up every week expecting to win. I can’t fault the players, they are turning up to training, they are working hard, the spirit is good. It’s just unfortunate it has been the year from hell.”

“It does worry me personally about going through a season with a win. Our last five-six weeks we have been playing some decent football, and the improvement is there. We just need to concentrate on what our team does and we will go out on Sunday and give it a red hot crack.”

Key: Weston’s defence. The Bears’ backline will need to keep the likes of Matt Comerford and Ryan Clarke quiet if they are to take down their rivals.

source:northernnswfootball.com.au

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PS4 NPL NNSW Round 15: Hamilton Olympic held to a 1-1 draw by Broadmeadow Magic

Posted on July 25, 2016 | Leave a comment

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Daniel Bird, Olympic goal scorer

Hamilton Olympic were held to a 1-1 draw at Magic Park, giving match point advantage for the Minor Premiership to Edgeworth whose match with Valentine on Saturday was washed out.

In icy cold conditions Hamilton Olympic showed their intentions as early as the 7^th minute when Rhys Cooper crossed from the right and found the head of Kane Goodchild who headed low and to the corner of the Magic goal, only to have Nicholas Hartnett deflect the ball onto the bar and out for a corner.

Seven minutes after this, Olympic worked the ball well in midfield with fast one touch passes amongst Bailey, Bertos, Spencer and Goodchild who found an unmarked Daniel Bird on the left and whose shot ended up in the Magic goal for a 1-0 lead.

Olympic look composed, are controlling the midfield and look well in control.

The first sniff of an opportunity for Magic doesn’t arrive until the half hour mark when Jayden Barber got on the end of a Luke Virgili cross but Danny Ireland slammed the door shut!

Ten minutes before the interval and Olympic have given Magic more space in the middle of the field and are defending a lot deeper than they were since the beginning of the match.

James Virgili takes on Kyle Hodges on the right, is unable to go around him, but is able to whip a cross to Kale Bradbery who upon controlling the ball, loses his marker Grant Brown who slips and falls to the ground. With Danny Ireland completely exposed, Bradbery has no problem bringing the score even 1-1.

Within a minute a great combination in the middle of the park by Olympic brings Kane Goodchild on the edge of the box and a beautiful cross screaming across the face of the Magic goal but no head to bury it in the net.

Olympic are on top again controlling the midfield probing the Magic goal but they can’t apply the finishing touch that will put them in the lead again.

On the 45’ minute, Magic make a rare counter attack through James Virgili and in a 50-50 challenge with Danny Ireland who clears the ball, there are appeals for a penalty but the referee waves “play on”.

Olympic had the better of the first half, looked in control for most of the game and lacked the final touch.

The beginning of the second half found Magic on the attack with Kale Bradbbery beating Grant Brown, advancing into the box and passing to Jayden Barber who fired a shot into Danny Ireland instead of placing it into the right corner of the Olympic goal.

Olympic gain control of the midfield again are moving the ball with ease but lack the killer finishing touch. In the 61^st minute three consecutive shots at the Magic goal by Bird, Bertos and Swan, fail to send Olympic into the lead.

In the 75^th minute a great through ball by Simon Mooney set up Kane Goodchild with a one-on-one with Nicholas Hartnett but he fired into the open hands for the Magic goalkeeper.

As the minutes ticked away the intensity of Olympic’s play began to increase committing numbers in attack, desperately looking for the goal and the three points.

Seven minutes from time, Leo Bertos crosses from the left into an unmarked Kane Goodchild in the six yard box who took his shot first time and instead of burying it into the Magic net, sent it sky-high!

A few moments later Kane Goodchild turned provider to Simon Mooney who found himself inside the box but was unable to get his shot in before he was swamped by Magic defenders.

With three minutes from time Kale Bradbery appealed for a penalty on behalf of Broadmeadow Magic and seconds later Rhys Cooper did the same on behalf of Olympic.

The game continued with open end to end play but despite Olympic having the majority of goal scoring opportunities to secure the three points, they were unable to break Magic down

U22s Broadmeadow Magic – Hamilton Olympic 2-0

U19s Broadmeadow Magic – Hamilton Olympic 3-1

PS4 NPL NNSW Round 15 RESULTS:

Lambton Jaffas – Maitland 1-4

Edgeworth Fc – Valentine p.p.

Newcastle Jets Youth – Adamstown 4-1

Broadmeadow Magic – Hamilton Olympic 1-1

Weston Workers – Charlestown 2-3

TABLE FIRST GRADE:

P W D L F – A PTS

Hamilton Olympic 15 10 5 0 43- 11 35
Edgeworth 14 11 1 2 41-14 34
Broadmeadow Magic 15 8 4 3 44 -23 29
Maitland 14 7 4 3 24-16 25
Charlestown City 15 6 3 6 25-34 21
Newcastle JetsYouth 14 5 2 7 32 -44 17
Valentine 14 4 3 7 21-34 15
Lambton Jaffas 15 3 4 8 21-30 13
Adamstown 15 3 2 10 18-44 11
Weston Workers 15 0 3 12 11-35 3

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 18:

NPL Youth
Olympic vs Valentine
Under 17s Olympic won 2-0
Under 15s Valentine won 0-2
Under 14s drew 0-0
Under 13s Olympic won 7-0

Zone League 2
Olympic vs Merewether
1st Grade drew 2-2
2nd Grade Olympic won 4-0

source:Tom Tsamouras

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PS4 NPL NNSW Round 15 Preview: Hamilton Olympic travel away to Broadmeadow Magic

Posted on July 21, 2016 | Leave a comment

Broadmeadow Magic v Hamilton Olympic 2.30pm Sunday 24^th July at Magic Park

Last Meeting: Hamilton 3 Broadmeadow 1 at Darling Street Oval, Sunday 15^th May 2016

Ladder: Broadmeadow 3^rd (28) Hamilton 1^st (34)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Broadmeadow – Won Jets Youth 10-2 (h), Lost Eagles 2-0 (a), Won Bears 1-0 (h)

Hamilton – Won Eagles 3-1 (h), Won Bears 3-1 (a), Drew Jaffas 2-2 (h)

Bottom Line

After some mixed results through the middle of the season, both Olympic and Magic have returned to form in recent weeks.

Magic went through a poor run of form after their loss to Olympic in round six, as they won just two of five matches. Olympic also had a disappointing run of form where they won just one of four matches. Since then Magic have won four of their last five, while Olympic have won three of their last four.

Olympic have dominated this rivalry over the last three years, with Magic’s last win coming back in 2013 courtesy of a late Peter Haynes screamer in a 6-5 victory. Since that moment it has been all Olympic, with five wins and a draw in the last six matches the sides have played.

In fact, it has been their ability to keep Broadmeadow’s attack quiet over that period which has been the most impressive stat. Magic have scored just three goals in their last six meetings with Hamilton, in comparison Olympic have scored 12 in those same matches.

Olympic’s watertight defence this season seems once again to be the important factor in this match, and they will need to be at their best after Magic put 10 past the Jets Youth last weekend. Broadmeadow’s attack will be full of confidence after that performance, but this weekend will be much more of a test.

Just a week and a half ago, Magic struggled to break down an Edgeworth side that Olympic put three goals past on the weekend. If Magic want to prove that they are good enough to beat one of the top two sides in Edgeworth and Hamilton, this is their last chance before the finals to do so.

Olympic defender Grant Brown should play on the weekend after coming off injured against Edgeworth on Sunday with a burner. Shane Paul returns from suspension while Matt Hoole (ankle) may return from injury. Michael Finlayson (medial ligament) is still a couple of weeks away and Alex Kantarovski has re-injured his hamstring and will remain on the sidelines for a few more weeks. Jon Griffiths is also out with a suspension.

What the Coaches Said:

Rob Virgili (Broadmeadow Magic)

“First and foremost we have to turn up and compete. I don’t think, to be honest, there is much between the sides. I know that they have probably got it over us, it’s probably the mentality, we just need to believe in ourselves a bit more. We don’t even think about [our recent record against them], it’s not in our camp. It’s just a matter of competing with them.”

“We dominated the first 25 minutes of our first game against them. We scored to lead 1-0, but we conceded virtually straight after that and let them back into the game. After halftime, they came out with their tails up and went on with it. In about 90% of our games in the first 25 minutes, we just haven’t capitalised on our chances. We tend to dominate sides in the first 25 minutes, but we need to capitalise on it a bit more.”

