Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade march towards the 2025 Premiership with an emphatic 5-0 crushing of Belmont Swansea in a Round 11 deferred fixture at the LMRFF in Speers Point on Tuesday night! This comes only a day after disposing Lambton Jaffas 3-1 at Darling St Oval in Round 18 of the competition.
Any notion of underestimating their opponent was wiped out on Tuesday night when a minute into the game Olympic were 1-0 up through a thunderbolt from outside the box from midfield ace George Tsamouras! No sooner had celebrations settled it was the turn of winger Charlie Halls to make it 2-0 within the second minute of the game!
The artificial surface of Speers Point was ideal for the slick one touch and two touch passing by the Olympic team which at times made their Belmont counter parts appear to be chasing shadows into the night! In the 17th minute a well taken free kick from outside the box by George Tsamouras served the ball perfectly to Jed Hornery who scored the third goal for Olympic and put the result beyond doubt!
Hornery added another two goals in the 22nd and 31st minutes to record his hat trick for the night and send Olympic 5-0 up at the half time break! To the credit of the Belmont Swansea team, their players did not throw in the towel and in the second half they threw everything at Olympic to try and get a consolation goal, but it was not meant to be! Having secured the result, Olympic spent the second half giving playing time to players normally on the bench.
This result gives Olympic 37 points on the table and 12 wins and one draw from 16 games! They are 9 points in front of second placed Maitland. Instead of looking behind, all they need is to win their remaining 6 games against Adamstown (a), Edgeworth (h), Cook Hill (a), New Lambton (a) Belmont (a) and Weston (a) and they collect the 2025 Premiership!
Given that they have led the competition for most of the season, all they need is to focus on each game at a time.
Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade, fresh from their 3-1 win over Lambton Jaffas on Sunday afternoon take on Belmont Swansea United FC in a Round 11 catch up game that was deferred due to poor weather. The fixture resembles a David and Goliath affair and hopefully for the boys in blue, David isn’t successful on this occasion!
Olympic are cruising in first place on the points table with 34 points while Belmont are in 11th spot on 13 points! The difference in strength between the two teams is enormous and Olympic are favourites to collect the 3 points and advance further on the points table in their quest of conquering the Premiership.
Belmont have only won four games all season and were able to salvage a 1-1 away draw on Saturday against Weston. Olympic played on Sunday and will have had one day less to prepare for the Tuesday night fixture at Speers Point.
Despite the obvious difference in strength between the two teams a lot will depend on player availability for this midweek fixture and on mental preparation. Underestimating your opponent is something that Olympic will need to avoid if they are to collect another 3 points.
Kick off 6:15pm at LMRFF Speers Point on Tuesday 8th July 2025.
Newcastle Olympic defeated Lambton Jaffas 3-1 in both Grades at Darling St Oval to cement Reserve Grade’s lead and resurrect First Grade’s chances for a top 5 finish! Olympic dominated both games and deserved the 3 points attained.
Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade, at full strength, had little problem dominating a quality Lambton Jaffas and securing 3 points on Sunday afternoon! With a ratio of 10 to 3 of shots on target and a 10-2 corner count, the hunger and domination of Olympic was obvious. They completed the demolition of Jaffas within 30 minutes through goals from Charlie Halls 13’, Lucas Walshe 23’ and Jed Hornery 30’.
They then spent the rest of the game ensuring their opponents couldn’t get back into the game by being compact and seeking to catch them on the counterattack. Jaffas played a high press game and were able to secure a consolation goal through Joshua Culjak in the 50th minute but they never even looked like threatening to get a result.
This was the 11th win of the season for Olympic, after a loss and draw over the past two games against Maitland and Broadmeadow Magic. It was a match they had to win to ensure they could lead the table into the final 7 games of the season. The reason why it is important is because it was achieved against a Jaffas side which entered the game following a 5-game winning streak.
Olympic now have a recovery day on Monday and on Tuesday night take on Belmont Swansea United FC at Speers Point in a wash out fixture from Round 11.
Newcastle Olympic First Grade recorded their 5th win of the season and their first since Round 8, 14th April! Although their game with Jaffas was a lot more even, proceedings began with a stunning shot from distance from young Adam Zervas in 17th minute. Jaffas replied in the 28th minute with an equally impressive goal by ex-Olympic player Lachlan Griffiths.
Roy O’Donovan put Olympic 2-1 ahead in the first minute of the second half and an own goal in the 58th minute by Jaffas gave the home side the cushion they needed to see out the long-awaited win.
