Monthly Archives: July 2019

Hamilton Olympic 2 (McGuiness 33’, Kawachi 90+1’) drew with Adamstown Rosebud 2 (Heydon 43’, 44’)

Saturday 27 July, 5:00pm, Darling Street Oval

Hamilton have made a habit of leaving it late to draw level with sides below them on the table, having done so again on Saturday night in their match with Adamstown to deny the Rosebuds the three points.

The first third of the game was a rather cagey affair as both looked to build supremacy over the other with the majority of possession swaying to Hamilton and it created a chance for Scott Pettit who placed his early shot just wide of the goal.

His team would find the breakthrough not long later though when Jake McGuinness pulled the trigger from the corner of the box with his shot seemingly being aided by a bobble to beat Daniel Eisenhauer in goals.

The visitors’ would completely turn the game around on its head right on the stroke of half-time thanks to a Connor Heydon double.

The first came from a well-placed shot delivered from the edge of the box after a nice cut-back from Manoli Papas, but his second was courtesy of all his own work after holding off a couple of defenders and launching a shot from long range to chip Jez Murray in goal with style.

The second half was again tense and guarded as Adamstown tried to find the nail in the coffin, but Olympic continued to hold on and make chances for themselves, and the fourth goal of the game occurred in the dying minutes.

As the clock ticked over into stoppage time, a Hamilton cross wasn’t cleared by the Rosebud defenders and it left Shinichi Kawachi to belt the ball into the roof of the goal from close range to steal a point out from under the noses of their opposition.

Olympic remain in eighth place without much room to move either up or down on the table for the rest of the season, while for Adamstown though the draw will hurt considering their current spot on the table leaving them in the scrap for the wooden spoon.

U20s Olympic won 2-0
U18s Adamstown won 0-1

NPL Youth
Mid North Coast vs Olympic
U16s Olympic won 6-0
U15s Olympic won 2-0
U14s Olympic won 8-1
U13s Olympic won 3-0

Over 35s
Olympic 5-1 Stockton

IN OTHER GAMES:

Weston Bears 1 (Lundy 39’) drew with Broadmeadow Magic 1 (Oxborrow 34’)

Sunday 28 July, 2:30pm, Rockwell Automation Park

It was a game that could have decided who was going to be Edgeworth’s biggest competition in the premiership race, but instead neither Magic or Weston could not trump one another leaving the top three all still within a chance of achieving top spot.

It was a brilliant back-and-forth affair at Bear Park and it was the home team’s Jason Tjien-Fooh, who looked like he had bagged the opener on two early occasions.

Within the first ten minutes, the Weston forward fired away a deflected shot that knocked into the upright and dribbled on the wrong side of the goal-line before being cleared. Then not long later, after some good defensive work by Regan Lundy inside the oppositions’ box, a rebound fell nicely for the Dutchman who put it into the back of the end but was recalled for offside.

The visitors slowly worked their way into the game and it looked like Cody Carroll had found a surprising first goal jumping on the end of a cross and some sloppy defending, but his shot was met by an incredible reflex save from Tristian Esquilant in goals to keep the game level.

There was nothing the Bears’ keeper could do when Mitch Oxborrow came knocking though – the former Hyundai A-League midfielder dived onto a cross from wide, slamming it into the goal for the lead, but it didn’t last long at all.

Lundy had proven to be dangerous for the first quarter of the game and after some nice work from Chris Hurley, turned that danger into a goal, slotting it low into the goal to equalise the game before half-time.

The second half saw the hosts looked to seize control and they create multiple opportunities, but just couldn’t find a second, winning goal.

Lundy continued to be a threat, as did Liam Wilson and Mark Offeh, but all their efforts were met by strong saves from Paul Bitz, and in the end, there wasn’t anything else to separate the sides.

Weston’s coach Kew Jaliens confessed he felt his side deserved just the one point but praised his team for their resilience throughout the match.

“In the end, I think a draw might be the right result,” Jaliens said.

“We both could have won the game, and we both could have lost the game. We both had multiple chances to score a goal.

“We made multiple mistakes which caused them to score their goal, but we regathered ourselves and kept going.

“We need to learn from the mistakes that lead to the goal against us.”

Broadmeadow continue their unbeaten streak and stretch it now to six matches, but the Bears still remain in second spot just two points behind Edgeworth and one in front of their opposition, however they’ve played one more game.

Maitland FC 3 (Read 23’, Wood 36’(P), 85’) def. Lake Macquarie City Roosters 2 (Charlesworth 59’, Walker 90+1’)

Friday 26 July, 6:30pm, Cooks Square Park

Maitland will go into their FFA Cup fixture on Wednesday night with form under their belt after collecting the three points against Lake Macquarie at home and keeping their name amongst the premiership contenders list.

James Thompson has been a name of note with his contributions in the last few weeks for the Magpies, and he almost found his way onto the scoresheet once more, but his shot agonisingly found its way into the path of the upright instead of the back of the net.

Minutes later though, Thompson would step up as a facilitator instead, beating his defender down the sideline and placing a spectacular cross in to the feet of Alex Read who slotted it coolly.

The hosts kept up the pressure and it lead to a penalty decision going in their favour just before the break and it was their consistent scorer Joel Wood who successfully converted it from the spot to double the lead.

The Roosters didn’t go away without a fight though and early in the second half Nick Charlesworth found himself on the end of a delicious through ball from Sam Walker, and with one touch, the youngster buried it in the bottom corner giving his side a bit of life.

Maitland weren’t rattled by the Lakes goal though and in the last few minutes of the game, Wood seemed to have put the result beyond all doubt smashing the ball past the Roosters’ keeper Stuart Plant from a rather acute angle, but there still a late twist supplied by the visiting team captain.

Just as stoppage time ticked over, Sam Walker managed to work his way in behind the Magpies’ defence and delivered a pinpoint shot that used the post to find the goals, but the side weren’t able to pull off a miraculous comeback and the three points went the way of the home side.

Maitland will now turn their attention to their home FFA Cup match against Central Coast Mariners in their first-ever appearance in the Round of 32, while Lakes continue to sit just above their Lake Macquarie rivals Valentine in the wooden spoon battle.

Lambton Jaffas 3 (Sutton 30’, Parris 81’, 84’) def. Newcastle Jets Youth 0

Saturday 27 July, 2:30pm, Arthur Edden Oval

Over what has been a tough and difficult couple of recent weeks for the Lambton players, staff and fans following the tragic passing of team manager Rob Etheridge, the Jaffas pulled out a strong performance to down the Jets Youth and keep their finals hopes alive and kicking.

The Jets’ young star Maki Petratos troubled the hosts’ goal early on with a long-range shot being parried over the bar by Ben Kennedy, but the opening goal came from a counter-attacking move of the Jaffas as Braedyn Crowley skipped away from the defenders before playing in Josh Sutton to score from easy, close range.

Even without their captain and key defender Michael Sessions, the Lambton defence held strong against the Jets attack with the only major threat in the second half coming from Sam Donnellan who’s shot was stopped by Kennedy.

In the late stages of the match, the hosts extended their slim margin following two goals from Finn Parris – the first being a skilfully volleyed effort from a cross, and the second being a goal-mouth scramble.

Lambton remain in sixth position on the table but are still within touching distance of the top four just three points behind Maitland in fourth and possess a superior goal difference compared to the other sides around them.