Mick Bolch (Hamilton Olympic)

“It was a great result on the weekend and to get a second win against [Edgeworth] this year was really good. I thought on the weekend we held our composure really well and played for the full 90 minutes which we haven’t been doing all year.”

“I don’t think what has happened [in the head to head] over the last couple of years counts for much. They are coming off a great win – 10-2 – last weekend so they are obviously in the white hot form in front of goals at the moment which is always their danger. Moving Leo Bertos to the centre of the park has really helped us with our shape and our composure, just with that discipline he brings. He and Jacob Bailey have really done well in the middle of the park for us.”

Key: Broadmeadow’s attack has been disappointing when playing Hamilton of late, and it will need to change this weekend if they are to beat their rivals.

U22s Broadmeadow Magic vs Hamilton Olympic Sunday 24^th July 2016 12.45 kick off at Magic Park

U19s Broadmeadow Magic vs Hamilton Olympic Sunday 24^th July 2016 11.00 kick off at Magic Park

TABLE FIRST GRADE:

P W D L F – A PTS

Hamilton Olympic 14 10 4 0 42- 10 34
Edgeworth 14 11 1 2 41-14 34
Broadmeadow Magic 14 8 4 2 43 -22 28
Maitland 13 6 4 3 25-15 22
Charlestown City 14 5 3 6 22-32 18
Valentine 13 4 3 7 21-34 15
Newcastle Jets Youth 13 4 2 7 28-43 14
Lambton Jaffas 14 3 4 7 20-26 13
Adamstown 14 3 2 9 14-33 12
Weston Workers 14 0 3 11 19-30 3

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 18:

U13 Hamilton Olympic vs Valentine Saturday 23^rd July 2016 kick off 10.00 a.m. at Darling St Oval

U14 Hamilton Olympic vs Valentine Saturday 23^rd July 2016 kick off 11.30 a.m. at Darling St Oval

U15 Hamilton Olympic vs Valentine Saturday 23^rd July 2016 kick off 1.00 p.m. at Darling St Oval

U17 Hamilton Olympic vs Valentine Saturday 23^rd July 2016 kick off 2.30 p.m. at Darling St Oval

source: Tom Tsamouras

Edgeworth Eagles v Valentine Phoenix

2.45pm, Saturday 23^rd July at Jack McLaughlan Oval

Last Meeting: Edgeworth 4 Valentine 0 at Cahill Oval, Saturday 14^th May 2016

Ladder: Edgeworth 2^nd (34pts) Valentine 6^th (15)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Edgeworth – Lost Olympic 3-1 (a), Won Magic 2-0 (h), Won Jets Youth 4-2 (h)

Valentine – Drew Bears 2-2 (h), Won Jaffas 3-2 (a), Lost Rosebud 2-0 (h)

Bottom Line

Both Edgeworth and Valentine will be looking to return to the winner’s circle after a recording disappointing results last weekend. Edgeworth went down to rivals Hamilton Olympic who have now beaten them twice this season, while the Phoenix were held to a 2-2 draw against the last placed Weston Bears.

The head to head between these sides reads heavily in the Eagles’ favour, with Valentine last recording a win over Edgeworth in 2011 – a 1-0 victory at Cahill Oval. Since then Edgeworth have won five straight matches by a combined scoreline of 15-2 so Valentine will need to overcome recent history in this one.

Edgeworth’s attack was kept relatively quiet against Hamilton on the weekend and will be looking to return to form against a side they put four goals past back in round six. The usual suspects of Keigo Moriyasu, Daniel McBreen, Keanu Moore will be asking plenty of questions up front and Aden Gardner has stepped up in a big way over the last few weeks with two goals in his last three games.

For Valentine, they will once again look to former Eagles striker Brenton Olzomer, as well as other attacking signing in 2016 in Matt Paul. After two goals last weekend Paul will be looking to continue his goalscoring form against Edgeworth.

But, as it has been all season Valentine’s backline will be key to the result in this match. They leaked four goals in the last match between the sides and can’t afford that kind of performance at the back if they want to claim an upset win here.

Alex Tserepas (broken ankle) remains sidelined for the Phoenix, but there is hope he may return before the season’s end. For Edgeworth, they remain unchanged from the side that played Olympic on Sunday.

What the Coaches Said:

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“We have set a goal to get 12 points and see what happens. As far as chasing goal difference, the difference is five goals and in four games that is tough to make up. I told the players to concentrate game by game to get the three points. I said to them ‘If you lose the competition with 46 points, you must be the unluckiest side in the history of this competition’.”

“Valentine are a pretty tight unit and they have probably exceeded expectations. A lot of people were saying they would be lucky to win a game when they first came up. Reece Pettit is a good young player and Brenton [Olzomer] I have noticed has been a bit injured of late. Matt Paul has been a big pickup and has been quite dangerous for them.”

Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)

“I think because they are so quick everywhere we need to compact them a bit and put more pressure on everywhere because they cut through us too easily last time. So if we can get in tighter and make them go around it might give us a little bit of leeway.”

“From the dead ball this year we have been atrocious. They haven’t been up to the standard that you need and against a side like Edgeworth where we are probably not going to create as many chances as they are when we get corners and free kicks we need to take advantage of it.”

Key: Defence. Both sides conceded too many goals last weekend and need to be on song at the back on Saturday.

Lambton Jaffas v Maitland Magpies

2.30pm, Saturday 23^rd July at Arthur Edden Oval

Last Meeting: Maitland 0 Lambton 0 at Cooks Square Park, Sunday 15^th May 2016

Ladder: Lambton 8^th (13) Maitland 4^th (22)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Lambton – Drew Blues 0-0 (a), Lost Phoenix 3-2 (h), Drew Olympic 2-2 (a)

Maitland – Won Rosebuds 4-2 (h), Won Blues 2-0 (a), Lost Phoenix 1-0 (h)

Bottom Line

It’s hard to get a read on the Jaffas this season with seven losses this season mixed with three wins and four draws. They have drawn will Hamilton (1^st), Maitland (4^th), and Charlestown (5^th) in 2016, and had a narrow loss to Broadmeadow (2^nd) in round two. While in other matches they were beaten 5-0 by Edgeworth (2^nd) in round 10, 3-0 by Hamilton in round 3 and Broadmeadow 4-2 in round 11. In reality, it will depend on which Lambton will turn up.

Maitland have put the sacking of coach Steve Piggott behind them with a 4-2 win at home last weekend against Adamstown and have returned to form in the last two weeks with two wins after a five-week stretch where they didn’t win a match.

Based on their ladder positions coming into the game Maitland will start as favourites, however, history is not on their side. Since their promotion in 2014, the sides have played each other three times for two wins to Lambton and a draw, 0-0 in round six. It was a tight and dour affair that afternoon at a windy Cooks Square Park, and better conditions at Arthur Edden Oval on Saturday should create a more exciting affair.

Ryan Clarke will be no doubt be a key man for the Magpies who netted his first two goals of the season in the match against Adamstown and Lambton’s defence will need to be on the lookout for both Clarke and fellow Maitland speedster Matt Comerford.

For Lambton, Ben Hay has been a key man for them the last few weeks with the former Jets Youth midfielder one of the shining lights for the Jaffas in what has otherwise been a disappointing NPL season. Joel Wood will also be looking for a big game against his former side.

For the Magpies, Jordan Elphick comes into the side for Jye McKellar who is out of the match with tonsillitis.

What the Coaches Said:

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“Ryan Clarke is a guy I have a huge amount of respect for and he provides a whole new threat. The last game we played good football against them without having that cutting edge. They are probably in a bit better shape than us in terms of availability of key players. It will be a tight game this weekend, I’ve got no doubt about that.”

“We’ll start to use the remaining few NPL games as preparation for the FFA Cup. Regarding our tactical approach, there will be one eye on the opposition as well as what’s coming down the track and we’ll work on a couple of things we will look to implement in Tasmania.”

Reece Thompson (Maitland Assistant)

“[In round six] we probably didn’t deserve a point out of the game. They completely bossed the game and we sat back and allowed players like Jobe [Wheelhouse] and [Pete] McPherson to have too much ball. Joel Wood and [John] Majurovski got in between the lines of our defence and caused a bit of trouble.”

“This match will be a little bit different with Jobe out and hopefully, we can press and bit more and play more of an attacking style. We won’t be letting them dominate the game again. We need to cut the supply off to John Majurovski and Joel Wood. We’ll try and make them go long and we have some guys at the back who should win the fifty fifties.”

