This Saturday night is Hamilton Olympic’s last home game of the season and is our Old Boy Days! We take on our traditional rivals Broadmeadow Magic.
1st Grade kicks off at 6.00pm
Under 20s kick off at 4.00pm
Under 18s kick off at 2.15pm
HOFC invite all past players, coaches and committee to Saturday nights game. Wear your old Olympic gear to support the club.
source: Tom Tsamouras
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Hamilton Olympic 4 (A.Swan 36’, Duncan 55’, Goodchild 80’, 90+2’) defeated Lake Macquarie City Roosters 0 at Macquarie Field.
Late heroics weren’t required this weekend, but that didn’t stop Hamilton piling on the goals in the second half as Olympic comfortably defeated Lake Macquarie 4-0 on Sunday afternoon.
Hamilton kept the race for the Premiership alive until the final matchday of the PS4 NPL Northern NSW, where they will need a win against Broadmeadow and hope Edgeworth lose to Lake Macquarie to take out the title.
The Swan brothers combined to open Olympics’ account on 36 minutes, when Matt, threaded the ball through the heart of the Roosters defence to Andrew.
Andrew Swan rounded Roosters keeper Kannon Ford – replacing the suspended Benn Kelly – and finished their opening goal of the afternoon.
The visitors took their slender lead to the break and after the resumption it didn’t take long for Marcus Duncan to head them into a 2-0 advantage after Reece Papas curled his corner to the tall defender at the near post.
Hamilton took a while to score their third, but it was worth the wait as Andrew Swan and Kane Goodchild played a superb one-two and Goodchild slotted from close range to go equal top of the Golden Boot standings.
But, in stoppage time Goodchild ensured he will be the outright leader in the Golden Boot race going into the final round as he finished off the rout with a comfortable volley after Scott Smith chipped a wonderful ball to his fellow strike-partner.
It was a comfortable win according to Olympic boss Michael Bolch.
“We ran into the wind in the first half, it was probably a good two goal wind. It was pretty strong out there. We led 1-0 at half-time and in the second half I don’t know if they [Lakes] got out of their own half. It was pretty controlled.”
Bolch said the game was played in trying conditions.
“It was difficult today, the ground wasn’t great, the weather was really windy.
“It was probably not so much a danger game, but after coming off big games against Edgy and Valo the last couple of weeks, there could have been that tendency for the boys not quite being up for it, but they did really well.”
Under 20s Olympic won 4-1
Under 18s Drew 0-0
NPL Youth Results
Olympic vs Weston
Under 16s Weston won 0-3
Under 15s Olympic won 5-0
Under 14s Olympic won 2-1
Under 13s Olympic won 9-1
🏆🏆Congratulations to our Under 13s and Under 15s NPL Youth teams on winning the Premiership today with wins against Weston🏆🏆
Zone League 2
Olympic vs Kahibah
1st Grade Kahibah won 1-2
2nd Grade Kahibah won 1-7
NET results
Under 12s Olympic defeated New Lambton 5-1
Under 10s Olympic defeated Lambton 4-0
Olympic Junior Results
Under 16a Olympic drew with New Lambton 3-3
Under 15a Olympic defeated by Kotara 1-4
Under 13a Olympic defeated Maitland 2-1
Under 12b Olympic defeated by Sth Wallsend 1-7
Under 9/1 Olympic defeated Lambton
IN OTHER GAMES:
Edgeworth Eagles 5 (Taylor 32’, Holz 41’, Bower 84’, McBreen 90’, Moriyasu 90+3’) defeated Valentine Phoenix 0 at Cahill Oval.
Edgeworth put one hand on their third Premiership with a comprehensive 5-0 victory, which left Valentine’s finals hopes hanging by a thread and which on Sunday were completely extinguished by Broadmeadow Magic.
Five different players scored for the Eagles in the win, which they didn’t fully seal until the 84th minute.
After a tight opening half hour, where neither side created much in the way of chances, Edgeworth opened their account in the 32nd minute. Pat Wheeler chipped a pass down the left sideline for Dom Bizzarri.
Phoenix keeper Scott Carter came charging out of his goals to diffuse the situation, but was too late, as Bizzarri got to the ball first, and looped his cross infield to Brody Taylor who headed home into an empty net.
Edgeworth’s second proved a killer blow before half-time.