For the Jets Youth, they look like they’ll once again end their season in a mid-table position after picking up their second straight loss, and their fifth in their past seven games.

Charlestown City Blues 4 (McNaughton 6’, Smith 8’(P), Lewis 20’, Ferguson 87’) def. Valentine Phoenix 1 (Garland 36’)

Sunday 28 July, 2:30pm, Lisle Carr Oval

Charlestown have continued their quest for a top four finish with their fifth victory in six games thanks to an early onslaught over Valentine at home.

The hosts began the game in frantic fashion with goal-scoring opportunities for Lachlan Pasquale and Scott Smith, and after just six minutes, Riley McNaughton broke the deadlock curling in a terrific long-range free-kick.

The lead for the Blues would be doubled only a couple of minutes later after the side were awarded a penalty, and their trusty forward Smith, stepped up to the plate and easily slotted it home.

Next up on the scoresheet for Charlestown was Cal Lewis who was played in behind the defence well, and although his initially touched looked like it would be snatched up by Perry Budden in goals, it somehow trickled past the keeper and into the net for a third goal.

Just as they did in the reverse fixture earlier in the year after going down by three goals early on, Valentine bounced back and did so through their prolific striker Bailey Garland from just inside the box.

The Phoenix tried their best to find a way back into the game, with the best chance of the second half coming from Kaleb Pearson, but in the end, Charlestown sealed the deal late on with a Rene Ferguson goal set up perfectly by Rio Nishiura when one-on-one with the visitors’ goalkeeper.

The win now sees the Blues remain two points behind Maitland and only four points away from Broadmeadow in third, keeping their finals hopes well and truly alive.

For Valentine, their loss continues a disappointing run of form having now lost their last seven games straight and keeps them anchored to the bottom of the table.

 Edgeworth Eagles had the bye.

source: https://northernnswfootball.com.au

Hamilton Olympic (8^th) vs. Adamstown Rosebud (9^th)

Saturday 27 July, 5:00 pm, Darling Street Oval

For the first time in over two months, Hamilton finally got back a victory and their upcoming opponents Adamstown will be hoping they can display that same kind of fight they showed to win the reverse fixture back on Anzac Day.

The Rosebuds had only been able to manage six points from two wins this season, and since that day they beat Hamilton, they had only scored two goals in eight matches. That was until their Wednesday night fixture against Valentine where they produced two very late goals to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat.

Last weekend Rosebuds were toppled by Lakes for the second time this year and were kicked down to last-place on the table before defeating the Phoenix, and now, if they can manage a victory over Olympic, they’ll be four points clear of their wooden spoon rivals.

Having built their squad on the strength of their defence, Hamilton has struggled in that area since the halfway point of the season but last week managed to keep their first clean sheet since mid-May and as a result, took all three points.

Scott Pettit scored once again in that match and featured as part of the NPL NNSW Team of the Week, as did fellow goal-scorer Reece Papas and defender Marcus Duncan and goalkeeper Jez Murray for their efforts.

For Adamstown, Liam Ryan has been the standout in an otherwise disappointing last few weeks, and if they want to avoid claiming the wooden spoon for 2019, he and his side have to continue to scrape together results as they did during the week.

Hamilton Olympic vs Adamstown Rosebud

First Grade Saturday 27 July, 5:00 pm, Darling Street Oval

U20s Saturday 27 July, 3:10 pm, Darling Street Oval

U18s Saturday 27 July, 1:25 pm, Darling Street Oval

YOUTH NPL ROUND 22:

North Coast Football vs Hamilton Olympic at Taree Zone Field on Sunday 28^th July 2019.

U13s kick off at  9.30 am

U14s kick off at 11.10 am

U15s kick off at 12.50 pm

U16s kick off at 2.30 pm

Weston Bears (2^nd) vs. Broadmeadow Magic (3^rd)

Sunday 28 July, 2:30 pm, Rockwell Automation Park

Magic travel to Weston this weekend for a match that may just be the catalyst for how the premiership race turns out and which team is going to be challenging Edgeworth for the top title.

Both sides picked up narrow victories last round to continue their hopeful chase but will compete in their most important match yet as the Bears look to get revenge after losing to Broadmeadow at their last outing, 5-3 at Magic Park.

Weston has managed to turn their form around since that loss, back in Round 8, having only lost one match since along with seven victories, however, the visitors’ run has also been impressive having managed a five-game unbeaten streak.

Attack has been the key for the defending champions scoring 37 so far from their 15 matches and it’s been the same for the Bears who are the only team in the league who are yet to kept scoreless this year.

James Virgili was able to work his way onto the scoresheet again, earning himself a spot in the NPL NNSW Team of the Week, and now sits in second on the Golden Boot tally, while the Dutchman Jason Tjien-Fooh will need to be accounted for by Broadmeadow’s defence.

Weston’s defence will be without Zac Sneddon who will be missing for most of the regular season due to a suspension, but the hosts will feel comforted after the top performance shown by Jordan Jackson last weekend to hold out Lambton.

Bears’ assistant coach Craig Stoker said he and coach Kew Jaliens were impressed and proud of the way the side grinded out a victory last weekend with 10-men.

“I said at the start of the year I thought the Jaffas were one of the best sides in the comp, so to be able to do that against them is massive for us,” said Stoker.

“Sneddo [Zac Sneddon] has been one of our best defenders and is having a great year so the way they responded was great. A lot of the times, you can lose your key defender and the game can go the other way, but they fought out the win and it was great to see.

“They play for each other and they gutted it out.”

Although there is so much riding on this encounter with Broadmeadow, Stoker said the side aren’t looking too far ahead at the possibilities of this season and admitted that each week’s game is their most important from here on.

“Last week was like that [their most important] and I think every game leading into finals will be like that,” he said.

“The boys don’t really talk about winning the premiership or anything – they’re just enjoying their football.

“Edgy have the upper hand with the goal difference and the points on the board, but if we keep winning, you never know what could happen.

“They’re just focused on each game to game.”

Maitland FC (4^th) vs. Lake Macquarie City Roosters (10^th)

Friday 26 July, 6:30 pm, Cooks Square Park

Before their big FFA Cup fixture, Maitland will host a Lake Macquarie side who after picking up just their second win of the season last week, jumped to tenth on the table and momentarily away from the dreaded wooden spoon position.

The Roosters completed the double over Adamstown while Maitland went down for the first time in over two months and will need to return to the winners’ circle rapidly if they want to continue fighting for a premiership spot, or even their finals position.

They mustered a two-goal victory last time out against Lakes despite conceding early on and haven’t lost since 2010 when both were playing in the second division.

The visitors kept their first clean sheet of the season when they held out the Rosebuds however their opponents have been strong in front of goal and have only been silenced to no goals in one game this season.

If the Magpies don’t manage to defeat the Roosters this Friday, they’ll face the prospect of being knocked out of the top four depending on results, however, a win for the side would propel them back into the premiership contention.

Maitland coach Mick Bolch confessed last week’s result was hard to take, and that his side would need to be better for this game against Lakes without looking too far ahead.

“They were pretty disappointed on the weekend,” Bolch said.

“I thought we were a bit flat. We had plenty of possession without creating a great deal.

“They need to be switched on for this game. Realistically, if we don’t take three points on Friday night, we might be slipped down to sixth place and although it’s great being in the FFA Cup, we’re probably not going to win the cup, while they’re got a chance to go and win a premiership or a Grand Final or something this year.