Key: With only one win this season at Arthur Edden Oval, can Lambton send their fans home happy this weekend?

Newcastle Jets Youth v Adamstown Rosebud

2.30pm Sunday 24^th July at Adamstown Oval

Last Meeting: Jets Youth 3 Adamstown 0 at Adamstown Oval, Sunday 15^th May 2016

Ladder: Jets Youth 7^th (14) Adamstown 9^th (11)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Jets Youth – Lost Magic 10-2 (a), Lost Eagles 4-2 (a), Won Blues 4-0 (a)

Adamstown – Lost Magpies 4-2 (a), Lost Blues 3-1 (h), Won Phoenix 2-0 (a)

Bottom Line

Just as the Jets Youth side seemed to be rising towards a top four spot, they have come back to earth with a thud. First, a disappointing last ten minutes against Edgeworth in round 13 saw the drop all three points, before a recording breaking performance for all the wrong reasons against Broadmeadow on the weekend.

Though without five senior players against the 3^rd placed Magic, it was always going to be a tough ask for the young Jets and they will desperately be seeking a strong performance against Adamstown to erase the embarrassment of last weekend.

Rosebud also have their own problems to worry about, as they received their third red card in a row on Sunday when Owen Littlewood was sent off for touching the referee. That follows Dayne Pawlik the previous week and Thom Lino the week before who were given their marching orders. Once again Adamstown were right in the contest leading 2-1 before the red card was given to Littlewood.

Since Adamstown’s promotion at the end of the 2013 season, the sides have met on five occasions for three wins to the Jets and two to Rosebud, however, the Rosebud’s have won two of the last three matches between the sides. Their only loss in those three was in round six this season when they were beaten 3-0 courtesy of a hat-trick from Krisitan Brymora.

Both sides are out of finals contention, with Adamstown 11 points adrift off the top four with just four matches left – mathematically they still have a chance, but it would take a miracle for them to make to finals. The Jets Youth will also not play finals due to their need to prepare for their NYL season, so this could be an entertaining clash.

For the Jets Youth, defender Caio DeGodoy (illness) will most likely miss the match, Cameron Holzheimer (strained calf) could return as could Ryan Ensor (strained calf). Striker Cameron Joice also could return, but Antonee Burke is out for the season with a stress fracture in his foot.

The Rosebud’s will be a missing host of players with Dayne Pawlik and Owen Littlewood both suspended, Hakan Canli (holiday), Jordan Harrison (hamstring), and Scott Carter (thigh) all out of the weekend’s match.

What the Coaches Said:

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“The squad we put out on the weekend, we never set out to put that there. We played the players we had available. I always try and put out what I think is the best team for that particular game. Part of the challenge for me is certain games I look at it as an opportunity to blood young ones and other games I know I need a more resilient team. Every week we endeavour to put out our best side, and last weekend we had players out for reasons no one at the club could control.”

“We’ll definitely have a stronger squad this weekend. Although Adamstown didn’t win on the weekend it seems like their game was there to be won. They look very organised and it looks like they have changes their system in recent weeks and they have taken points of Broadmeadow and Olympic. I’m expecting a lot tougher game than we had in round six.”

Graham Law (Adamstown)

“This weekend, it really depends on what team the Jets put out. We are thin on numbers, so I’ll be playing a young side and I’m seriously considering blooding a few youngsters this weekend. For the remainder of the season we just need to be as competitive as we can. This is no reason why we can’t finish fifth. We just need to push on and try and finish as high as we can.”

“I could probably write a novel about hard luck stories this year. But, in first grade, it’s all about results and everything else is irrelevant. You can play terrible for 18 games and win every game and win the competition and it’s a good season.”

Key: Discipline. Adamstown need to get through this match with 11 men on the park or the young Jets will find them wanting.

Weston Workers Bears v Charlestown City Blues

2.30pm Sunday 24^th July at Rockwell Automation Park

Last Meeting: Charlestown 1 Weston 0 at Lisle Carr Oval, Sunday 15^th May 2016

Ladder: Weston 10^th (3) Charlestown 5^th (18)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Weston – Drew Phoenix 2-2 (a), Lost Olympic 3-1 (h), Lost Magic 1-0 (a)

Charlestown – Drew Jaffas 0-0 (h), Won Rosebuds 3-1 (a), Lost Magpies 2-0 (h)

Bottom Line

If Charlestown want to make the finals this year, it has now come down to winning every one of their final four matches. Coming up against last-placed Weston is a match they really need to win considering their final three matches are against Edgeworth, Broadmeadow and Hamilton. Many would not give them a chance, but the Blues have proven many wrong this season and they shouldn’t be written off.

The Bears have dominated the last four matches these two sides have played winning three of the four and scoring eight goals to three in the process. But, in their only match this season Charlestown scrapped out a 1-0 victory and Shane Pryce’s men will be looking to do the same at one of the toughest away venues in the PlayStation NPL Northern NSW.

In the last month, Weston have threatened to snatch their first win of 2016, and coach Trevor Morris will be desperate for his side’s first win of the campaign. The last side which went through an entire season in a Northern NSW First Grade competition without a victory was Toronto Awaba Stags back in 2010, where they finished the 21 match season with one draw and 20 losses.

Weston went so close last weekend in a 2-2 draw with Valentine and were very unlucky not to a least have grabbed a point at Magic Park a couple of weeks ago. It seems like a win is just around a corner, but it has been goals which have been the issue all season.

They still haven’t reached doubled figures, with just nine goals in their 14 matches, and simply to win matches you need to score goals, which just hasn’t happened regularly enough for the Bears this season. Injuries and players leaving as well haven’t helped the cause, but the emergence of some young talent in Lachlan Rowan, Isaac Peek, and Jake Barner have been shining lights for Weston in an otherwise season to forget.

Trent Partridge return for suspension for the Bears and Jordan Jackson is out with suspension.

What the Coaches Said:

Trevor Morris (Weston)

“Our confidence has been good the last five or six weeks. We have played the top four sides and it’s just the soft goals which we are giving away which are hurting us. I can’t fault their effort or commitment, the attitude at training has been great – no one is missing training. The only thing that is missing is a win and a team song. I’m quite proud of what we are doing and how well we are working.”

“Charlestown has got everything to play for, their still a chance of making the semis and we are desperate to earn some respect. We want to make it as hard as we can for them. I’m not worried about what Charlestown can do, I’m worried about what we do. Everyone knows that we are going through a tough spell and I hope that all the fans can see what a breath of fresh air the young boys are who have been promoted.”

Key: Weston has come so close against in away matches against Valentine and Broadmeadow in recent weeks. Can they conjure up another gallant performance in front of their home fans?

source:northernnswfootball.com.au

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PS4 NPL NNSW Select Team v Jets to be Live Streamed this Wednesday

Posted on July 19, 2016 | Leave a comment

Newcastle Jets together with Northern New South Wales Football (NNSWF) are pleased to advise that Wednesday’s friendly between Scott Miller’s Jets and Damian Zane’s PlayStation ® 4 National Premier League Northern NSW Select squad will be streamed live by BarTV Sports.

The Jets and NNSWF have reached an agreement to split the cost of the live stream to enable the friendly fixture to reach as many interested football fans locally, nationally and internationally as possible.

While the Jets and NNSWF certainly encourage as many supporters as possible to make the journey to Magic Park in Broadmeadow to catch the game live at the ground given all gate profits will be donated to Life Without Barriers, fans unable to get to the venue will be able to log on to both www.newcastlejets.com.au and www.northernnswfootball.com.au from 7pm to catch all the action live.

Newcastle Jets Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lawrie McKinna, said that the Jets will also be making moves over the coming days to provide the club’s owners, Ledman Group, with match information and embed codes to promote the game through their vast networks in China.

“When BarTV Sports live streamed our youth team’s 5-0 win over Shandong Luneng’s U19 at Magic Park in June the game was shared through the Ledman Group network in China,” McKinna explained.

“We will be taking the same approach with Wednesday’s friendly and hopefully this results in increased exposure for the Jets, Northern NSW Football, the local PS4 National Premier League clubs, and most importantly the many talented players from both teams that will be on display,” he said.

NNSWF Chief Executive Officer, Mr David Eland, said that his organisation is pleased to be partnering with the Jets for the live stream to ensure that the game between the PS4 NPL Northern NSW Select side and the federation’s Hyundai A-League club can be viewed far and wide.