This brings Olympic back into 5th spot on 21 points with Charlestown in 4th spot on 24. Several teams with games in hand just outside the top 5 could still claim 5th spot but from now until the end of the season 4th and 5th are the only positions up for grabs given that the first three belong to Edgeworth, Broadmeadow Magic and Weston!
Hopefully this win can propel Olympic to a burst of winning form on the final 6 First Grade games of the season.
Newcastle Olympic are scheduled to host Lambton Jaffas in Round 18 of the Northern NSW NPL competition. Given the poor weather during the week there is no guarantee the match will go ahead! If it does, both Reserve Grade and First Grade are in desperate need of the 3 points against a tough Lambton Jaffas opponent.
Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade boasted an incredible 10 game winning streak until two weeks ago and were ahead in first place by as many as 9 points! A defeat and a draw later and although still in first place, Olympic can feel the breath of Cooks Hill in 2nd place!
Lambton Jaffas are in great form winning the past five consecutive games and will be seeking revenge for the 3-0 defeat they suffered at Arthur Eden Oval earlier in the year. The problem that Olympic are experiencing is poor finishing by their front line. Although there are no absences due to suspensions, injury and the possibility of players being drafted to help in First Grade may continue to affect the team in this game as well.
Kick off 2:30pm at Darling St Oval on Sunday 6th July, 2025
Newcastle Olympic First Grade have dropped out of the top five and if they don’t secure the 3 points against Lambton Jaffas could find themselves at the bottom half of the points table! Whilst Lambton Jaffas boast one win, one draw and three losses in their last five games, Newcastle Olympic have not won a game since Round 8 on the 11th April!
Olympic sit in 6th position on 18 points and Lambton Jaffas is in 7th, one point behind. There is little difference between the two sides but Olympic was very competitive during their 1-0 loss to Broadmeadow Magic last week. Could this be the game in which they can return to their winning ways?
Kick off 2:30pm at Darling St Oval on Sunday 6th July, 2025
Newcastle Olympic played out a 2-2 draw in Reserve Grade against Broadmeadow Magic and were narrowly defeated 1-0 in First Grade. Both games were closely contested affairs with luck not being on the side of the boys in blue.
A depleted Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade took the field against their arch-rivals and found themselves behind within the opening 3 minutes from a great header by Angus Mcleod! By the 26th minute the same player scored again with a stunning shot from distance! At this point in the game, the result looked like a forgone conclusion and the only question was by how many goals!
Due to injury, suspension and players being drafted to play in First Grade, the Olympic team fielded three players who had never started before and some playing in positions they had never played before! Despite this, the end of the first half found Magic going to the dressing room with a 2-0 lead and the shots on goal, 4 a piece! The obvious area for concern for Olympic being the attack!
In the second half Olympic settled their nerves and despite their poor finishing were able to peg a goal back through a penalty. A free kick won by George Tsamouras in the 58th minute and taken by the same player caused so much panic inside the Magic box that Charlie Halls was wrestled to the ground! The ensuing penalty was executed by Oliver Steinerts who scored by sending the keeper the wrong way.
By the 65th minute a sustained attack by Olympic resulted in a number of players shooting from inside the box and when the ball fell nicely to midfielder George Tsamouras, he placed it in the top right-hand corner to bring the game back to 2-2. Chances were created by both teams to win the game but the score remained at 2-2.
The most revealing statistic of the game were the 12-7 shots on target in favour of Olympic. This showed how much they dominated, especially in the second half, but also how poor their finishing was up front! To the credit of the players of both teams, not a single card was shown by the referee throughout the game!
If the 12-7 shots on target demonstrated the domination of Olympic in Reserve Grade, the same could not be said about the action in First Grade! Despite the 16 point gap on the points table between the two teams, the game was so close that at the end of the first half, the shots at goal were merely 3 a piece with two on target for Magic to 0 for Olympic.
Indeed, the only highlights of the first half were a yellow card to Luke Ruttledge in the 32nd minute and a very well executed cross and goal for Magic in the 43rd minute! Jack Simmons received a pass out wide on the left, he was able to beat Jye Rodway to the bye line and after a perfectly whipped ball across the face of the Olympic goal, James Cresnar tapped the ball into the net!
Olympic came close to levelling the score in the 55th minute when Kyle Bradbery struck the Magic woodwork but disaster struck for the blues when in the 58th minute they were reduced to 10 men after Luke Ruttledge received a second yellow card and had to exit the game! Despite this Olympic continued to hunt for an equalizer until the very end but to no avail! The only good opportunity for a goal in the second half was a long range shot by Magic which was saved by the Olympic goalkeeper, Adam Pearce.