“We’ve got to get this game out of the way before we can start worrying about Central Coast.”

While the Magpies retain a whole lot of possession when facing Edgeworth, Bolch admitted the side struggled to create many quality chances in front of goal and it’s an area they’re focusing on for tomorrow’s game.

“Our composure on the ball and our final product wasn’t good enough,” said Bolch.

“We had chances to get in behind with Ryan Clarke and Jimmy Thompson but either the run or the ball wasn’t timed right – just that little bit of execution wasn’t right against Edgeworth.

“We need to be better taking our chances. We’ll create plenty, we always do, it’s just a matter of being clinical in the final third.”

Lambton Jaffas (6^th) vs. Newcastle Jets Youth (7^th)

Saturday 27 July, 2:30 pm, Arthur Edden Oval

The Jaffas and the Jets Youth will be keen to turn their luck when they meet at Lambton’s home ground after experiencing close defeats last weekend.

The young Newcastle Jets side went down at the hands of Hamilton while a late penalty goal for Weston sunk Lambton and halted them from entering the top four.

Last time around, this week’s hosts were sitting in the first place and undefeated but now sit in sixth and are dependent on other results if they want to sit in a finals spot.

The Jets won 3-1 in that game and it was their superstar forward Maki Petratos who did most of the damage and Lambton will know they need to shut him down if they are to collect any points.

Lambton will be missing their captain Michael Sessions, as well as attacker Luke Remington who both picked up red cards in their last outing, but a major focus will need to be placed on a man who is currently averaging a goal a game for the Jaffas, Braedyn Crowley.

It’s expected their opponents will still be missing top starters Angus Thurgate, Pat Langlois and Mat Barkho as they prepare for the national Y-League, and with the side being unable to feature in semi-finals, the rest of the side will be fixed on being a part of that upcoming squad.

Charlestown City Blues (5^th) vs. Valentine Phoenix (11^th)

Sunday 28 July, 2:30 pm, Lisle Carr Oval

It’s been a discouraging past few weeks for Valentine as they have dived down to the bottom of the table after losing their past six matches, and they’re coming up against a side who are determined to take all three points in their fight for semi-finals football.

Charlestown held on for an entertaining 3-2 victory of the Phoenix last time out and will be fresh off the bye although played a friendly match midweek against Central Coast Mariners.

Their opponents also had midweek action as Valentine went down in a thrilling battle with Adamstown Rosebud and are facing the very real possibility of ‘winning’ the wooden spoon for the second year in a row.

The Phoenix have been unable to stop goals from leaking in this season sitting with 48 goals conceded next to their name (over three a game), and although the Blues’ attack hasn’t been lighting the world on fire this season, their strength at the back cannot be doubted especially with the return of Tom Smart who comes back from a three-game suspension this weekend.

If the hosts win, they could find themselves inside the top four come the end of the round and coach David Tanchevski confessed that if they don’t take all three points in their upcoming games against lower-tabled opponents, they can wave their finals hopes goodbye.

“We understand the importance of these games,” Tanchevski said.

“Our next two games are Valentine and Lakes and we know that they’re potential ‘banana skin’ games for us and we know we can’t afford to be dropping points against teams lower than us on the table.

“If we look back on our season and we drop games against Lakes, Valentine and Adamstown, and we’ve already dropped one to Adamstown, we crucify ourselves.

“We treat every game the same. Three points is three points. We’re cautious that whether we’re versing Edgy or a team down the bottom, we have to be up for it.”

Charlestown boasts one of the better defensive records in the competition so far this year, keeping three clean sheets over their past four games, and Tanchevski said it’ll be another area of focus for this weekend.

“We’re a lot more defensively sound now with Hughesy [Adam] at the back and we get Smarty [Tom] back too…I think it’s the first time since Round 2 or 3 that we’ve had a full-strength backline to choose from,” he said.

“We had a good performance against Adamstown midweek last week and beat them 3-0, so we want to do that again and have a nice, solid performance defensively and hopefully bang in a few goals.

“Our boys have more awareness this year and there’s a sense of belief at the moment. They know we can play when we turn it on.”

Edgeworth Eagles (1^st) have the bye.

source: https://northernnswfootball.com.au

Newcastle Jets Youth 0 def. by Hamilton Olympic 2 (S. Pettit 49’, Papas 88’)

Saturday 20 July, 5:00 pm, Darling Street Oval

After a disappointing run of form for Hamilton, the side finally re-entered the winners’ circle once again for the first time in over two months after getting the better of the Newcastle Jets Youth for the second time this season.

Olympic midfielder Rhys Cooper had an early chance to take the lead but had his shot saved by the Jets Youth keeper, Noah James, while down the other end, Joey O’Connor and Jack Simmons both went close to scoring with their shots, but the hosts were able to survive.

In the second half though, a breakthrough was finally found coming from Hamilton’s Scott Pettit who managed a nice header from a floating Reece Papas corner.

Papas would again play a vital role in sealing the three points just minutes before half-time as he incredibly curled home a free-kick directly into the top corner to double the lead and the winning margin.

Hamilton’s coach Pete McGuinness said that it was extremely pleasing to see the side get the victory after such a long string of unfortunate results.

“It’s been a bit of a tough run for the last few weeks. We’ve been in games, but just haven’t been good enough to win them,” McGuinness said.

“In the second half, I thought we went on with it.

“It was great for them to get a clean sheet… First part of the year, our defence was our backbone, but if you look at the season as a whole, we haven’t scored enough goals. We’ve created enough chances, we just haven’t taken them.

“Ultimately if you’re not banging them in at one end, things can start to go wrong at the other.”

McGuiness said that although their finals hopes have been dashed recently, the team were still focused on ending the season on a high and determined to play some good football.

“When things aren’t going to plan, little things that go wrong get amplified and can divert the course of the ship,” he said.

“With finals out of the picture, it’s about playing for the club, playing for themselves and finishing the season on a good stretch.”

NPL Northern NSW Round 18
Olympic vs Newcastle Jets Youth
Saturday at Darling St Oval

1^st Grade Olympic won 2-0 (Scott Pettit, Reece Papas)

U20s – Jets won 3-0

U18s – Olympic won 1-0

NPL YOUTH

Olympic vs Broadmeadow

U16s Olympic won 3-0

U15s drew 2-2

U14s Broadmeadow won 3-2

U13s Olympic won 2-0

Zone League 2

Olympic vs Maitland

1^st Grade – Maitland won 2-1

2^nd Grade – Maitland won 4-2

NPL Youth
Olympic vs Broadmeadow
U16s – Olympic won 3-0
U15s – drew 2-2
U14s – Broadmeadow won 2-3
U13s – Olympic won 2-0

Zone League 2
Olympic vs Maitland
1st Grade – Maitland won 1-2
2nd Grade – Maitland won 2-4

1st Grade Olympic won 2-0
(Scott Pettit, Reece Papas)

U20s – Jets won 0-3
U18s – Olympic won 1-0

NPL Youth
Olympic vs Broadmeadow
U16s – Olympic won 3-0
U15s – drew 2-2
U14s – Broadmeadow won 2-3
U13s – Olympic won 2-0

Zone League 2
Olympic vs Maitland
1st Grade – Maitland won 1-2
2nd Grade – Maitland won 2-4

_______________________________________________________

Edgeworth Eagles 3 (Cawley 25’, Smith 67’, 82’) def. Maitland FC 1 (J. Thompson 59’)

Saturday 20 July, 3:30 pm, Jack McLaughlan Oval

Edgeworth have edged themselves one step closer to their historic premiership after defeating fellow top four and FFA Cup Round of 32 side Maitland at home to momentarily retain their spot at the top of the table.