“PS4 NPL Northern New South Wales matches are streamed live weekly by BarTV Sports, and from their analytics we understand that viewers log on to the games from throughout the region and around Australia,” Eland said.

“It is great that together we will be able to provide a live stream so that fans who may not physically be able to attend the match can still engage with what we hope will become an annual event again,” he said.

Newcastle Jets vs. PS4 NPL Select (Northern NSW)
When: Wednesday 20 July 2016
Where: Magic Park, Broadmeadow
Kick-off: 7:00pm
Gates: 6:00pm
Admission: Gold coin donation (Gate proceeds will be donated to Life Without Barriers)

Live Stream: View the game live on www.newcastlejets.com.au & www.northernnswfootball.com.au from 7pm
Social Media: Join the match conversation on social media using #NEWvNPL

Source: http://northernnswfootball.com.au

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PS4 NPL NNSWF Round 14: Hamilton Olympic on top of the mountain after 3-1 win over Edgeworth

Posted on July 17, 2016 | Leave a comment

With four games to go, Hamilton Olympic climbed back to the top of the NPL mountain after beating Edgeworth for the second time this year.

On a slippery pitch at Darling St Oval the two leading teams of the competition began the match playing at a very high pace with both sides cancelling each other out.

Despite this, Olympic had belief, purpose and confidence in everything they did. Throughout the first half they chased, contested every ball but were unable to create many clear cut scoring opportunities.

Two minutes before half time Kane Goodchild flicked on the ball to Matthew Swan who made a forward run inside the Edgeworth box and in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, had no issue sending the ball at the back of the net for an Olympic 1-0 lead!

The intensity in the second half was the same as in the first. Two shots by Edgeworth came close but were not on target to trouble Danny Ireland. The match continued with Edgeworth probing for an equalizer and Olympic looking for a second that would put the game beyond reach.

In the 79’ minute Olympic were awarded a penalty when Daniel Bird was tripped inside the penalty box! Leo Bertos stepped up to send the Olympic fans into a delirium but instead sent the ball over the post!

With seven minutes remaining Kane Goodchild outmuscles two Edgeworth defenders to fire the ball past an outstretched Fogarty and send Olympic to a 2-0 lead.

Before the home supporters could sit back down from celebrating the goal, Edgeworth were back into the match through a header from Aden Gardiner following a flick on from a Keigo Moriyasu corner.

Edgeworth poured forward to salvage the game and in the nail biting minutes that remained, Kane Goodchild sprinted from the half way line, beat one defender, rounded the goalkeeper and elevated Olympic to the top of the NPL mountain!

A gutsy effort by all the players who rose to the occasion both physically and mentally.

Four more games remain, Olympic are undefeated and in equal first place, and next Sunday meet Broadmeadow Magic at Magic Park.

U19s Hamilton Olympic v Edgeworth Eagles 0-0

U22s Hamilton Olympic v Edgeworth Eagles 4-1

PS4 NPL NNSW ROUND 14 RESULTS:

Broadmeadow Magic – Newcastle Jets Youth 10-2

Valentine – Weston Workers 2-2

Maitland – Adamstown Rosebud 4-2

Hamilton Olympic – Edgeworth 3-1

Charlestown – Lambton Jaffas 0-0

TABLE FIRST GRADE:

P W D L F – A PTS

Hamilton Olympic 14 10 4 0 42- 10 34
Edgeworth 14 11 1 2 41-14 34
Broadmeadow Magic 14 8 4 2 43 -22 28
Maitland 13 6 4 3 25-15 22
Charlestown City 14 5 3 6 22-32 18
Valentine 13 4 3 7 21-34 15
Newcastle Jets Youth 13 4 2 7 28-43 14
Lambton Jaffas 14 3 4 7 20-26 13
Adamstown 14 3 2 9 14-33 12
Weston Workers 14 0 3 11 19-30 3

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 17:

U13 Adamstown – Hamilton Olympic 0-2

U14 Adamstown – Hamilton Olympic 1-0

U15 Adamstown – Hamilton Olympic 1-1

U17 Adamstown – Hamilton Olympic 1-4

Zone League 2
Olympic vs Hunter Simba
1st Grade Olympic won 2-0
2nd Grade Olympic won 3-0

source: Tom Tsamouras

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PS4 NPL NNSW Round 14 Preview: Hamilton Olympic ready for Edgeworth Eagles

Posted on July 14, 2016 | Leave a comment

Hamilton Olympic v Edgeworth Eagles 2.30pm, Sunday 17^th July at Darling Street Oval

Last Meeting: Hamilton 3 Edgeworth 2 at Jack McLaughlan Oval, Friday 6^th May 2016

Ladder: Hamilton 2^nd (31pts) Edgeworth 1^st (34)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Hamilton – Won Bears 3-1 (a), Drew Jaffas 2-2 (h), Won Blues 6-0 (h)

Lambton – Lost Phoenix 3-2 (h), Drew Olympic 2-2 (a), Won Weston 3-1 (a)

Bottom Line

This match has all the hallmarks of being one of the games of the season. The last time these two sides clashed – back in round five at Jack McLaughlan Oval – it was a cracking contest. It took a Tommy Spencer goal midway through the second half to get the job done for the visitors on that night, as well as some brilliant late goalkeeping from Jim Fogarty.

But, Edgeworth seem like a different team now to the one that started 2016. Coach Damian Zane thought his sides intensity at training went up a notch before their round eight clash at Cooks Square Park against Maitland, and the stats don’t lie.

Attacking wise Edgeworth’s stats aren’t too different scoring 21 goals in the opening seven matches, compared to 19 in the last six. However, defensively there is a stark contrast, with the Eagles conceding just three goals in their last six matches. In contrast, they conceded eight goals in their opening seven matches.

There is a buzz about the club as well, with fans flocking out to see Japanese sensation Keigo Moriyasu. The tireless work at the back week in week out from captain Josh Evans shouldn’t go unnoticed, though.

Hamilton have flown very much under the radar of late – ever since their loss against Lambton in the Westfield FFA Cup. Their form has been patchy the last few weeks, with three draws in their last five matches, but a morale-boosting win at Weston on Sunday looks to have steadied the ship.

So defensively strong at the start of the season, Olympic have leaked five of the nine goals they have conceded this season in the last five weeks and Captain Kyle Hodges and his defensive partners will need to be on their game on Sunday to stop Edgeworth’s riches of attacking weapons.

Rhys Cooper will be the real key for Olympic on Sunday, with speed to burn and a brilliant right foot, he has the ability to unlock a mobile Edgeworth side. Tommy Spencer vision and Kane Goodchild’s finishing will also go a long way to determining who wins at Darling Street.

If Hamilton go down in this one, the minor premiership race seems all but over, however, a win for the home side and the race will be well and truly on for the final four competition fixtures.

What the Coaches Said:

Mick Bolch (Hamilton)

“This match is for the title really, if they beat us it’s all over and if we win we are right back in it. I’m sure it will be no holds barred, there on a very good run at the moment. They’re just a good unit, they work hard for each other, and have plenty of options off the bench.”

“They are the benchmark, they won everything last year and are leading the competition this year, so it’s up to us to come up with a way to beat them. If we want to beat them everyone has to be on their game, if we turn up and two guys are off their game you just can’t beat a side like Edgeworth.”

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“We’ve just been concentrating on ourselves this week. We’ve had a pretty big month and it was quite heavy on the weekend so we had a couple of light sessions this week to try and get ourselves sharp and ready for the weekend.”

“For us, this is a massive chance to put a six-point gap on Hamilton, and with a busy time coming up that would be good with just four games left after. In the first match against them [this season] I thought we had the better of the chances but I wasn’t happy I thought we weren’t hungry enough. We didn’t deserve a win that night due to our lack of intensity.”

Key: The final fifteen minutes. Scored 15 Conceded 0. That is Edgeworth’s stats in the final fifteen minutes of matches this season. Hamilton stopped them in this period in round five and they will need to do it again.

