Newcastle Olympic returned victorious from their Round 22 fixture against Belmont Swansea with Reserve Grade winning 3-1 and First Grade, 3-2. Reserve Grade have won the Premiership and First Grade will contest a place in the top five of the competition during the final game of the season against New Lambton!
Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade were crowned 2025 NPL Reserve Grade Premiers of Northern NSW when on Saturday night, second placed Cooks Hill were beaten by Broadmeadow Magic. This defeat meant that Olympic could not be caught on the points table regardless of their results in the final two games of the season.
Having claimed the first title of the season, Olympic began the match against Belmont at an intensity level that reminded a training session than a competitive game. Belmont, having been beaten 5-0 at the same venue four weeks earlier played compact and with every player behind the ball.
The celebration tempo of the game was disturbed in the 19th minute when Belmont fired a shot from outside the box which rebounded off the goalpost and into the Olympic net! Six minutes later a teasing corner by George Tsamouras found the head of Jed Hornery at the near post who taking advantage of the power and bend in the ball, flicked it on and buried the ball at the back of the net of the far post! The score remained 1-1 until half time despite the pressure of Olympic and the opportunities created.
In the second half Olympic continued to press and Belmont refused to come out of their shell. In the 69th minute a corner by Oliver Steinerts found midfielder George Tsamouras on the edge of the box who unleashed a thunderbolt to put Olympic 2-1 in the lead. Celebrations over the goal were not over before a cross by Lucas Walshe from the right found Jesse Fitzgerald inside the six-yard box who had little difficulty increasing the scoreline to 3-1.
The score remained 3-1 until the end and Olympic can have a rest until the finals. The scheduled wash out game against New Lambton on Tuesday night will not go ahead as it has no bearing on the points table for either team.
The First Grade fixture between Newcastle Olympic and Belmont Swansea had a similar start as that of Reserve Grade. Belmont opened the score in the 13 minute with a penalty when Olympic defender Luke Rutledge was judged to have fouled an opponent. Olympic tried to equalise but the stalemate lasted until the 60th minute when Ben Hay scored from a free kick from a very narrow angle.
Olympic bombarded the Belmont goal continuously but it wasn’t until the 68th minute that Marcus Duncan rose higher than any other player to send a header into the net from a Ben Hay corner. By the 76th minute a sustained attack by Olympic resulted in Kale Bradbery receiving the ball from a rebound off the cross bar by a Roy Donovan header and a shot that gave the keeper no chance.
With the cushion of a 3-1 lead Olympic continued to pressure Belmont. A late consolation goal by Belmont four minutes from the end was too little, too late! Olympic now face New Lambton again, in the wash out fixture of a previous wash out fixture at the LMRFF at 8.00pm on Wednesday night.
For Olympic to make it in the top five, they need to win against relegated New Lambton and for Belmont to defeat Maitland!
Source: Tom Tsamouras
George Tsamouras Football Journey 