Newcastle Olympic return to Darling St Oval for Round 10 of the NPL competition and are favourites to collect maximum points against struggling New Lambton FC.
After seven consecutive wins Olympic Reserve Grade will be attempting to add another 3 points to their tally and end the half-way mark of the season entrenched in first spot of the points ladder. After another routine win at Edgeworth the boys in blue take on a New Lambton side which concedes on average 3 goals a game! This is the essential difference between the two teams as both have little problem scoring.
Will New Lambton embarrass the home side and put an end to their 7- match consecutive winning streak or will Olympic put on another vintage performance to ensure they finish the first half of the season on top of the table?
The match kicks off at 12.00pm at Darling St Oval on Saturday 3 May, 2025. (WASHED OUT)!
Olympic First Grade appear to have an even easier task against a New Lambton team with the worst defense in the competition who are still to win a single match! Indeed, after 9 games the Eagles have only been able to secure two draws and consequently occupy last place on the table! After dropping to 5th spot on the ladder a win against New Lambton will return Olympic to 3rd spot just before the half-way mark of the season.
Will Olympic bounce back and add their 5th win of the season or will New Lambton collect their first 3 points?
The match kicks off at 2.00pm at Darling St Oval on Saturday 3 May, 2025. (WASHED OUT)!
Newcastle Olympic came away from Edgeworth Eagles with an expected win in Reserve Grade and a loss in First Grade. The scenario prior to both matches was played out exactly as predicted by the end of Round 9 at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Saturday afternoon.
On a slippery and heavy surface at Jack Mclaughlin, league leaders Newcastle Olympic took on 9th placed Edgeworth Eagles and dominated throughout the match. They had the lion’s share of goalscoring opportunities but poor finishing caused the match to end only by 3-1!
Olympic played with a midfield trio of Steinerts, Petersen and Tsamouras that was creative when in possession and compact and competitive for every ball, when not in possession! Edgeworth could only attempt to play forward through the flanks where an equally compact and solid Olympic defense awaited them. The 10-2 ratio of shots on goal by Olympic at the end of the first half told the story.
Olympic opened the score in the 18th minute with a great solo run by Jesse Fitzgerald who dribbled past everyone to score in an empty net. Charlie Halls came close to adding to the score with one shot that came off the cross bar and another one-on-one effort with the keeper to beat that was fired into his arms!
Callan Priestley made it 2-0 in the 51st minute during a skirmish inside the Eagles goalmouth, after a corner, and another routine win was on its way. Despite dominating possession and goal scoring opportunities, Olympic received an awakening that the match wasn’t over in the 62’ minute when Edgeworth scored through a long ball on the right flank that found the Olympic defense momentarily flatfooted.
Olympic continued to pepper the Edgeworth goal. Steven Theacos saw a header from a well taken free kick by George Tsamouras cannon off the woodwork. The goal scoring opportunities continued, as did the poor finishing. In the 78th minute Toby Gallagher put the game beyond the reach of the local team with a header from a well taken corner.
Despite Olympics’ domination of possession, Edgeworth proved a worthy opponent and the game was an entertaining affair.
First Grade Newcastle Olympic entered this match against the only undefeated team of the competition with the best attack and best defense in the league! The difference between the two teams was that Edgeworth played as such compared to an Olympic side that had the desire to win but perhaps not the belief!
Both teams began well, playing entertaining football until an underweighted pass in defense allowed Edgeworth to intercept and score a goal that Olympic provided in a gift box with wrapping paper!
The reaction to this from Olympic was a nervous defense which made one mistake after another. This wasn’t helped by an Edgeworth team that pressed all over the park and committed very few mistakes in their play.
Despite this, Olympic came close to equalizing in the 27th minute when a good combination between Roy O’Donovan and Jared Muller resulted in a shot by the later which came off the Edgeworth woodwork! From the ensuing goal kick and what appeared like a harmless move from the right, the Olympic defense was caught ball watching and Aaron Oppedisano was allowed to dribble across the face of the Olympic box without a challenge and a defense splitting pass to Ryan Feutz made the score 2-0 for the home side.