Eagles’ youngster Adam Cawley was the first name on the scoresheet after finding himself on the end of a dangerous Aden Gardner cross from wide, slotting it low into the goal. The hosts were able to keep their lead for most the match until the Magpies worked their way back into it in the second half.

A Maitland corner was initially cleared away by the Edgeworth defence, but the rebound fell for James Thompson who’s battering shot found its way through the multitude of legs and bodies into the back of the net.

The scores weren’t level for long though as Oliver Smith pulled off a brilliant solo effort curling a shot from outside the box into the bottom corner of the net to regain the lead for his side.

It wasn’t too long later that he was able to jump on the end of a Daniel McBreen through ball, beat Matt Trott in goals, and place it into the side of the goal, winning the game in the process and collecting all three points.

The victory now puts them eight points ahead of Maitland and three points clear of Weston in second place which sees them continue to stay at the top.

Edgeworth’s coach Damian Zane confessed it was a tough game and attributed the win to a strong showing from his defence and substitutes.

“There were definitely some hairy moments,” Zane said.

“We felt the cup was a bigger percentage chance than the premiership, so we thought we’d give a few guys a bit of a freshen up and start them on the bench, but if we stayed in the game we could use them as an impact, and in the end, it worked.

“Our defensive display was really good. I was really pleased with it.

“A big part of the win was holding them to one goal.”

The Eagles will now turn their focus to their upcoming Wednesday night FFA Cup clash away with Darwin Olympic and Zane said the team is confident and ready to go.

“As soon as that game [vs Maitland] finished, they were in the ice baths and their focus is switched straight on the cup,” Zane said.

“They’re a great group like that. We’re not thinking too far ahead, just thinking about each game.

“If we can advance in the cup, well I guarantee we’ll be ready for the run home. We’ll be on a high.

“It’s an exciting time coming up, and this is when our boys are all up and going and are keen as.”

Adamstown Rosebud 0 def. by Lake Macquarie City Roosters 1 (Bower 49’)

Sunday 21 July, 2:30 pm, Adamstown Oval

Having spent the majority of the season down in last place, Lakes have jumped two places into ninth after collecting their second victory of the year, and second of the season against Adamstown.

The first goal of the game came in the second half of the game but there were multiple chances for both teams in the opening stanza including one early one-on-one attempt from Sam Webb that was saved by Daniel Eisenhauer, as well as a blocked free-kick from Judd Duncan.

It was the Roosters’ central defender that ultimately made the difference between the two sides as Callum Bower knocked in a header from a corner to take the lead

Bower troubled the goals once again in the second half as did Chris Berlin from close range forcing a strong save from Lakes’ goalkeeper Stuart Plant.

The visitors were able to hold on to take all three points taking them to a total of eight for the year seeing them overtake both the Rosebuds and Valentine.

Nick Webb, Roosters’ coach, was ecstatic with how his team strangled out the victory, especially after keeping their first clean sheet of the season.

“We did well. We defended really well and at the end of the day it was about grinding out a win,” Webb said.

“It’s very, very pleasing and the boys were very, very happy about it.”

Webb made a special mention to some of his key players who put in strong performances to lift the team, including one who has recently completely changed positions.

“Mitchell Hunter is playing left centre back now, and he’s been a striker most his life, but he was outstanding today. He and Cal Bower are working out a really good combination,” he said.

“I thought Daniel Minors was brilliant in the midfield, and Sam Walker worked his freckle off up top. Our spine did really well today, and everyone worked well around them.

“Hopefully we can keep putting in performances like we did today and continue to be resolute.”

Valentine Phoenix 1 (Garland 66’) def. by Broadmeadow Magic 2 (Oxborrow 31’, J. Virgili 81’)

Sunday 21 July, 2:30 pm, CB Complex

Broadmeadow has kept up their charge for the premiership with a tight victory over Valentine away from home which has seen the hosts fall down a position on the table as well as now faces a strong risk of finishing in the last place for the second year in a row.

The Magicians pushed on early looking to stamp their dominance and take an early lead; it didn’t take long for James Virgili to get in behind the defence, but his shot swerved wide of the goal.

Minutes later, John Majurovski also went close to scoring when Luke Virgili placed a hard cross into the box for his striker, but Majurovski, last year’s Man of the Match in the Grand Final, put his reactive shot from close range over the bar.

The pressure applied by Broadmeadow looked to have finally paid off when Mitch Oxborrow won a penalty following a foul from Phoenix goalkeeper Perry Budden, but James Virgili’s shot from the spot was expertly saved by Budden, diving to his left to stop it.

The visitors continued to trouble the Valentine goal and finally the breakthrough came when Oxborrow lofted a shot from distance in over the head of Budden, scoring his fifth of the year.

Following a dominant first-half performance, it seemed Magic would continue on for a victory, but midway through the second stanza, disaster struck for the defending champions as a misshaped clearance from goalkeeper Paul Bitz allowed Bailey Garland to practically run the ball into the back of an empty net to equalise the game.

With just under ten minutes to go, James Virgili would get his looming goal, striking a rebounded ball neatly into the bottom corner of the net which proved to be the vital match-winner and his eleventh of the year.

Broadmeadow remains in the third spot on the table but are just four points off Edgeworth in first, and one behind Weston however still have games in hand of both sides above them.

Weston Bears 1 (Morris 88’ (P)) def. Lambton Jaffas 0

Sunday 21 July, 2:30 pm, Rockwell Automation Park

Lambton has missed a golden opportunity to work their way into the top four after going down narrowly to Weston in a hard-fought contest.

Former Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Ben Kennedy featured for his new Jaffas side for the first time, but neither keeper were really tested in the first parts of the game as a cagey battle waged on with both sides fighting for supremacy.

Luke Remington had a free-kick that whistled over the crossbar, while some scrambling defence down the other end stopped the Bears.

The complexion of the match completely changed just before half-time though as an aggressive incident between Remington and Zac Sneddon resulted in both men being shown red cards and their marching orders from the field.

With more space on the field in the second half, both sides attempted to utilise the extra room but still failed to find the finishing touch, the closest each came were skied shots from Mark Offeh and Bren Hammel, before Kennedy was called into action tipping a skewed shot from Chris Hurley over the crossbar.

The decider of the match came in the final minutes as Jackson Burston was fouled in the box leaving his captain Nathan Morris to calmly slot home the winning goal from the penalty spot to take the three points and continue their impressive run towards finals and maybe even the premiership.

The Bears sit just three points away from the league-leading Edgeworth Eagles and still have a game in hand while the Jaffas continue to trail both Charlestown and Maitland by a slim margin in their quest to scramble a spot into the top four.

Charlestown City Blues had the bye.

source: https://northernnswfootball.com.au

Newcastle Jets Youth (7^th) vs. Hamilton Olympic (8^th)

Saturday 20 July, 5:00pm, Darling Street Oval

After starting out strong and looking like a finals contender, it’s been a disastrous second half of the season for Hamilton as they now sit closer to the bottom of the table than the top four while the Jets Youth have begun finding their groove again.

The young Jets came within a whisker of gaining victory last week against Weston but conceded a late, stoppage-time goal, but before that, slammed Valentine and put in decent showings against Maitland and Edgeworth.