Dylan Holz raced down the left edge and attempted to cross into the middle, but the ball instead sliced off the side of his boot and wrong footed Carter, sneaking inside the near post, as the Phoenix keeper frantically dove to his right to keep the ball out.
The Eagles led 2-0 at the interval and when they returned the visitors continued to stifle Valentine’s attack, as Jalon Brown was kept incredibly quiet.
Edgeworth had chances to seal the game earlier in the half, via Brody Taylor and Daniel McBreen, but Will Bower finished the Phoenix off in the 84th minute. Ayden Brice’s cross was pushed clear by Carter, but fell straight to Bower who thumped his volley into the back of the net.
Things went from bad to worse in the 85th minute for Valentine with striker Jalon Brown pulling up lame with a hamstring injury and played no further part in the match.
With all their substitutions used Valentine had to play the final minutes with just ten men, and the Eagles smelt blood in the water.
First Daniel McBreen launched a strike from the left edge of the box which cannoned into goal and then Keigo Moriyasu sealed the match in stoppage time with a superb chip over Carter to make it 5-0.
In the wash-up Edgeworth coach Damian Zane felt his side were never troubled.
“I thought we nullified them completely,” Zane said.
“They might have had one shot from distance and a couple of crosses. Other than that, I can’t remember them troubling us too much. Credit to our back four, with Lachie [Pasquale] in front, they were great.”
Zane felt pre-match that his side were primed for a big performance.
“When I saw them today and walked into the sheds to give them the team talk, there is a reason why teams win comps and that look in that shed is exactly it. To win a comp, these boys can smell it and you’ve got to be awfully hungry to take it off them.”
Phoenix coach Darren Sills conceded the Eagles were just too good.
“We set up all week to try and be in the game at half-time. We made a couple of little tinkers to our shape which didn’t work and you put your hand up as a coach.”
“They are a very good football side, and people give them a lot of credit for their attack, but seriously their defence is unbelievable.
“Very difficult to break down, we’ve got the best attacker in the league and he couldn’t get near it. He’s had one shot from halfway, and that was his strike for the day.”
“I said to the boys, it’s round 21 and we are still on a Saturday afternoon alive, which is amazing. We finished third last last year and it looks like we could finish fifth this year.”
Maitland Magpies 2 (McKellar 50’, Thornton 59’) defeated Lambton Jaffas 1 (R.Griffiths 2’) at Arthur Edden Oval.
Lambton’s late-season slumber continued at home on Saturday, as the Jaffas were downed 2-1 and lost for the third time in six matches.
Maitland, who only have a mathematical chance of making the finals, kept up their strong away form which has seen them lose just once away from Cooks Square Park this season.
But, early on it all seemed to be going to plan for the Jaffas, when the scored inside two minutes. Ryan Griffiths controlled and finished in the box for an early lead.
With a strong wind behind them in the opening half Lambton pushed for a second, and it was Joel Griffiths who came the closest.
The Jaffas striker lashed a volley from the right side of the box which seared towards the top right corner and was tremendously stopped by outstretched Magpies keeper Matt Trott.
Lambton headed to the sheds with a deserved 1-0 advantage, but were left to rue their first half chances minutes after the break.
Five minutes into the half Liam Thornton struck from Josh Dutton-Black’s pinpoint corner.
Less than ten minutes later and the Magpies had a surprise lead.
First Ryan Clarke’s shot from the left was saved by Jaffas keeper Brad Swancott, then Chris Fayers had his shot blocked by Lambton skipper Michael Sessions, before Jye Mckellar calmly slotted his first PS4 NPL goal of the season to make it 2-1.
With the wind at their backs in the second half, Maitland were able to keep their slim finals hopes alive – which in the end were dashed by Broadmeadow on Sunday afternoon – as the Jaffas were left to rue their missed opportunities.
Maitland coach Phil Dando described it as an even match made difficult by the wind and a bumpy pitch.
“Kicking with the wind in the first half they were on top and they scored early and then they put us under pressure.
“We battled in the first half and then half-time with that strong wind behind us we were able to go on with it and basically because of it we managed to stay most of the half in their half.
“Probably the first half, they were on top and second half we were on top. But, I think the wind had a big part in it.”
Dando said he was most impressed with the Magpies defence.
“We were missing Matt Thompson and Matt Comerford through injury and young Matt Sokulski came in, but he had to go off after half-an-hour because he couldn’t breathe.
“We changed from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 which we experimented a bit against the Jets on Wednesday night. The two banks of four, just defended really well.”