With a mountain to climb Olympic went forward in search of a goal but despite enjoying the best part of possession until the end of the half, Edgeworth defended in numbers, played possession football and didn’t allow their opponent even a sniff of an opportunity for goal!
The second half continued in the same tempo with Olympic trying to create an opening and Edgeworth keeping the door shut and looking for the quick counter which would put the game beyond reach.
In the 72nd minute a routine corner from Edgeworth and a clearing header by Olympic landed the ball at the feet of an Edgeworth player who could not believe his luck and who had little difficulty firing the ball into the net to record 3-0 for the home side.
With a mountain to climb Olympic continued trying until the final whistle but it was too little too late.
Newcastle Olympic travel to Edgeworth Eagles after the Easter long weekend break. Sitting in first and third place on the Reserve Grade and First Grade points table, respectively, they will have their work cut out against the Eagles.
Following a six week winning streak, Reserve Grade have climbed to the top of their points table and are looking down nine places to find Edgeworth Eagles! The home team have won three games, drawn one and lost four but the most important statistic is they have the worst defence in the league! They have conceded 24 goals in eight games, an average of 3 per game, compared to a total of 9 goals conceded by Olympic! Given that 4 of those 9 were conceded in their last two matches, the difference in strength between the two teams is obvious.
In attack, Edgeworth have scored 22 goals to Olympics’ 19 but what should be alarming for the hosts is that 10 of those goals were scored in the last 2 matches against league leaders Adamstown Rosebud and Broadmeadow Magic!
Will Olympic consolidate their spot at the top of the table by recording their 7th consecutive victory or will the Eagles be able to contain them and cause an upset? The match at Jack McLaughlan kicks off at 12:00pm on Saturday in rainy conditions and a predicted 22 degree day.
First Grade will have their job cut out against the only undefeated team in the league! Olympic sit in equal 3rd spot on 14 points while the Eagles occupy 2nd spot on 20 points. The hosts boast the best attack and best defence in the league! In 8 games they have conceded a mere 4 goals and are the only team to have beaten league leaders, Broadmeadow Magic!
Edgeworth are obviously favourites to take the 3 points and especially in front of their own supporters at Jack McLaughlan oval. Will Olympic spoil the party and edge closer to 2nd spot on the ladder or will the Eagles extend their unbeaten run?
The match kicks off on Saturday at Jack McLaughlan Oval at 2:00pm
Newcastle Olympic climbed to the top of the Reserve Grade ladder after defeating Broadmeadow Magic 4-2 in the Round 6 wash out fixture at Magic Park on Tuesday night. The hosts lead 2-0 before Olympic went into overdrive and in 31’ minutes scored 4 goals and hit the woodwork a further three times!
In wet and slippery conditions both teams began the game with Broadmeadow in control of possession and Olympic soaking up pressure and looking to strike on the counter. Partly the slippery conditions and partly the approach of both teams, the match was poor for the neutral observer. The first 45’ minutes produced few scoring opportunities for both teams and 0-0 summed up the game at the interval. The only talking point for spectators at the half time break was the poor refereeing on display for such a crucial match!
At the start of the second half the hosts stunned the visitors with a long-range effort in the 48th minute! With the 1-0 lead and the share of possession enjoyed by Broadmeadow, the 3 points looked like remaining at Magic Park! Matters got even worse for Olympic when ten minutes later their hosts scored a second goal from another long-range effort to make it 2-0! At this point the game looked to be lost and even the most die-hard Olympic supporters would not have guessed what they were about to witness.
Within two minutes Olympic were able to score and bring back the game to 2-1 and some hope that in the remaining half hour, they could perhaps achieve at least a draw! In the 67th minute Olympic struck again, brought the game level 2-2 and suddenly the belief that the game wasn’t over began to sink in!