For Olympic though, they drew with last-placed Lakes and extending their winless streak to six games (their most recent victory came in early May) but do have the wood over their weekend opponents having beaten them 2-0 earlier in the season.

A strength of Hamilton’s that saw them taste early success in the first half of the year was that of their solid defence as they only conceded 11 goals in the first 11 games, however in contrast, since Round 12 the side has leaked in 14 goals in 5 outings.

In the final third have been where the Jets have performed well and young star Maki Petratos has been a major standout in that area, as has Sam Donnellan in recent weeks since his debut in the top grade, but the only team that has kept the youth side scoreless is the club their facing on Saturday.

Both sides don’t have all too much to play for other than pride now, but given that there’s no pressure now, it may prompt the two teams to go for gold.

1st Grade kick off 5.00pm
Under 20s kick off 3.10pm
Under 18s kick off  1.25pm

NPL Youth
Olympic vs Broadmeadow
Sunday at Darling St Oval
Under 16s kick off 2.30pm
Under 15s kick off 12.50pm
Under 14s kick off 11.10am
Under 13s kick off 9.30am

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

In other games:

Edgeworth Eagles (1^st) vs. Maitland FC (4^th)

Saturday 20 July, 3:30pm, Jack McLaughlan Oval

The two FFA Cup Round of 32 participants from Northern NSW will face off this weekend not only looking to create a bit of momentum heading into their national stage games in the next coming weeks, but more importantly, trying to push their way closer to the top spot and premiership.

Both sides have been on terrific runs since gaining progression in the FFA Cup – Edgeworth have picked up four wins in as many games, while Maitland haven’t been defeated in their past six outings – and sit just five points away from one another on the table however the Magpies have played three less games.

Although the Eagles have currently played more matches than every other team in the league, they’ve put the pressure on the sides below them who are fighting in the premiership race to keep up with wins, and in recent weeks, their attack has been firing and their defence has been rock-solid.

In the past four weeks, Edgeworth have managed to score 10 goals, and have only conceded two in that same time, and possess both the best offensive and defensive records in the competition.

While Maitland haven’t been as good at the back, their form in front of goal has been strong having managed to score 14 over their past five, and they’ve only been kept scoreless on one occasion this season.

Drama of the latest fashion ensued in the previous meeting between the two sides which saw the Magpies scored two goals in stoppage time to overcome a 1-0 deficit and steal all three points.

Maitland coach Mich Bolch echoed the enormity of the match describing it as a “real six-pointer” and that it was vital his side bring their best.

“It’s a huge game,” Bolch said.

“If they win, they open up an eight-point gap on us, and if we win, we move two behind with three games in hand.

“They are the side I respect the most. They are very well coached and organised and I’m sure Zaney [Damian Zane] will have them primed for this weekend.

“The boys are looking forward to the clash. These are the games you want to be involved in.

Although the last encounter between these two sides will probably be in the minds of their opposition, Bolch suggested it wouldn’t be so for his team and that they needed to focus on their game-plan but also shutting down some of Edgeworth’s key attackers.

“We got lucky with the win against them in our first encounter with a keeper error handing us the late winner,” he said.

“We were very good in the second half against Charlestown last week and we need to take that form and intensity into this game.

“We will need to shut down Smith and the old fox McBreen and that will go a long way to winning.

“We just need to concentrate on getting our game right. If we do that, we can compete with anyone in the comp.”

Adamstown Rosebud (10^th) vs. Lake Macquarie City Roosters (11^th)

Sunday 21 July, 2:30pm, Adamstown Oval

When Adamstown and Lakes met in Round 7 this year, they were both sitting in the same spot on the ladder as they are now showcasing how frustrating and difficult of a season these two have encountered.

Only one point separates the two at the bottom of the table and with Valentine not too far away from them in ninth place, the battle for the wooden spoon is still alive making this match crucial for both in their attempt to avoid the ‘prize’.

Both have demonstrated some top-quality football in patches yet have struggled to close-out matches and attain any points to their name.

The Roosters’ only victory of the season came in the correlating fixture at home, while the Rosebuds have knocked off Charlestown and Hamilton but are currently on a six-game losing streak.

The attack of the two teams (both 14 goals scored) is clear as the worst in the league while in defence they’ve struggled to as neither have been able to muster a clean sheet yet.

Since their return to the NPL NNSW, Lakes are still undefeated when facing Adamstown – a statistic the hosts this weekend will need to end if they don’t want to be looking down the barrel of the dreaded last place position.

Coach of Lakes Nick Webb confessed his side were disappointed they couldn’t hold on late for a victory over Hamilton last weekend but that the team were confident of being able to do the double over the Rosebuds.

“The boys have been doing really well,” Webb said.

“We were gutted not coming away with the Hamilton win.

“[This weekend] it will be two desperate teams smashing it out, so we are confident but also cautious.

“Our focus is concentrating for the full 90 minutes.”

Valentine Phoenix (9^th) vs. Broadmeadow Magic (3^rd)

Sunday 21 July, 2:30pm, CB Complex

Coming off the back of the bye, Broadmeadow will be fresh and ready to continue their push for the premiership and they meet a team this weekend who they trounced in the earlier fixture, 9-1.

Valentine have been winless over their past five games and are currently in danger of finding themselves with a second wooden spoon in as many years if they can’t manage to turn their form around.

They’ve struggled defensively over the course of the year having conceded 43 goals already (three less than their total goals conceded last year) and in their past four matches, they’ve let in a massive 15 goals.

In addition to that, when playing at home, the Phoenix have leaked 20 from their 6 encounters at Croudace Bay and while their opponents haven’t been brilliant in defence either, the attack of the Magicians has been one of the best in the league – boasting a current total of 35.

The Phoenix will be focused on making sure what happened last time against Broadmeadow doesn’t happen again at home this weekend, but with the premiership well in the sights of Magic, they’re going to be hard to stop.

Weston Bears (2^nd) vs. Lambton Jaffas (6^th)

Sunday 21 July, 2:30pm, Rockwell Automation Park

Weston will host the in-form Lambton Jaffas this Sunday knowing that a loss will strongly affect their chances of holding onto a finals place and also ruin their hopes of a surprising premiership.

The Jaffas have pulled off three consecutive victories to pressure the five sides that sit above them on the ladder and sit just five points away from the Bears with two games in hand.

Weston have only lost one game from their past eight though – which includes six wins – and have been electric in front goal having scored 34 so far and are the only team in the league who have been kept scoreless in a match so far.

While the hosts have proven that they possess goal-scorers right across the park, they’ll need to give special attention to the man proven to be the best in the league, Lambton’s Braedyn Crowley, who sits at the top of the Golden Boot race with 11 goals despite only playing 10 games.

In the earlier matchup between the two, the Jaffas successfully and impressively held onto a 2-1 lead with ten men for 70 minutes to collect all three points and it’ll be a wrong that the Bears will be looking to right.

Weston’s coach Kew Jaliens noted after last week’s draw with Jets Youth that his side needed to show higher intensity right from the first whistle.

“We need to be sharp from the start,” Jaliens said.

“The slow start cost us the penalty and all the chances we had against us.”

Jaliens highlighted though that the confidence amongst the squad was still high but that their focus wouldn’t be aimed too far away.

“The feel around the team is good,” he said.

“We have had some good results, but there is still a long way to go.