U19s Hamilton Olympic v Edgeworth Eagles 11.00am, Sunday 17^th July at Darling Street Oval

U22s Hamilton Olympic v Edgeworth Eagles 12.45pm, Sunday 17^th July at Darling Street Oval

TABLE FIRST GRADE:

P W D L F – A PTS

Edgeworth 13 11 1 1 40-11 34
Hamilton Olympic 13 9 4 0 39- 9 31
Broadmeadow Magic 13 7 4 2 33-20 25
Maitland 12 5 4 3 21-13 19
Charlestown City 13 4 3 6 19-31 15
Newcastle Jets Youth 12 4 2 6 26-33 14
Valentine 13 4 2 7 19-32 14
Lambton Jaffas 13 3 3 7 20-26 12
Adamstown 13 3 3 7 14-33 12
Weston Workers 13 0 2 10 7-30 2

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 17:

The Hamilton Olympic youth NPL teams travel away to Adamstown Rosebud on Saturday.

U13 Olympic kick off 10.00 a.m. Saturday 16^th July at Adamstown Oval

U14 Olympic kick off 11.30 a.m. Saturday 16^th July at Adamstown Oval

U15 Olympic kick off 1.00 p.m. Saturday 16^th July at Adamstown Oval

U17 Olympic kick off 2.30 p.m. Saturday 16^th July at Adamstown Oval

Zone League 2
Olympic vs Hunter Simba
Saturday at Islington Oval
1st Grade kick off 3.00pm
2nd Grade kick off 1.15pm

Zone League 2
Olympic vs Uni Mens
This TUESDAY NIGHT at Islington Oval
1st Grade kick off 8.00pm
2nd Grade kick off 6.15pm

source: Tom Tsamouras

Broadmeadow Magic v Newcastle Jets Youth

2.30pm, Saturday 16^th July at Magic Park

Last Meeting: Broadmeadow 4 Jets Youth 1 at Magic Park, Saturday 7^th May 2016

Ladder: Broadmeadow 3^rd (25) Jets Youth 6^th (14)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Broadmeadow – Lost Eagles 2-0 (a), Won Bears 1-0 (a), Won Jaffas 4-2 (a)

Jets Youth – Lost Eagles 4-2 (a), Won Blues 4-0 (a), Won Phoenix 4-3 (h)

Bottom Line

This match shapes up as a potential danger game for Broadmeadow, and even though they beat the Jets Youth convincingly back in round five, the young Jets have improved considerably since the start of the season.

Broadmeadow have dominated their last three clashes with the Youth side winning those by a combined margin of 14-5 and will be looking for nothing less than three points to cement their spot in the top four. Their loss at Edgeworth on the weekend has all but ended hopes of a first minor premiership since 2013, but currently, they sit firmly entrenched in the four, six points clear of fourth-placed Maitland who have a game in hand.

Both sides have plenty of pace on offer, especially James Virgili and Kale Bradbury for Broadmeadow and both will be looking to get on the score sheet after an uncharacteristic dry spell in front of goal for Magic. Magic, who have scored at an average of just over 2.5 goals a game this season, have scored just one in their last two matches. That single goal was a penalty James Virgili scored against Weston.

The Jets Youth have been the standout performers alongside Edgeworth over the last five weeks of the competition. They won three straight matches before a loss to the Eagles, in a match which they led approaching the final ten minutes. A wash-out against Maitland last weekend will no doubt have them fresh and reading to go from the opening whistle on Saturday.

The most improved aspect of the Jets game over the last part of the season has been their defence. They have conceded eight goals in their last five matches at an average of 1.6 per game, which is stark in contrast to their opening seven matches where they conceded 25 goals at an average of 3.6 per game. Against a Magic side with plenty of strike power, they will need to bring their defensive steel of late to the table.

The Jets Youth have had a blow on the injury front with Antonee Burke ruled out for the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his foot. For Broadmeadow Jon Griffiths and Shane Paul will both miss the match with a suspension.

What the Coaches Said:

Bobby Naumov (Broadmeadow)

“Their obviously in an elite program, so we talk about habits and doing the right thing and that’s what they do. It’s just that their young kids so we have the experience on them. Their not going to be easy and it will be a difficult task if we don’t play well.”

“Every week we just need to focus on the same things. It’s about us taking better options, it’s about us working hard, and it’s about us keeping the ball better every time. So you just keep working on that constantly and if you do that and you play to your structures and your style then the other team have to worry about you.”

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“I think [the week off] was perfect timing for us because we have had most of our team that played against Edgeworth training with the first team. This will be their third week and the demands of training with the first team and a lot higher that what they are used too. The boys’ bodies were a bit of a mess last weekend so it was good to miss the Maitland game.”

“The last game we played against Magic was probably our worst performance of the year. We just never got our foot in the match. I thought we had no control at all throughout that match. This is the one game I really want to see some improvement in, compared to our first match against them. We struggled to deal with their speed up top and their counter attack and this will be a good measure for us to see how far we’ve come.”

Key: The Jets’ defence. If they bring the defensive quality they have shown of late, Magic will be given a real test.

Valentine Phoenix v Weston Workers Bears

3pm Saturday 16^th July at Blacksmiths Oval

Last Meeting: Valentine 2 Weston 1 at Rockwell Automation Park, Sunday 8^th May 2016

Ladder: Valentine 7^th (14) Weston 10^th (2)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Valentine – Won Jaffas 3-2 (a), Lost Rosebud 2-0 (h), Won Magpies 1-0 (a)

Weston – Lost Olympic 3-1 (h), Lost Magic 1-0 (a), Lost Jaffas 3-1 (h)

Bottom Line

Anything less than a win for Valentine in this one will see their finals hopes all but disappear, and they will need to break a recent trend if they are to claim the three points. The Phoenix have been up and down over the last six matches with an LWLWLW trend over those games. So going off that, this match is supposed to be a loss.

Away from the stats though and Valentine have proved a lot of people wrong this season. Tipped to finish last at the start of the season Valentine have come into their own the last few weeks and seem to be growing with every match. But, coach Darren Sills has higher expectations from his side.

“We are entrenched in the top seven but I set higher standards for these guys. But we have lost two games to teams below us on the ladder and those are games we need to win. We made a bad mistake in injury time against Maitland in round three. And those seven points would put us in the top four.”

Weston will see this game as a big opportunity to get their first win of the season. They went down in a close match to the Phoenix in round five and since that day both Weston and Valentine have headed in different directions on the ladder.

Bears coach Trevor Morris said ‘our two worst performances this year were against Valentine and Maitland’ and to only lose 2-1 in a poor performance will give Bears’ fans hope of a victory this weekend. But, they will have to contend with the loss of five players for this clash.

Dylan Murphy heads back to the USA, Lachlan Rowen (knee), Rurik Pereira has been offered a contract with a third tier German club, Mick Ryan (knee), and Will Myers (broken leg) are all out of Weston’s side for the weekend.

For Phoenix, Alex Tserepas is out for at least three weeks with a broken ankle. Valentine’s leading goalscorer Brenton Olzomer returns from a back injury and Chris Brown (back) also is set to return.

What the Coaches Said:

Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)

“It’s a massive danger game for us, and if there is one positive to take out of the loss to Adamstown a week and a half ago, we came into the game complacent against a team below us on the table, even though only by a couple of points. We can’t afford that this weekend.”

“If you take out the result against Adamstown, we have turned the corner halfway through the year. We figured out that we just need to play a bit simpler. We just to play simple, play through the midfield, get plenty of touches and put the ball in the big white thing in the middle of the park. That’s been the major focus of training this week.”

Trevor Morris (Weston)

“If I want nightmare games our worst performances were against Maitland and Valentine. They were just horror games. All we have to do is turn up. We are in the positions where we just need to fight for everything and scrap for everything. It’s not pretty, but I said to the boys ‘what else have you got to lose?’ You’ve got nothing else to lose, you’ve just got to go out and go for it.”

Key: Which Valentine side will turn up? If they being a performance similar to the one they showed against Lambton last weekend the Phoenix will put themselves in the box seat to make it two wins in a row for the first time this season.

Charlestown City Blues v Lambton Jaffas

2.30pm Sunday 17^th July at Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Charlestown 3 Lambton 1 at Arthur Edden Oval, Saturday 7^th May 2016

Ladder: Charlestown 5^th (17) Lambton 8^th (12)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Charlestown – Won Rosebuds 3-1 (a), Lost Magpies 2-0 (h), Lost Olympic 6-0 (a)

Lambton – Lost Phoenix 3-2 (h), Drew Olympic 2-2 (a), Won Bears 3-1 (a)

Bottom Line

Charlestown will be looking to continue their push towards the finals when they meet the Lambton Jaffas at home on Sunday. Depending on Maitland’s result against Adamstown, the Blues could find themselves inside the top four by the end of the weekend if they can claim all three points against the Jaffas.