The possession enjoyed by Broadmeadow now swapped sides with Olympic in total control, creating one goal scoring opportunity after another! The woodwork saved the locals three times but in the 78th minute a third goal by Max Cotton brought the match 3-2 in Olympics’ favour!
Olympic supporters were stunned with joy while the Magic faithful couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed! In the 85th minute a fourth goal by Charlie Halls increased the lead to 4-2 and the 3 points and first spot on the Reserve Grade ladder was now reality for the team in blue!
Another great derby between these two clubs was over with tears of joy and tears of despair drawn on the faces of the supporters who braved the conditions to watch such an exciting game.
The players of both teams should be commended for keeping their heads in such an important match despite the inconsistent refereeing!
This victory is the 6th consecutive win by the Olympic Reserve Grade team and a surprise given that they lost their opening two games of the season at Darling St Oval.
Newcastle Olympic and Broadmeadow Magic Reserve Grade take to the field at 6pm at Magic Park this evening to play the wash out fixture from Round 6 of the Northern NSW NPL competition.
With only 1 point separating the pair, Olympic go into battle to secure their 6th straight win and 1st spot on the points table against a Magic side that has led from the start of the season! Olympic continue to boast the best defence in the league, having conceded only 7 goals to Magic’s 10, while in attack, the later have scored three goals more, 18-15! After losing the first two games of the season Olympic have won the last five consecutive matches and have been playing some very good football. Magic have led from the start but in the past four matches have dropped points to lowly placed Charlestown Azzurri and lost against Adamstown Rosebud.
Despite statistics and form, clashes between Olympic and Magic are derbies with any result a possible outcome. Another factor with reserve grade fixtures is the possible number of First Grade players who are sometimes included to ensure game time minutes. Lastly, rain has been falling all through the night in Newcastle and the forecast for Tuesday is 90% precipitation!
The match is due to kick off at 6.00pm at Magic Park.
Newcastle Olympic proved much too strong for Adamstown Rosebud, winning 6-2 in Reserve Grade and 4-0 in First Grade in Round 8 of the Northern NSW NPL competition!
In excellent weather conditions Newcastle Olympic commenced proceedings at Darling St Oval on Friday night, after a four-week absence, and were 3-0 up within 23 minutes against second placed Adamstown Rosebud. This is not because the opposition was weak but simply because Olympic were playing their best game of the season. Solid in defence, compact in midfield and lethal in attack, this was the most balanced performance by the team so far and a far cry from the opening two games of the season.
Within the first six minutes of the second half the score increased to 5-0 and the game appeared over as an effective spectacle. Olympic momentarily took their foot off the accelerator while the spectators were probably wondering how First Grade would perform, only to find themselves pegged back to 5-2 by only the 56’ minute!
Olympic took control of the game again, scored another goal in the 73rd minute to make it 6-2 and played out a professional remaining second half during which their entire bench was used to clock up minutes.
The win propels Olympic to 2nd place on the ladder, two points behind league leaders Broadmeadow Magic, who also won on the night, and a showdown between 1st and 2nd set for next Tuesday night at Magic Park.
First Grade decided to emulate their Reserve Grade counterparts by opening proceedings in the 22nd minute and reassuring the Darling St Oval faithful with a 2nd goal in the 39th minute through a well struck penalty. This was also a tough game in which Olympic were in control but against an opponent who was capable of easily turning the match around at any moment.
In the 61st minute Olympic increased the score to 3-0 but unlike Reserve Grade remained focused and kept spectators on the edge of their seats until the end. A fourth goal was added in the 86th minute and another three points were added to their tally.
This win elevates Olympic to equal 3rd place on the ladder and a showdown against 2nd placed Edgeworth Eagles in a fortnights time awaits!
After four away fixtures to Valentine, Maitland, Broadmeadow and Lambton, Newcastle Olympic finally return to Darling St Oval to take on Adamstown Rosebud.
Reserve Grade achieved maximum points in their three away fixtures conceding just the one goal and scoring six! Wins at Valentine 2-1, Maitland 1-0 and Lambton Jaffas 3-0 coupled with a 2-0 home win against Charlestown has brought the side to within 1 point from the top of the league table!