“We try to take it a game at a time and start fresh every week with an opportunity to win three points.”

Charlestown City Blues (5^th) have the bye.

source:northernnswfootball.com.au

Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) today confirmed dates and locations for each of its three Premier Competitions’ Grand Finals including Youth Divisions for 2019.

For the first time since 2016, the National Premier Leagues Northern NSW (NPL NNSW) Grand Final will return to the community venue of Broadmeadow’s Magic Park on the weekend of 14 & 15 September to return to the fantastic crowds and atmosphere of previous NPL NNSW Grand Finals.

The usual home of Broadmeadow Magic was long used to host the top-flight Grand Final for years before it was moved to McDonald Jones Stadium for the past two seasons.

NNSWF CEO David Eland said the positives of bringing the NPL NNSW Grand Final back to Magic Park were greater than those of hosting it at McDonald Jones Stadium.

“We trialled hosting the NPL Grand Final at McDonald Jones Stadium over recent years, to provide players the opportunity of playing on that ground, however, spectator numbers weren’t increasing, and the expense of the event simply didn’t outweigh the benefits,” Eland said.

“Following the support provided through a survey of club officials, we have made the decision to give the NPL Northern NSW Grand Final back to the clubs and we’re looking forward to a great afternoon kick-off in what will without a doubt, be an atmospheric ground.”

For the second consecutive year, the Herald Women’s Premier League (WPL) Grand Final will be held at Weston’s Rockwell Automation Park on 1 September, while the NEWFM Northern League One (NL1) Grand Final is set to take place at Edgeworth’s Jack McLaughlan Oval on 8 September.

NPL NNSW 20s and First Grade as well as Herald WPL First Grade Grand Finals  have been confirmed to be live-streamed.

The NPL NNSW Youth Grand Final will be held at Hamilton’s Darling Street Oval on 7 September and the NEWFM NL1 Grand Final will be contested at West Wallsend’s Johnston Park on 31 August.

Full NNSWF Premier Competitions’ Grand Final Details:

NEWFM NL1 Youth Grand Final – Saturday 31^st August @ Johnston Park

Herald WPL Grand Final – Sunday 1^st September @ Rockwell Automation Park

NPL NNSW Youth Grand Final – Saturday 7^th September @ Darling Street Oval

NEWFM NL1 Seniors Grand Final – Sunday 8^th September @ Jack McLaughlan Oval

NPL NNSW Seniors Grand Final – Weekend of 14/15^th September @ Magic Park

source:northernnswfootball.com.au

Congratulations to 6 Hamilton Olympic Under 12 boys who were selected to go to the Gold Coast last week to represent Newcastle Football in the Gold Coast Premier Invitational Tournament.

They finished 5th out of 19 teams, a fantastic achievement. The team played 10 games over 3 days.

(In order of photo) There was Julian, Oliver, Jonah, Tommy, Callum & Rocco. The boys were great ambassadors to both Newcastle Football and Hamilton Olympic and certainly gave their all during the tournament.

source: Tom Tsamouras

Congratulations to Hamilton Olympic’s Under 11s, Eli Hunt and Preston Ridd who were selected to go to the Gold Coast last week to represent Newcastle Football in the Gold Coast Premier Invitational Tournament.

They came runners up against 18 teams beating the eventual cup winners 4-0 and only losing the cup by 2 points!

The boys were great ambassadors to both Newcastle Football and Hamilton Olympic and certainly gave their all during the tournament.

source: Tom Tsamouras

Lake Macquarie City Roosters 2 (S. Walker 73’, Charlesworth 87’) drew with Hamilton Olympic 2 (Kawachi 81’, Hornery 90+2’)

Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm, Macquarie Field

It was a game that saw four goals scored in the last quarter of the match as Lakes and Hamilton both grabbed two in an entertaining contest.

Olympic needed a victory to regain any slice of hope of playing finals football and came close to finding the first goal when Reece Pettit had a header saved from close range.

Daniel Minors and Sam Walker then linked up for the hosts for a play that look destined to end up in the back of the net, but goalkeeper Jez Murray used his legs to stop Minors’ shot.

Neither side could get the upper hand over one another and traded half-chances, but the first goal finally arrived when a low Nick Charlesworth cross sprawled across the face of goal and was knocked in by a diving Sam Walker.

His goal was cancelled out though by one of Hamilton’s Japanese men, Shinichi Kawachi, who’s outside of the boot shot ended up in the back of the net regardless of a block attempt on the goal-line.

With just minutes to go in the match, the Roosters looked as if they had acquired the winner as Sam Walker would turn provider for Charlesworth who’s low header skimmed its way past Warren in goals, however, there was still time a twist in the tale.

With the result of the match looking as though it had been decided, Jed Hornery jumped on the end of a bobbling ball and volleyed it hard past Stuart Plant in Lakes’ goal, stealing a point from under the noses of the hosts.

Lakes now continue to squander at the bottom of the table but will have a chance to move their way up in their upcoming matches with Adamstown and Valentine.

For Olympic, their chance of finals now look completely dashed, but they’ll still be focusing on finishing the year on a high and taking some points off the rival sides they want to be challenging next year.

NPL Northern NSW Round 17
Lake Macquarie vs Olympic

1st Grade drew 2-2
Goals: Shinichi Kawachi, Jed Hornery

Under 20s drew 2-2
Under 18s Lakes won 0-1

NPL Youth
Olympic vs Lambton
Under 16s drew 1-1
Under 15s drew 1-1
Under 14s Olympic won 4-2
Under 13s Olympic won 5-0

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

Adamstown Rosebud 0 def. by Edgeworth Eagles 1 (Atayde 44’)

Saturday 13 July, 2:30pm, Adamstown Oval

In celebration of the club’s 130^th birthday, Adamstown put in a strong showing against the top side in the competition and defending premiers Edgeworth but came up just short as the Eagles extended their lead at the top of the table by winning their fourth straight.

Both sides battled in the early parts of the game for supremacy and the first real potential opportunity for a goal came when an Oliver Davies cross troubled Josh Low in Edgeworth’s goal, but just minutes later the visitors struck the only goal of the game.

An Eagles corner bumbled around in the box before popping back out for Jose Atayde who’s hit rocketed into the bottom corner of the goal to score his fourth for the year and just in time for the half-time break.

The defence of Edgeworth were able to keep Adamstown at bay for much of the second half and down the other end, Oliver Smith came within a whisker of doubling the lead but his shot from inside the box cannoned into the crossbar.

As the match neared its conclusion, hope for a celebratory Rosebud result looked slimmer as each minute passed but a defensive mix-up at the back gave Luke Vallone a half-chance but once again, Low stood firm in goals pulling off the save.

Nothing would eventually get past Edgeworth’s defence as the league leaders took out another set of three points and will now turn their attention to a massive clash with Maitland next weekend before their FFA Cup fixture in Darwin.

Edgeworth coach Damian Zane said due to the windy and dry conditions, free-flowing football was hard to come by, but he was pleased with the way his side grinded out a victory.

“It was tough conditions so I’m happy with the win,” said Zane.

“In those kinds of conditions, our football was never comfortable. We just couldn’t find that second goal and they [Adamstown] really lifted in the second half.

“The boys are in decent form and we’re looking forward to hopefully wrapping up a spot in the finals and then continue on in the cup.”