Round 17 of the Northern NSW NPL brings together Newcastle Olympic and Broadmeadow Magic at Darling St Oval. The Reserve Grade of both teams are sulking over defeats from the previous round while in First Grade Broadmeadow Magic appear stronger on paper.
Newcastle Olympic and Broadmeadow Magic have played 13 games and in Reserve Grade the boys in blue are in 1st spot on 30 points while the visitors in 3rd place on 23 points. Olympic witnessed a 10 game winning streak come to an end when they were narrowly defeated in the previous round 1-0 by Maitland. Magic went down 1-0 to Lambton Jaffas midweek and have only 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in their past five games.
The break caused by 3-4 weeks of wash out fixtures due to the weather has certainly affected the momentum of both teams. Despite where they sit on the table when these two teams meet any result is possible as the matches are a local derby!
In the fixture at Magic Park earlier in the season Magic dominated play in the first half and pulled away to a 2-0 lead before Olympic reversed the domination and won the match 4-2! Both teams are similar in attack but in defence Magic have leaked in 7 more goals than Olympic!
Given that it is a derby and given that both lost last week, both teams will be out to restore their pride! Will Olympic return to their winning ways and make it a double against their arch-rival or will Magic avenge the 4-2 loss on home soil from earlier in the year?
Kick off at 12:00pm on Sunday 29th June 2025 at Darling St Oval
Newcastle Olympic and Broadmeadow Magic First Grade appear to have some difference between them on paper! Newcastle Olympic are in 5th spot on the table with 18 points while Broadmeadow Magic are in 2nd spot on 34 points! An incredible 16 point gap exists between the two teams and while Magic have had only one loss and one draw all season, winning all the rest, Olympic have not won since Round 8 on the 11th April!
In the fixture between the two teams earlier in the year Olympic lost 2-1 at Magic Park despite dominating play! Since then Magic have continued to show a level of consistency that has made the competition a two horse race with Edgeworth. Olympic on the other hand have found scoring difficult of late resulting in them accumulating 6 draws, the equal highest of the competition!
Regardless of position on the table and statistics all games between these two teams are a derby and any result is possible.
Will Olympic break the ice and win their first game since April or will Magic continue their journey at the top by defeating their rival at Darling St Oval?
Kick off at 2:00pm on Sunday 29th June 2025 at Darling St Oval
Newcastle Olympic struggled against Maitland FC losing 1-0 in Reserve Grade and drawing 1-1 in First Grade. Reserve Grade lost in the 87th minute a match which they should have won while First Grade drew a game during which the referee dished out eight yellow cards and one red!
Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade saw their 10 consecutive game winning streak come to an end when they conceded a goal in the 87th minute despite having many chances to score throughout the game. The two highlights of the game were poor finishing by both teams and inconsistent refereeing!
Olympic began the game well with an appeal for a penalty coming within the first minute of the game when midfielder George Tsamouras was brought down inside the box! This was followed by two further incidents involving Jed Hornery who was brought down twice in the box and the referee waved on play before the disbelieving eyes of the Olympic faithful!
What followed were some physical challenges that were waved on by the referee while others were pulled up! Olympic had the chance to open the score with two well struck shots by Walshe in the 30th and Steinerts in the 34th minute that were saved by the Maitland keeper and a volley by Tsamouras in the 41st minute that shaded the wrong side of the post! Olympic had 11 shots on goal to Maitland’s 4 by the end of the half.
With the start of the second half Jed Hornery charged towards goal and after side stepping a Maitland defender and lining up a shot with only the goalkeeper to beat, he was pulled down from behind by the defender with both arms stretched over his shoulders! This was a classic case of a “professional foul” but the referee only gave the defender a yellow card!
Olympic continued to pressure the Maitland goal and came close 5 minutes later through a header by Lucas Walshe which grazed the post! In the 64th minute a good combination between Townsend and Walshe resulted in a cross which deflected off a Maitland player and came off the post! Maitland also had some shots on goal but also to no avail.
In the 79th minute the most controversial incident of the game occurred. During a physical challenge in the middle of the field Louis Townsend was shown a yellow card and a foul was given to Maitland. While the Maitland team prepared to take the free kick the referee consulted his linesman, returned and showed the Olympic player a straight red!
As soon as play resumed a Maitland cross from the right found the hand of an Olympic defender and the referee pointed to the penalty spot! Suddenly, a game which Olympic was dominating but was unable to score looked like it was about to be lost! Maitland took the penalty and the Olympic goalkeeper, Issac Quinn, pulled off a double save to keep the ball out of his net!