An incredible statistic in clashes between these two sides is that five of the last six clashes have been decided by a 3-1 scoreline – three have been won by the Jaffas and two by Charlestown. But, it has been the Jaffas of late who have had the better of the head to head results winning three of the last four matches against the Blues. Charlestown’s only win coming in their match-up in round five earlier this year.

After a lean trot where Charlestown lost six straight matches, it seems like they have may have rediscovered some of their early season form against Adamstown last weekend and they will need to bring that form against the hot and cold Jaffas.

Lambton have been all over the shop this season with results, and injuries have played a major part in that. Jobe Wheelhouse will most likely miss this clash with a calf injury he picked up last weekend, but the Jaffas have shown they can perform without their inspiration captain.

The last two matches without Wheelhouse saw the Jaffas claim a point from a credible draw with Hamilton Olympic and three points from last-placed Weston. Bailey Jensen and Ben Hay have stepped up in recent weeks for the Jaffas in the midfield and will need another big game if they are to beat the Blues.

For Charlestown Josh Maguire is still out with a groin injury.

What the Coaches Said:

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“It’s a massive game for us, we’ve got to keep the gap as short as we can to fourth spot. We got to treat this as a mini grand final. I think a few of the guys will grow in confidence with the win [last weekend]. I thought from the Maitland game there were some positive signs so it was great to get the win and get some confidence back.”

“On paper [even without Wheelhouse] Lambton have a strong side. They have some young talented guys who will want to prove to James Pascoe that they are ready to play week in week out this year and next year. The major difference for us last weekend was everyone contributed and that was lacking in the weeks before. We need the same this weekend.”

Key: Can the Jaffas young guns step up again to make up for Jobe Wheelhouse’s absence?

Maitland Magpies v Adamstown Rosebud

2.30pm Sunday 17^th July at Cooks Square Park

Last Meeting: Maitland 6 Adamstown 1 at Adamstown Oval, Sunday 8^th May 2016

Ladder: Maitland 4^th (19) Adamstown 9^th (11)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Maitland – Won Blues 2-0 (a), Lost Phoenix 1-0 (h), Lost Magic 3-0 (a)

Adamstown – Lost Blues 3-1 (h), Won Phoenix 2-0 (a), Lost Eagles 2-0 (a)

Bottom Line

Maitland will be looking to consolidate their place in the top four when they take on the Rosebuds on Sunday at Cooks Square Park. The two sides met back in round five and by just looking at the result, you would think Maitland did it easily.

But, it wasn’t as straightforward as it seems. Adamstown’s Thom Lino put them ahead inside the opening ten minutes before keeper Paul Bitz was sent from the field for pulling down Maitland striker Ben Martin. In the remaining 80 minutes of 11 versus 10, Maitland piled on the goals but provided there are no red cards in this one the result will be a lot tighter.

After a dip in form which saw Maitland lose four straight, the Magpies returned to form two weekends ago with a 2-0 victory over Charlestown, and there is no doubt they will be the fresher of the two sides after having last weekend off after wet weather caused their match against the Jets Youth to be cancelled.

Adamstown’s form has been solid over the past month without being spectacular, with two draws, two losses and a win the results from their five matches within that period. Those two draws though were against Hamilton and Broadmeadow, which make them all the more impressive.

It seems as though last weekend’s performance against Charlestown wasn’t a fair reflection of their recent form and the Rosebuds will be keen to make amends for that disappointing performance in front of their home fans.

Adamstown coach Graham Law coached Maitland to promotion in the 2014 season and of all the coaches in the NPL Northern NSW he will have the most inside knowledge about the Magpies. He has a good record against them as well, winning two of the three matches against his former club.

For Maitland, Matt Crowell is on the road to recovery from a hernia but still is out as is Nick Russell with an ankle injury. Sam Rossi will most likely come into the starting side after being away.

For the visiting Rosebuds Dayne Pawlik is suspended due to his red card last weekend as is Thom Lino with yellow card accumulation. Defender Jordan Harrison is also out of the clash, as is Hakan Canli who is on holidays. On a positive Mitch Hunter makes his debut for the club after receiving an international transfer clearance.

What the Coaches Said:

Reece Thompson (Maitland Assistant)

“Even with the bombshell of ‘Piggo’ [Steve Piggott] leaving the club last night, the mood around the boys is still really positive, it’s been really positive. It’s a big game for the club coming up against a guy [Graham Law] who used to coach our club and one of our former players in Alex Read.”

“Adamstown are unpredictable, to be honest. I watched their game last weekend on BarTV and I thought they were good. They just didn’t get the rub of the green and I think that’s what happened at the start of the year with their goalkeepers being sent off. They have just had an unlucky year. If we can get them on our good day and the boys fire I think we will be right.”

Graham Law (Adamstown)

“We were very disappointed on the weekend losing to Charlestown. That was a big win for them, keeping their finals hopes alive. We played really well but Charlestown just took their chances. The boys are so disappointed that they didn’t win on the weekend. We just need to just win as many games as we can and try and finish up as high up the league as we can.”

“We’ve already won at Maitland this year in the FFA Cup, so we are confident going up there. We just need to keep 11 men on the park. That would be a good starting point. I think it will be an entirely different game to the last one [6-1 loss]. The first fifteen minutes we were very much in the game until [the red card].

Key: Can Adamstown bring the form they showed in the five matches before last weekend’s loss? If they can, an upset is on the cards.

Source: northernnswfootball.com.au

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PS4 NPL NNSW Round 13: Hamilton prepare for showdown with Edgeworth after 3-1 win at Weston

Posted on July 10, 2016 | Leave a comment

Hamilton Olympic have prepared for the showdown of the season at Darling St Oval next Sunday against Edgeworth after disposing Weston Workers 3-1 at Rockwell Automation Park.

On a warm and sunny afternoon, Olympic put the home team to the sward within the first minute after a disastrous back pass by Nathan Morris was intercepted by Daniel Bird, who had no problem burying the ball in the back of the Weston net 1-0.

The opening 10 minutes were a scrappy affair in midfield with few goal scoring opportunities for either side. In the 13^th minute a well weighted cross from the left by Tommy Spencer found Rhys Cooper in front of goal but his shot went over the bar.

Olympic began to dominate play but were not creating the clear cut goal scoring opportunities we have been accustomed to seeing throughout the season. Defending in numbers by Weston and the poor playing surface didn’t help.

By the 34^th minute Cody Lucas latched onto a loose ball outside the area and without a defender challenging for the ball, unleashed a thunderous shot which ended in the back of the Weston goal 2-0.

Before celebrations had time to subside on the grandstand by the traveling Olympic faithful, Cody Lucas sprinted down the left, provided a perfectly weighted cross to an unmarked Kane Goodchild in the box, who turned and made the rest of the game a mere formality 3-0!

Half time found Olympic leading by 3-0 and looking very comfortable in obtaining the 3points.

With a 3-0 cushion, Olympic began the 2^nd half with a lot more composure, stroking the ball around with ease, despite the condition of the pitch and Weston simply defending in numbers and trying to keep the score line down.

Despite the domination, there was little intensity and few goal scoring opportunities. The only point of interest was a cross from the right by Isaac Peek, a slip by Swan and Robbie Turnbull having enough time to control the ball and score a consolation goal, 3-1.

This victory, in conjunction with Edgeworth’s win over Broadmeadow Magic brings the clash of the season at Darling St Oval next Sunday.

Will Olympic beat in form Edgeworth and take the lead on the points table on goal difference or will Edgeworth win and wrap up the Minor Premiership by opening a 6 point lead with only four games remaining after this clash?

The answers to these questions will be known next Sunday at Darling St Oval at 2.30.

U19s Weston – Hamilton Olympic 1-1

U22s Weston – Hamilton Olympic 2-1

PS4 NPL NNSW ROUND 13 RESULTS:

Lambton Jaffas – Valentine 2-3

Adamstown Rosebud – Charlestown 1-3

Weston Workers – Hamilton Olympic 1-3

Newcastle Jets Youth – Maitland p.p.