Lambton Jaffas 5 (Crowley 5’, 77’, Remington 25’, Kantarovski 40’, Own Goal 45+1’) def. Valentine Phoenix 2 (Garland 11’, Lawrence 32’)

Saturday 13 July, 2:30pm, Arthur Edden Oval

Saturday’s match at Lambton saw a first-half goal-fest as the Jaffas ran away with all three points over Valentine to edge their way closer toward a spot in the top four.

The scoring was opened rather early on by Lambton’s clinical striker Braedyn Crowley who linked up with Bren Hammel before calmly slotting it home.

Jaffas couldn’t retain their lead for long though as a defensive error saw Aaron Niyonkuru gallop onward to goal and crossing it to find a whipping striker from Bailey Garland.

Former NPL NNSW Player of the Year Luke Remington put the homse side back into the lead with a snatching shot from outside the box but as was the story of the day, the Phoenix bounced back soon after through a Mitch Lawrence counter attacking play.

Disaster struck for the visitors though in the last few minutes of the first half as Michael Kantarovski firstly headed a goal from a corner for the Jaffas, before an own goal from Valentine captain Riley Russell right on the strike of half-time sent Lambton into the break with a two-goal lead.

The Phoenix made half-chances in the second half through Garland and Kaleb Pearson, but the only goal of the half came for the hosts and their former Hyundai A-League front-man as Crowley nabbed another to take his overall total to 11 – the best in the league.

Lambton continue to sit in fifth place on the outside of the top four, but with form on their side and some games in hand, they’ll be confident that they can swindle a spot in the finals.

Maitland FC 3 (J. Thompson 51’, Read 79’, M. Thompson 90+1’) def. Charlestown City Blues 0

Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm, Cooks Square Park

Maitland have retained their spot in the top four and are primed to make a challenge for the premiership after collecting a three-goal victory over Charlestown.

The Blues’ Rene Ferguson had his first attempt on goal saved by Matt Trott, but down the other end, the Magpies were given a perfect chance to go in front after receiving a penalty.

Joel Wood would be the one to step up, but his strike went high over the cross-bar much to the delight of the travelling side and their fans but early in the second half, the hosts eventually grabbed the lead.

James Thompson was the man who somehow battered his way through the Charlestown defence relatively easy and his strike on goal was composed and clinical.

The Magpies almost doubled their lead but some fantastic goalkeeping from Nathan Archibold denied Wood on two consecutive attempts, and again for a third time just minutes later.

The game looked like it may have turned in Charlestown’s favour midway through the second half after they were awarded a penalty of their own, but just like Maitland’s earlier effort, the Blues also were unsuccessful as Riley McNaughton’s low shot was held onto my Trott.

Alex Read made the visitors pay for their costly mistake latching himself onto a Ryan Clarke cross and popping it over the top of Archibold, and the finishing touches was applied not long after in stoppage time.

Matt Thompson smashed in his first for the year from outside the box to put an exclamation mark on their victory assuring his team walked away with all three points.

Maitland coach Mick Bolch displayed his pride for the way his team continue to churn out victories in important games and made special mention for a few from the game.

“I couldn’t be happier with what they put out today,” Bolch said.

“At half-time, we spoke about needing to be better with the ball and keeping our shape and I thought in the second half we did really well – probably one of the better second halves we’ve had in recent weeks.

“Realistically, we scored three, but if it wasn’t for their keeper, we would have got more. He was probably the best player on the pitch which you can’t usually say after a 3-0 win. He was outstanding today.

“We spoke about needing to be better defensively across the whole park. I thought they responded really well today.

“I thought they were very good. Zach Thomas was outstanding again, and Trotty made that penalty save.”

The Magpies have proven that they are a complete 90-minute side this season and again made their opposition pay in the last quarter of the contest with multiple goals. Bolch said it’s one of the areas of their game that he’s most pleased with.

“We’ve got a lot of character in the team and we’re starting to get back to full strength,” he said.

“You look at the bench and we’ve got Alex Read and Matt Thompson who have both played A-League coming off your bench. It shows where the squad’s at at the moment.

“I’m pretty sure that’s about 15 goals we’ve scored in the last 15 minutes of games this year including FFA Cup, and we haven’t conceded one yet.

“The boys work hard during the week and they’re seeing the rewards for it now.”

Weston Bears 1 (Hurley 89’) drew with Newcastle Jets Youth 1 (Petratos 11’ (P))

Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm, Rockwell Automation Park

Although a draw has taken a hit on their hopes of fighting for a premiership, Weston will be breathing a sigh of relief after nabbing a goal in the dying stages of the match to deny the Jets Youth of an upset victory.

Young Jet Maki Petratos has caused some major headaches for his opposition throughout 2019, and he once again proved to be a handful, troubling Scott Carter in Weston’s goal with an early long shot and soon after scoring the first goal of the game with a strike from the penalty spot.

The Bears’ defence continued to have their work cut out for them as Petratos looked to link up with Sam Donnellan on multiple occasions – one of those sent Donnellan through one-on-one with Carter but was denied by the Weston keeper.

The hosts worked their way back into the contest throughout the first half and early second half with chances coming for the head of Jason Tjien-Fooh and Liam Wilson’s infamous long-shot, but Noah James held strong in the Jets’ goal.

As the match approached its conclusion, the Bears continued to throw everything they had at the young Jets goalkeeper, including a shot from Wilson that forced a spectacular high, diving save from James, but finally the hosts found their breakthrough.

Tjien-Fooh poked his way through the Jets defence and had a perfect opportunity to level the scores, and although his shot was denied by the crossbar, the rebound was volleyed by a running Chris Hurley who continued his electric run for a jubilant celebration.

The Bears now move into second place on the table and still have a game in hand of Edgeworth who sit three points ahead, but before they can think about ousting the likes of the Eagles and Magic, they’ll have to contend with the in-form Lambton Jaffas next weekend.

Broadmeadow Magic had the bye.

Source: northernnswfootball.com.au

Today saw the completion of the Annual HOFC Indoor Coaching Clinic at The Parc – Indoor Sports at Howzat, Cooks Hill.

The longest running Indoor Coaching Clinic in the Hunter Region (24th successive year) 120 boys and girls from many different football clubs had a great 5 days, improving their football skills and making new friends in a safe, dry environment. For the 10th successive year, the Clinic was well and truly booked out.

The Club appreciate the support that the Football Community gave the Clinic. A special thanks to our Clinic Co-coordinator Reece Fellas, and the following hard working coaches- Paul, Blair, Mason, Kent, Louis, Jack, Elliot, Andrew, Cooper and Matthew.

Lake Macquarie City Roosters (11^th) vs. Hamilton Olympic (8^th)

Sunday 14 July, 2:30 pm, Macquarie Field

It’s been a testing time for both Lakes and Hamilton this year as the two sides look to close out what have been rather disappointing seasons to their respective standards.

The Roosters were touted by many as a potential dark horse this season for the finals, but instead have endured one of their worst seasons in club history collecting just four points so far, while Olympic promised early on to be a team capable of returning to the finals for the first time since 2017, but they too have fallen by the wayside due to their recent results.

The last time Hamilton mustered a victory was back in early May which was a dominating 4-0 win over Maitland, but since then they’ve struggled to show the same quality having been winless in their last four games.

Things haven’t been any easier for the hosts though. They’ve struggled to get onto the field in recent weeks due to the wet weather and when they have, they’ve mainly encountered losses including five in as many consecutive matches.