Adamstown Rosebud are equal league leaders with Broadmeadow Magic after defeating the later 2-1. Olympic take on Adamstown at 6.00pm on Friday evening in a game which will decide who will be on top of the league table, given that Olympic also play Broadmeadow Magic the following Tuesday!
Olympics’ strength in this game is their defence, having conceded just 5 goals which is the least amount conceded by any team in the competition, and coming from four consecutive wins. Adamstown on the other hand have conceded 12 but will be confident as they inflicted the first loss on the league leaders in their last outing!
Will Olympic make it five in a row ahead of their clash with Broadmeadow Magic which will determine which team will go into the Easter break at the top of the league or will the Rosebuds be the cause of their third home defeat of the season?
First Grade recorded two wins, a draw and a loss in their four away games. They sit in 5th place on the table 7 points behind the league leaders and 2 points ahead of sixth placed Adamstown Rosebud! A win on Friday night will draw the team closer to 3rd spot and create a buffer of 5 points with Adamstown.
Both teams are guilty of leaky defences with Olympic conceding 11 goals in seven games while the Rosebuds have allowed 18! In attack Olympic have scored 15 to Adamstown’s 13 but when they dominate games, such as the one against Broadmeadow Magic, they don’t win!
Olympic need to combine domination of play with not conceding silly goals against the run of play! The game at Darling St Oval kicks off at 8.00pm.
Newcastle Olympic returned unscathed from their visit to Lambton Jaffas, not conceding even a single goal. Reserve Grade defeated the Jaffas 3-0 while First Grade played out a 0-0 draw!
With two goals scored before half time by Kane Treble and Jed Hornery and another in the second half by the former, Reserve Grade defeated a Lambton Jaffas team which put up a bigger fight than the score would indicate. Despite this Olympic took their chances and kept the opposition at bay to record a win that has brought them to within a point from league leaders Broadmeadow Magic and Adamstown Rosebud!
Facing Adamstown this Friday night at Darling St Oval and Broadmeadow Magic away the following week, Reserve Grade could go into the Easter weekend on top of the league! They have been able to achieve this because of four consecutive wins following two losses in the first two games of the season!
First Grade had their hands full against a Jaffas team which had the lion’s share of possession as well as goalscoring opportunities! Despite their low position on the points table Lambton Jaffas were desperate to record their second win of the season and their first at Arthur Edden Oval. Olympic has a similar possession and goal scoring ratio the previous week at Magic Park against Broadmeadow and ended up not collecting a single point. The 0-0 draw earns them 1 point and enables them to hold 5th spot on the points table.
A win against Adamstown on Friday night at Darling St Oval should distance themselves from their 6th placed rival as well as increase the possibility of securing 2nd spot.
After last week’s gripe with the weather in which Newcastle Olympics’ First Grade team were allowed to play but Reserve Grade wasn’t, fine skies today promise to ensure that both sides take the field at Arthur Edden Oval.
Reserve Grade who have been wrapped up in moth balls since their Round 5 fixture against Maitland will take on a Jaffas side who have won only one game all season! On paper Olympic are favorites to collect the 3 points which will propel them into the top four positions and with the wash out match against Broadmeadow Magic still to be played.
The match at Arthur Edden Oval kicks off at 12:00pm.
First Grade who dominated against Broadmeadow Magic despite their narrow loss take on a Jaffas team which also has won only one match all season and are favourites to collect all 3 points. Jaffas’ match against Weston Bears in round 6 was a wash out and their squad should be fresh. By the same token they have been inactive from playing against another team in that period and this probably negates the freshness! Regardless of the statistics going into this match, Olympic will have to work harder to collect the 3 points and edge closer to the top four while Jaffas will have to work even harder to record their second victory of the season.
The match at Arthur Edden Oval kicks off at 2:00pm.
George Tsamouras Football Journey 