Edgeworth – Broadmeadow Magic 2-0

TABLE FIRST GRADE:

P W D L F – A PTS

Edgeworth 13 11 1 1 40-11 34
Hamilton Olympic 13 9 4 0 39- 9 31
Broadmeadow Magic 13 7 4 2 33-20 25
Maitland 12 5 4 3 21-13 19
Charlestown City 13 4 3 6 19-31 15
Newcastle Jets Youth 12 4 2 6 26-33 14
Valentine 13 4 2 7 19-32 14
Lambton Jaffas 13 3 3 7 20-26 12
Adamstown 13 3 3 7 14-33 12
Weston Workers 13 0 2 10 7-30 2

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 16 RESULTS:
Under 17s Olympic – Mid North Coast 2-0
Under 15s Olympic – Mid North Coast 1-6
Under 14s Olympic – Mid North Coast 0-0
Under 13s Olympic – Mid North Coast 1-1

Source: Tom Tsamouras

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PS4 NPL NNSW Round 13 Preview: Hamilton Olympic travel away to Weston Workers

Posted on July 7, 2016 | Leave a comment

Weston Workers FC v Hamilton Olympic FC Sunday, July 10, 2.30pm Rockwell Automation Park

Hamilton coach Michael Bolch will ask for a more focused effort from his unbeaten side when they make the trip to Weston to take on the Bears on Sunday.

Second-placed Olympic slipped to three points behind Edgeworth on 28 with a 2-2 draw against Lambton Jaffas last week in which they conceded from a throw-in in the second minute and a corner in first-half injury time.

Olympic hit back each time but could not break down the Jaffas again for the winner in a frustrating day for the club.

Bolch said his side had to be better and would likely need to win their remaining six games to catch the in-form Eagles for the minor premiership.

“We only had ourselves to blame, conceding in the first two minutes then in injury time in the first half,” Bolch said.

“We were chasing the game the whole day.”

“We’ve just got to be better with our decision-making and all over the park basically.

“We’ve got to be mentally switched on for 90 minutes. Obviously, we were still in the sheds on Sunday conceding in the first few minutes and from two set pieces.”

Bolch said all of his players pulled through fine and he was likely to have a full squad to choose from for the match against Weston.

The Bears are last with just two points but are coming off an encouraging effort in a 1-0 loss to Broadmeadow. Bolch believed his side faced a tough task against the Bears.

“They have been defensive good all year,” Bolch said.

“Magic only scored with a penalty on the weekend so they are obviously still working hard defensively.”

Weston will be without Zac Sneddon, who suffered a fractured skull in a head clash early in the match against Magic.

Coach Trevor Morris said Jake Barner, Rurik Pereira and Josh Coleman, who had hamstring problems, were other injury concerns.

Morris was proud of the effort against Broadmeadow.

“Our defence was great, I think Magic had only two clear-cut chances and I thought we were sensational,” Morris said.

“But we’ve been hard to break down all year.”

Despite the Bears’ winless run this season and position on the table, Morris said they still had plenty to fight for.

“We’re playing for respect and that’s a good motivator,” Morris said.

“I can’t fault the players’ effort though.”

“They’ve worked hard at training and they are starting to believe in the system I’m trying to get them to play,” Morris concluded.

U19s Weston Workers vs Hamilton Olympic 11.00 am Sunday 10 July at Rockwell Automation Park

U22s Weston Workers vs Hamilton Olympic 12.45 am Sunday 10 July at Rockwell Automation Park

TABLE FIRST GRADE:

P W D L F – A PTS

Edgeworth 12 10 1 1 38-11 31
Hamilton Olympic 12 8 4 0 36-6 28
Broadmeadow Magic 12 7 4 1 33-18 25
Maitland 12 5 4 3 21-13 19
Newcastle Jets Youth 12 4 2 6 26-33 14
Charlestown City 12 4 2 6 19-31 14
Lambton Jaffas 12 3 3 6 18-23 12
Valentine 12 3 2 7 16-30 11
Adamstown 12 3 2 7 14-33 11
Weston Workers 12 0 2 10 6-27 2

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 16:

After winning four out four and without conceding a single goal last week in Maitland, our youth NPL teams welcome Mid North Coast this Saturday.

U13 Olympic kick off 10.00 a.m. Sunday 10^th Darling St Oval

U14 Olympic kick off 11.30 a.m. Sunday 10^th Darling St Oval

U15 Olympic kick off 1.00 p.m. Sunday 10^th Darling St Oval

U17 Olympic kick off 2.30 p.m. Sunday 10^th Darling St Oval

source: Tom Tsamouras

Edgeworth FC v Broadmeadow Magic FC

Sunday, July 10, 2.45pm

Jack McLaughlan Oval

Broadmeadow Magic will be out to match the consistency of leaders Edgeworth when the teams resume their close rivalry in the PlayStation ® 4 National Premier Leagues Match of the Round at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Sunday.

The sides’ past four matches, including last year’s two-leg semi-final and an FFA Cup game, have been draws in regulation time and both coaches expect another close battle.

Edgeworth are on a seven-game winning streak and sit top on 31 points, three ahead of Hamilton and six clear of third-placed Broadmeadow.

Magic kept pace with a 1-0 win over a determined Weston last week, while the defending premiers came back from 2-1 down with 10 minutes left on the clock against the Newcastle Jets Youth to win 4-2.

Edgeworth regain senior trio Daniel McBreen (junior coaching), Bren Hammel (hamstring) and Pat Wheeler (away) to their squad this week, giving coach Damian Zane a full strength line-up to choose from.

The Eagles prevailed on penalties against Magic in the FFA Cup this year and last year beat Broadmeadow on the away goals rule in their drawn semi-finals.

A 1-1 draw this year at Magic Park continued the trend and Zane was bracing for more of the same.

“They are a good team and it always seems to be the tale of our good defence against their good attack,” Zane said.

“There’s been a few draws between us and it’s first versus third so it should be tight again.”

Magic will be without midfielder Michael Kantarovski, who is suspended after being sent off late last week for a second yellow card offence.

Co-coach Robert Virgili said Matt Hoole, who rolled his ankle and missed last week’s win, was also in doubt.

Virgili said his side would need to lift across the park to match the Eagles.

“They are going along well and they are just consistent every week,” Virgili said.

“I think the last seven games we’ve played them we’ve had one win each and five draws, in regulation, so there’s nothing in it and that’s how I look at it.”

“On the day, in terms of quality of players in each squad, I don’t think there’s much between us.

“They’ve got one way, they work hard, they know their roles and they’re a team, and their performances don’t waiver from week to week.”

“We’ve just got to be up for it and if we can do it for 90 minutes, like we have a couple of times this year, we’ll be well and truly in the game,” Virgili concluded.

Lambton Jaffas FC v Valentine FC

Saturday, July 9, 2.30pm

Arthur Edden Oval

Valentine coach Darren Sills will ask his side for a big improvement in their “last real throw of the dice” against Lambton Jaffas on Saturday at Arthur Edden Oval.

Eighth-placed Phoenix lost 2-0 to Adamstown last week to stay on 11 points, eight off the top four with six rounds to play.

Sills was disappointed with the effort against Rosebud, who joined them on 11 points but trail on goal difference.

Valentine take on a Jaffas side who beat them 2-0 first time around and are one point ahead in seventh.

“This is the last real throw of the dice for us,” Sills said.

“We need to be desperate. We’ve lost six points to a team running behind us, in Adamstown, and they were fairly ordinary on the weekend and we were a bit ordinary as well.”

“But they just probably wanted it a bit more than us and their attitude was a bit better than ours.”

“For a team fighting to stay alive finals-wise, I couldn’t come to terms with our mentality and intensity. The performance was way down on what it has been.”

Valentine are sweating on the fitness of Chris Brown and Brenton Olzomer, who both have back injuries.

Brown came off the bench last round and was having scans this week to determine the extent of the problem.

Olzomer lasted about 30 minutes last week because of a recurring issue with his back.

Sills said Peter McPherson and Jobe Wheelhouse “killed us in the middle of the park” the first time around against Jaffas, who could be without both for the rematch.

Wheelhouse, McPherson and Michael Sessions were missing for the Jaffas’ 2-2 draw with unbeaten Hamilton last week.

Jaffas coach James Pascoe said McPherson was a chance to return from a hamstring problem off the bench, but Wheelhouse remained sidelined with a leg injury. Centre-back Sessions returns from an overseas trip in time to replace Michael Williams, who suffered a season-ending hamstring tear against Olympic.

Pascoe was impressed with his understrength side’s effort against Hamilton last week.