The golden rule in football, if you fail to capitalize when you dominate you get punished in the end, applied to this game too. A through ball by Maitland in the 87th minute found an attacking player who had enough time to shoot and despite a great effort by Issac Quinn, the Olympic keeper was unable to stop the ball from bouncing into his net.
Maitland players were over the moon with the goal and result while the ten game winning streak by Olympic came to an end.
Newcastle Olympic First Grade continued with a 4-4-2 formation, the same as in the match with Valentine, in the Round 16 NPL match with Maitland FC. In the first 15 minutes the game was even with neither team being able to find openings and looking to maintain possession.
In the 16th minute the Maitland goalkeeper failed to come off his line to collect the ball and a number of headers inside the box resulted in the ball falling at the feet of Roy O’Donovan who scored from a position harder to miss! By the half hour mark, little had changed with both teams trying to exploit the flanks but with very little goal mouth action at either end.
Slowly the tempo of the game began to rise with play being switched from right to left and vice versa. Maitland had a goal disallowed for offside in the 40th minute but despite the quick movement of the ball neither side was able to open each other’s defense with a clear goal scoring opportunity. Just before half time it was Olympics’ turn to score from an offside position. By half time, Olympic had recorded only 3 shots at goal to Maitland’s 2!
The second half was a mirror of the first with quick movement of the ball by both teams but little goal mouth action. Maitland’s equalizer came in the 59th minute when the Olympic goalkeeper failed to hold a long rang effort and the rebound landed at the feet of a Magpie forward who had no difficulty guiding the ball to the back of the net.
The half continued with individual flashes of brilliance by players in front of goal but due to the numbers in defense by both teams, no breach could be made to the stalemate. As the game wore on fatigue began to set in and yellow cards began to take their toll. The culmination occurred in the 85th minute when a two footed tackle from behind resulted in Roy O’Donovan seeing a red card and Olympic being reduced to 10 players until the end of the match. The game ended 1-1 which is a fair result based on the efforts of both teams.
Newcastle Olympic FC take on Maitland FC in Round 16 of the Northern NSW NPL competition on Sunday at Darling St Oval. Unlike the past two outings, Maitland will be a much tougher opponent for both First and Reserve Grades.
Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade have had an incredible 10 weeks in which they have won 10 consecutive games. The momentum of the team has been disrupted by 4 weeks of wash out games and they have only just picked up from where they left off against opponents from the bottom half of the points table.
Maitland FC are not such an opponent and despite being 11 points behind Olympic, they are in 4th place on the points ladder, just 2 short from 2nd spot! In the Round 5 fixture at Cook Square Park, the boys in blue had to wait until the 87th minute to come away with a 1-0 victory. The match on Sunday will be no different.
Whilst Olympic have won their past 10 games, Maitland have had three wins and two losses in their past five. In their most recent match against Weston, the local derby of the coalfields, Maitland lost 3-1 at Cook Square Park and will be seeking to avenge this against Olympic!
Olympic have won in their past two matches since the interruption from the wash out matches but have not shown the same fluency they demonstrated in their play as before the break. Injury, the departure of one player plus the promotion of a few others to First Grade may also have some impact on this fluency.
Will Olympic be able to make it 11 consecutive wins on Sunday against a very tough Maitland FC side, or will the Magpies be the team to stop Olympic and edge closer to 2nd spot on the ladder themselves?
Kick off at 2:30pm at Darling St Oval on Sunday 22nd June 2025
Newcastle Olympic First Grade have been winless in their past five matches having lost two and drawn three! Maitland have won three, two against Lambton Jaffas and Charlestown Azzurri, drawn one and lost their most recent game against Weston.
In the Round 5 fixture at Cook Square Park Olympic had no problem finding the back of the net, winning 5-3! Since then, they have had difficulty in their finishing and Maitland have tightened their defense, having conceded just 5 goals in their last 5 outings.
Olympic occupy 5th spot on the points ladder and while the first two positions look like being reserved for Edgeworth and Broadmeadow until the end of the season, they are only 5 points away from 3rd spot. Maitland is in 8th position, three points behind Olympic!
A win for Olympic edges them closer to 3rd spot on the ladder, a defeat will could send them to 8th spot on the ladder with a mountain to climb for a top 5 birth.
Kick off at 4:30pm at Darling St Oval on Sunday 22nd June 2025
On a sunny afternoon at Darling St Oval Newcastle Olympic FC was able to come away with a 3-2 win and a 2-2 draw in the Round 15 NPL fixture against Valentine FC. Olympic Reserve Grade achieved an incredible 10 consecutive wins to be 9 points clear at the top of the table while Olympic First Grade were unlucky not to win, missing a penalty 8 minutes before the end of the match.
Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade reached an incredible 10th consecutive win against Valentine FC which has brought them 9 points clear at the top of the table! Despite a number of regulars playing up in First Grade, Olympic opened the score as early as the 6th minute through midfield ace River Petersen. Valentine replied 10 minutes later through a debatable penalty to bring the score 1-1.
The game was even possession wise but Olympic created 6 goal scoring opportunities to Valentine’s 2. Just before half time a clumsy challenge inside the Valentine box on Jesse Fitzgerald resulted in a penalty being awarded and converted to a 2-1 scoreline by the same player.
By the 52nd minute a poorly defended corner by Olympic resulted in Tom Davies executing a free header and the score being pegged back to 2-2! Some physical play ensued as the players of both teams began to show signs of fatigue after having played midweek as well. Valentine collected three yellow cards during this period while the Olympic bench tried to freshen up the team by using their substitutions.
During one of these substitutions Andrew Paksec come on and took up the right back position, releasing Blake Clifton to play further forward. Within 7 minutes, a great clearance kick by goalkeeper Issac Quinn resulted in the ball bouncing once in front of Blake Clifton and a delicate lob over the Valentine keeper made the score 3-2!
The boys in blue then dug deep to hold on to their 10th consecutive win of the season, a job made easier by a Valentine player receiving his second yellow card and receiving his marching orders from the field!
A great achievement from players and coaching staff, winning 10 consecutive games after losing the first two. 10 more games remain and consistency and remaining injury free will be the keys to success.
Newcastle Olympic First Grade began their game against Valentine FC with a change in their structure, playing with two strikers, three midfielders, one holding midfielder and four in defence! The match was even with many physical battles between players and with three shots on goal each. The first goal came in the 31st minute when Kyle Bradbery received the ball on the left, cut it back to create space and time to shoot and then he neatly tucked the ball in the far corner to make the score 1-0 for Olympic.
The second half began with Olympic controlling the game and creating the chances but being unable to finish them. In the 52nd minute Valentine won a free kick on the edge of the box and despite 8 Olympic players inside the box to 4 from the opposition, a Valentine player was able to execute a free header and send the ball to the far post for a 1-1 equalizer!
Olympic continued to pressure the Valentine goal and again the final touch appeared to elude them until the 64th minute when Adam Zervas received the ball just inside the box and unleashed a thunderous shot to make the score 2-1 for Olympic. Olympic continued to control the ball but in a harmless run by a Valentine forward on the edge of the box in the 72 minute, the Olympic goalkeeper charged at him, causing the referee to point to the penalty box! The initial penalty was saved but the rebound was fired back in for the game to be level at 2-2!
Following this, chances went begging for both teams. Both lacked the finishing touch to put the ball at the back of the net. In the 81st minute Roy O’Donovan was tripped inside the box and the referee awarded Olympic a penalty. Despite beating the goalkeeper, O’Donovan fired the ball onto the woodwork and the 2-2 score line remained until the end!
Newcastle Olympic host Valentine FC in Round 15 of the NPL competition at Darling St Oval. After playing New Lambton midweek the boys in blue are called upon to take on Valentine at Darling St Oval on Sunday afternoon.
Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade are an incredible 8 points clear in first place on the table and will be attempting to record their 10th consecutive win. Inactive for over a month and a half, the team has played two games so far and is slowly starting to reach the momentum they enjoyed prior to the wash out games.
On paper Olympic are stronger in attack and defense but a lot will depend on player availability on the day. First Grade lost two players mid-week through red cards and there is a possibility they will draw players from the reserve grade to replace them.
Another important factor is Valentine’s 3-2 victory over Broadmeadow Magic on Thursday night! Indeed, they led 3-0 after only 37 minutes! This result will have certainly lifted the spirit of players and the showdown with Olympic promises to be an interesting affair.
Kick off at 12:00pm at Darling St Oval on Sunday 15th June 2025.
Newcastle Olympic First Grade will attempt to secure 3 points from a Valentine outfit which is second last on the points table with only 2 wins and 2 draws all season! Midweek they failed to win against a New Lambton team on 0 wins and 2 draws all season!
On paper they should win but with two losses and two draws over the last four outings, any result is possible. Valentine have lost their past four matches and are due for some points if they want to avoid the wooden spoon this year. Will Olympic return to their winning ways or will Valentine cause an upset?
Kick off at 2:00pm at Darling St Oval on Sunday 15th June 2025.
George Tsamouras Football Journey 