Broadmeadow Magic 2 (Pettit 31’, Haynes (p) 77’) defeated Newcastle Jets Youth 0 at Magic Park.
Peter Haynes’ final regular season match at Magic Park ended in success for Broadmeadow as they sealed their spot in the finals for a third consecutive season.
Scott Pettit opened Magic’s account for the afternoon with his second goal in two PS4 NPL matches.
Matt Hoole whipped a corner in from the right edge which viciously curled towards the back post, where Pettit prodded the ball over the line.
The Jets should have gone to the sheds locked up, but Angus Thurgate pulled his shot just wide from the edge of the box.
Cameron Joice had another great opportunity in the second half which went begging, and Magic pounced.
The script couldn’t have been written any better. In his final home match in the regular season for Broadmeadow, Peter Haynes got the moment he deserved.
Haynes charged downfield, bumped past Mitch Dobson – who was unlucky not to receive a foul himself – and entered the box where he was brought to ground by Daniel Alessi, who was subsequently red-carded for the challenge.
The Magic Legend then stepped up to the spot and sent Tristan Esquilant the wrong way to double Magic’s lead and seal their spot in the finals.
Magic coach Ruben Zadkovich said their eighth straight PS4 NPL win was “all about guts and spirit”.
“We are battling. We’ve got boys, like let’s say dead bodies out there on the pitch. We are hanging on for dear life with some of them. Three games in a week, and not to mention a really disappointing loss mentally for the boys [in the FFA Cup].
“To bounce back from that, have a big night out and then the travel, and then come back and we barely trained at all and we didn’t prepare for the Jets that well at all. It was just all about guts and determination.”
He also praised retiring veteran Peter Haynes after the match.
“He is everything to our club,” Zadkovich said.
“He is an absolute champion person first and foremost. Forget what he does as a player, he is an absolute champion bloke and anyone who knows him knows that.
“On top of that he is a high-class player and has been for so many years for the club. For him to get that goal on the day that we made a big deal as a club about him, the script was written beautifully for him. He deserves it.
“Not always in football do people get the rewards that deserve, but for Pete it has happened. You can’t say he doesn’t deserve it because he certainly does.”
In contrast, Jets coach Lawrie McKinna was frustrated with the result.
“We improved since we’ve [Labinot Haliti and McKinna] come in and we’ve got high standards and I know Magic are one of the top teams, but I thought they were there for us today.
“I thought we could put a team on the park which was very competitive, which we did, but just disappointed we didn’t get something from the game.
“We feel as though we are improving, but we still have a lot of room for improvement.”
Charlestown City Blues 2 (Bartlett 71’, Ferguson 80’) defeated Weston Bears 1 (Joel Barner 86’) at Lisle Carr Oval.
Charlestown sent departing coach Shane Pryce out on a high, as they finished off the season with a gritty 2-1 victory over Weston at home on Sunday.
The victory confirmed Charlestown will finish the season in eighth place on 19 points, with the Blues having the final weekend off with the bye.
After a tight opening half, both sides cancelled each other out and neither could find a goal.
In the opening 35 minutes of the second half, it was a similar story, until Daniel Bartlett headed the home side into a 1-0 lead.
The afternoon got a whole lot trickier for the Bears when defender Jordan Jackson was given his marching orders in the 75th minute.
The Blues doubled their advantage soon after when Josh Small found space down the left, squaring his pass for Rene Ferguson who finished his season with another goal, the 11th of the campaign.
Joel Barner gave the young Bears some late hope in the 86th minute when a sublime pass from Max Forster split the Charlestown defence. Barner sped down the right and cut his shot across Nathan Archbold and into the left corner.
However, it proved too little too late for Weston as they lost their 10th match straight and 14th of the season.
Source:sportstg.co
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Lake Macquarie Roosters v Hamilton Olympic
2.30pm Sunday 6th August at Macquarie Field
Last Meeting: Round 10, 2017: Hamilton 1 Lake Macquarie 1 at Darling Street Oval.
Ladder: Lakes 7th (22), Hamilton 2nd (37)
Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Hamilton – Won Phoenix 2-1 (h), Won Bears 3-0 (a), Won Eagles 1-0 (h)
Lakes – Lost Magpies 0-4 (h), Lost Jets 0-5 (a), Won Rosebud 3-1 (h)
Bottom Line
It’s amazing just how much the seasons of both Hamilton and Lake Macquarie have changed since their last meeting in round nine.