Newcastle Jets Youth v Maitland FC

Saturday, July 9, 2.30pm

Cooks Square Park

Newcastle Jets Youth coach Clayton Zane hopes his side’s improved defence will help turn the tables on Maitland at Cooks Square Park on Saturday.

Maitland defeated Zane’s team 4-1 in a midweek catch-up match last time around when the Jets Youth were lacking depth in defence.

Matt Thompson scored twice with free kicks in the game.

Since the loss, the Jets Youth have won four and drawn once in seven games to move to fifth on 14 points, five points shy of fourth-placed Maitland.

Zane said the Magpies would provide his team with another valuable test.

“We got towelled up there last time with goals from three set-pieces so it’s something we need to be prepared for, that threat from dead-ball situations,” Zane said.

He said the addition of centre-back Matthew Richardson, who has played the past three games, and the return of players from injury had helped his side improve.

“I don’t think the performances are getting any better, we’re just cutting out silly, individual errors from earlier in the season,” he said.

“The other thing is now we’ve got competition for places.

“We had really the bare 11 before and, in defence especially, we didn’t have any pressure on the ones who were playing.

“Before they would make a mistake and they were back in there, whereas now there’s accountability and they know performances will dictate if they start each match.

“With the ball, we’ve been pretty similar, pretty effective from the beginning. We’ve scored a lot of goals but out of possession has been the problem for us.

“We’ve tidied that up and we look a lot better at the back since we’ve brought a new centre-back in. We started with three at the back at times early in the year because we didn’t have enough fit defenders, now we’ve got probably five competing for the four spots.”

He said right fullback Ryan Ensor had a calf strain and would likely miss the match, while Antonee Burke was out for the season with a stress fracture in his foot.

Maitland, meanwhile, will be keen to build on their first win in five rounds. The Magpies defeated Charlestown 2-0 with a double from captain Matt Thompson.

Coach Steve Piggott started Sam Rossi instead of regular skipper Blake Thompson and 16-year-old Regan Payne over Ryan Broadley to inject more pace into his side after just two goals scored in four games.

Piggott was pleased with the result and the chances created. Striker Ben Martin missed the match with an injury.

Adamstown Rosebud FC v Charlestown City Blues FC

Sunday, July 10, 2.30pm

Adamstown Oval

Charlestown coach Shane Pryce believes his side turned the corner in defeat last week as they head into a must-win game against Adamstown at Adamstown Oval on Sunday.

The Blues have lost their past six matches to stagnate in sixth place on 14 points after a bright start to the season, which had them as high as second.

An undermanned Charlestown were thumped 6-0 midweek by Hamilton but responded with an improved showing in a 2-0 loss to Maitland last weekend.

Pryce was encouraged by the effort and said his team, who are five points outside the top four, had not given up on finals football.

“I was quite happy with the majority of our performance against Maitland,” Pryce said.

“The attitude and effort was a vast improvement. Our structure and shape was better, so this is a chance for us to turn the corner against an improved Adamstown.”

“We’ve got everything to play for.”

“Over the last four or five defeats we’ve rolled over and died a bit. We haven’t had much fight in us but the attitude against Maitland was better.”

“It would have been nice to come out with something, but I think we’ve turned the corner a little bit.

“Those finals are still in sight and we’ll be going for them until they are gone.”

Captain Ben Hughes returns from illness and Jarryd Johnson is back from suspension for the clash with Rosebud. Josh Maguire may be back from a groin problem.

Adamstown moved to 11 points with a 2-0 win over Valentine last week.

Coach Graham Law was more than pleased with the performance and said his side could have won by more after creating several great chances.

He said striker Thom Lino was suspended and he might give new signing Mitchell Hunter, a striker from Queensland who has been playing in Germany, a start in his first game.

He said another new signing, 41-year-old Sean Matthews, would play under 22s and likely sit on the bench in first grade.

source: northernnswfootball.com.au

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Newcastle Jets trial against Northern NSW rep side back on calendar

Posted on July 6, 2016 | Leave a comment

Edgeworth coach Damian Zane will guide an NPL select side to take on the Newcastle Jets in a trial set for July 20 at Magic Park.

The Jets have not played a pre-season match against a Northern NSW representative side since 2013 but the concept is being revived.

Zane has been asked to steer the side and he was glad to take on the role despite his duties with leaders Edgeworth, which include a trip to Cairns to play Far North Queensland in the FFA Cup round of 32 on July 27. That fixture was confirmed Tuesday along with the Jets versus Melbourne Victory on August 3 at Magic Park and Lambton Jaffas away to Devonport on August 10.

Zane said the game would be a chance for the NPL’s best young talent and standout players to impress.

“I love Newcastle and I want more of our players to get recognition and hopefully in the future pass up into the A-League,” Zane said. “I think our comp is becoming stronger and they are starting to recognise that not all players get spotted early and go through systems.”

“Some are late developers and I think down the track there’s going to be more of that happening.”

source: theherald.com.au

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PS4 NPL NNSW Round 12: Hamilton Olympic held to a 2-2 draw by Lambton Jaffas

Posted on July 3, 2016 | Leave a comment

On a warm and sunny afternoon at Darling St Oval Olympic took on a depleted Lambton Jaffas side.

Before the teams had enough time to warm up a seemingly innocent shy from the right into the Olympic box, caught the defense of the home side napping and Ben Hay opened the account with a simple tap in 0-1!

Olympic then spent the next 10 minutes creating 4-5 great goal scoring opportunities to put the ball at the back of the Jaffas net, but without success.

The game is fast and free flowing and the smell of goals is in the air. Olympic are in charge but need to close Jaffas down much quicker to dominate possession and limit the opposition’s offensive moves.

In the 18^thminute the hearts of Olympic fans almost stopped when a shot from Ben Hay cannons off Danny Ireland’s upright!

On the half hour mark a lovely ball from the right finds Simon Mooney with time to control and fire a shot in, but the ball ends up well over the cross-bar.

The game continues to be free flowing with Olympic failing to put Jaffas under more pressure when on the ball.

An early ball to Rhys Cooper by Jacob Bailey enables him to round Michael Williams and then in a one-on-one against the goalkeeper Brad Swancott, has no difficulty in leveling the score at 1-1.

A late tackle on Rhys Cooper by Alex Johnston-Young results in a scuffle between the players and two yellow cards for Jaffas and one for Tommy Spencer from Olympic.

Right on half time, a rebound ball to Kevin Davison on the right, enables him to fire a shot at Danny Ireland and Olympic goes into half time 1-2 behind.

The opening 10” of the second half find Olympic trying to find a way through but Jaffas have committed numbers in the final third of the field to ensure they don’t get through.

During a build up from the right, Rhys Cooper sends a cross to the far post where Kane Goochild rises between two defenders to head the ball into the Jaffas net to level the score at 2-2.

Olympic dominate with Jaffas content at soaking up pressure and looking to catch them on the break. Despite this, there is little space available and Olympic are not creating clear cut goal scoring opportunities.

In the last 15 minutes Olympic dominate play, look for an opening but through the weight of numbers, Jaffas keep them out.

U19s Hamilton Olympic – Lambton Jaffas 5-2

U22s Hamilton Olympic – Lambton Jaffas 2-0

PS4 NPL NNSW ROUND 12 RESULTS:

Valentine – Adamstown Rosebud 0-2

Hamilton Olympic – Lambton Jaffas 2-2

Charlestown – Maitland 0-2

Broadmeadow Magic – Weston Workers 1-0

Edgeworth – Newcastle Jets Youth 4-2

TABLE FIRST GRADE:

P W D L F – A PTS

Edgeworth 12 10 1 1 38-11 31
Hamilton Olympic 12 8 4 0 36-6 28
Broadmeadow Magic 12 7 4 1 33-18 25
Maitland 12 5 4 3 21-13 19
Newcastle Jets Youth 12 4 2 6 26-33 14
Charlestown City 12 4 2 6 19-31 14
Lambton Jaffas 12 3 3 6 18-23 12
Valentine 12 3 2 7 16-30 11
Adamstown 12 3 2 7 14-33 11
Weston Workers 12 0 2 10 6-27 2

Youth NPL Results:
Olympic vs Maitland
Under 17s Olympic won 1-0
Under 15s Olympic won 5-0
Under 14s Olympic won 2-0
Under 13s Olympic won 2-0

Zone League 2
Olympic vs New Lambton
1st Grade Olympic won 7-1
2nd Grade Olympic won 3-0