A statistic that will be more frightening for Nick Webb and his side, is that they have been kept scoreless in their past three outings – it’s almost been two months since they’ve scored – however their opponent this week, although have been rather solid defensively throughout the year, has been poor in that area in recent weeks, conceding 10 in the last three fixtures.

“We’re in every game, we’re just letting them slip away. It’s now about turning that key,” Webb said.

“At the end of the day, at the crucial times, we’re just not good enough. The ladder doesn’t lie, that’s why we’re there so we’re not taking our opportunities when they’re there and we’re not defending well when we need to.

“Sam Walker is obviously our number one target for scoring goals, and he’s been working his freckle out to be honest. Unfortunately, he’s just not having the same sort of luck as last year…but its not all on Sam’s shoulders.

“He will score his goals but there needs to be other goal scorers and we need to take those chances.

“There’s still a lot to play for.

“Everyone’s on board to be back next year and they’re keen to keep pushing because they can see how close we are.”

U20s Lake Macquarie – Hamilton Olympic Sunday 14^th July kick off 12.40 pm at Macquarie Field.

U18s Lake Macquarie – Hamilton Olympic Sunday 14^th July kick off 10.55 am at Macquarie Field.

YOUTH NPL:

Our highly successful youth NPL teams travel away to Lambton Jaffas and play at Arthur Eden Oval on Sunday 14^th July.

U16s kick off at  2.30 pm

U15s kick off at 12.50 pm

U14s kick off at 11.10 am

U13s kick off at   9.30 am

IN OTHER GAMES:

Adamstown Rosebud (10^th) vs. Edgeworth Eagles (1^st)

Saturday 13 July, 2:30 pm, Adamstown Oval

Both Adamstown and Edgeworth sit on opposite ends of the table with vastly different targets for the last remaining games of this season, but the importance of this weekend’s historic match at Adamstown Oval exceeds this season’s results and ladder positions.

The Rosebuds will be celebrating their 130^th year, almost to the day, when they come up against the Eagles in a fixture between the two most successful clubs in Northern NSW history, sharing 257 years, 24 premierships and 19 championships.

The visitors are on track to once challenge for the premiership and to potentially break the all-time record for most top-flight premierships and equal the record for most consecutive records – both records Adamstown currently hold.

While Edgeworth’s defence this season has been its typical rock-solid self, their form in front of goal has been one of the key contributors to their success, boasting one of the best-attacking records in the competition as well as the equal-top goal-scorer, Oliver Smith.

Adamstown has only been able to defeat their opponents once since 2015 and have come away with losses in their past five outings, while in contrast, the Eagles have won their last three straight.

With the current league-leaders having played more matches than the teams close below them, they’ll need to continue collecting as many points as they can to increase the pressure on their rivals, however, the Rosebuds are currently locked in a wooden-spoon scrap due to sitting just two points away from the last-placed Lakes.

Adamstown coach Shane Cansdell-Sherriff was confident his side would be able to harness the enormity of the day to continue with their strong performances.

“It’s a massive day for the club,” said Cansdell-Sherriff.

“After the 130^th Year Ball the other week, I think it was a big eye-opener to all of the players, as well as myself, to see how big the history was of the club.

“No doubt they’ll be thinking about that in the game against Edgeworth.”

Cansdell-Sherriff admitted he felt that despite sitting towards the bottom of the table with just two wins to their name, his side’s performances had been much more improved than previous years and urged to players to just keep battling together.

“We need to keep persisting on,” he said.

“Sometimes teams go through some bad spells, it’s just about sticking together and turning it around. If it’d be a different story if we weren’t performing, but everyone is committed and performing, we just can’t get over the line.

“In terms of this time last year, points-wise we might have been better off, but I think we’re performing better this year than we were last year on a more consistent basis.

“It’s a really good group of guys… They’re frustrated because it’s so close, but they bounce back. They’re very resilient and strong.

“You never know when things may start to turn. In football, you need a bit of luck on your side, and we just haven’t had it.”

Lambton Jaffas (5^th) vs. Valentine Phoenix (9^th)

Saturday 13 July, 2:30 pm, Arthur Edden Oval

The Jaffas will host Valentine this weekend in what will be only their second game in the last month due to the wet weather, and after a thick run of tough defeats, their visiting opponents will be determined to scrap together a victory.

The Phoenix have lost their past three matches where they conceded a total of 10 goals, taking their overall tally to 38 – the worst in the competition while the hosts have enjoyed two wins in the previous matches, keeping clean sheets on both occasions.

Lambton sit just on the outskirts of the top four and still have to face all the sides above them once more and if they can attain results in those games, there’s a strong chance they could once again feature in the finals again and maybe even challenge for the Premiership title, but opportunities like this will quickly be distinguished if they lose matches against teams below them.

Valentine sits in ninth place and are just four points away from their rivals, Lakes, in last and they’ll be hoping that they don’t have to venture through another wooden spoon battle as the season nears its conclusion.

The orange team were dominated last time out against the Jaffas going down 4-0 at home, and with a plethora of names still out for this clash, including former Jaffas Ben Hay and Luke Willard, as well as Josh Carroll, Brenton Olzomer and Brock Oakley, turning that deficit around is going to take a big effort.

A win for Lambton could see them enter the top four for the first time in a long while, but Valentine will also be fixed on grabbing points in order to shoo away the luring wooden spoon.

Maitland FC (4^th) vs. Charlestown City Blues (7^th)

Sunday 14 July, 2:30 pm, Cooks Square Park

A match which could play a major role in shaping the destiny of the top four this weekend is Maitland’s hosting of Charlestown as the Blues look to become the first team to defeat the Magpies at home for the year and enter the top four.

Maitland were able to muster a two-goal victory when the two sides met earlier in the year and have spent the last five rounds undefeated, but the visitors have also been showcasing decent form having only lost one match in their past five which came back in early May.

The Blues have only played out one game in the last 48 days though and in that time their opponents have played three leagues games and two FFA Cup fixtures.

Maitland striker Joel Wood has been immense for his side during that period and will need to be one the Charlestown defence will have to stop if they are to keep a clean sheet as they did in their most recent match against Edgeworth.

The defence of the Blues has been solid in recent weeks with the new addition of Adam Hughes, as has the Magpies’, so goals may not come at a plenty this weekend if both sets of backlines are in form.

Weston Bears (3^rd) vs. Newcastle Jets Youth (6^th)

Sunday 14 July, 2:30 pm, Rockwell Automation Park

They’ve been one of the form teams of the competitions but this week when Weston host an explosive Jets outfit, they’ll be in for a threatening time.

The Bears have won six of their last seven matches but when they faced off with the Jets last time out, it was an uncomfortable 3-2 win.

The visitors picked up a clinical 3-goal victory last appearance against Valentine with a major contribution coming from creative man Maki Petratos who will need to be shut down by Weston’s defence if they are to win.

The defence of the hosts has been rather sturdy though in recent weeks with experienced heads Nathan Morris, Zac Sneddon and Robbie Turnbull all turning out strong performances as has Sam Kamper who featured in last week’s NPL NNSW Team of the Week.

Weston will need to continue picking up victories against the teams below them if they are a chance of challenging for their first premiership since 2010, while although the Jets cannot qualify for semi-finals, they’ll be focused on finishing as high on the table as they can and hoping to impress ahead of the Hyundai A-League season.

Broadmeadow Magic (2^nd) have the bye.

source: northernnswfootball.com.au