Lakes were sitting in sixth, and Hamilton fifth. Just two points separated the sides, and in the end Lakes went within a whisker of claiming all three points at Darling Street.
In yet another one of Hamilton’s comeback stories Grant Brown scored in the 86th minute to snatch a point from the jaws of defeat for Olympic.
Since that afternoon, Lakes have won just three of their last nine matches. Olympic have won seven of their last nine and instead of two points separating the sides, it is a cavernous gap of 15 points which separates them.
They say losing is a habit, as is winning and Olympic just can’t find a way to lose a game even if they tried. Hamilton have won five matches straight and in three they have been a goal down, before fighting back to claim victory on all three occasions.
Lake Macquarie have had a tough run of late, losing their last two matches and being on the end of some hefty score lines.
Lakes lost 4-0 last start to Maitland two weekends ago, which followed their 5-0 midweek thumping at the hands of the Jets Youth.
They had the week off last weekend, due to playing the Jets match earlier and have had time to process the news that coach Anthony Richards will no longer be at the club next year.
With Lakes in some turmoil, and Olympic with everything to play for the visitors will be heavy favourites to make it six straight victories.
What the Coaches Said:
Anthony Richards (Lakes)
“[I’m excited] especially when there are two games to go we get to play the two better sides in the comp. I guess, we won’t make the semi-finals but we are going to treat them like it’s our Grand Final. It’s good for us. It’s not so much about spoiling the party for Olympic, but its making sure we finish the year on a good note. We’ve done well to get to where we are and we don’t want to throw away the year with two poor results against two good sides.”
“We want to take these games like we did the first games of the year. We want to be competitive in the big games and we are still testing ourselves as we go. They can smell semi-finals those guys. The seasoned campaigners, guys that have been there a long time. The [Kane] Goodchilds and [Scott] Smiths. This is where they come into their own.”
Michael Bolch (Hamilton)
“We just got to worry about us. They [Lake Macquarie] haven’t got a great deal to play for apart from spoiling some parties. We’ll find out a lot more what happens on Saturday, realistically. The big games are played on Saturday, and they’ll decide a lot before Sunday’s game I think.”
“Obviously, the boys are gaining confidence from it each week. To me they are just getting their rewards for hard work. They put in week in and week out at training and they are receiving the rewards they deserve at the moment. We had a sit down four or five weeks ago about attendance at training and all the side distractions. To their credit the boys have really knuckled down the last five weeks and I think that is showing from the results they are getting.”
Key: In Anthony Richards’ final home game as Lake Macquarie coach, can the Roosters cause a shock and send their mentor home a winner?
U20s Lake Macquarie – Hamilton Olympic Sunday 6th August kick off 12.30am Macquarie Field
U18s Lake Macquarie – Hamilton Olympic Sunday 6th August kick off 10.45am Macquarie Field
NPL YOUTH: ROUND 20
U13s Weston – Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 5th August kick off 10.00 am at Rockwell Automation Park
U14s Weston – Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 5th August kick off 11.30 am at Rockwell Automation Park
U15s Weston – Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 5th August kick off 1.00 pm at Rockwell Automation Park
U16s Weston – Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 5th August kick off 2.30 pm at Rockwell Automation Park
IN OTHER GAMES
Valentine Phoenix v Edgeworth Eagles
2.30pm Saturday 5th August at Cahill Oval
Last Meeting: Round 10, 2017: Edgeworth 1 Valentine 0 at Jack McLaughlan Oval.
Ladder: Valentine 5th (32pts), Edgeworth 1st (39)
Last 3 Starts (most recent first):
Valentine – Lost Olympic 1-2 (a), Drew Magpies 2-2 (h), Won Jets 3-2 (h)
Edgeworth – Won Bears 3-0 (h), Won Blues 3-1 (a), Lost Olympic 0-1 (a)
Bottom Line
Both Valentine and Edgeworth have experienced heartache in recent times, and while one was on the national stage and the other locally, each defeat had similar importance for both sides.
Last weekend, with a chance to keep themselves in the top four and potentially put themselves in the box seat for a first finals appearance since 2010, all appeared to be going along just fine for Valentine.
Josh Murray put them ahead, and they were on their way to a famous victory against a club with a much bigger budget. But, an equaliser from Kane Goodchild and a last-minute winner from Daniel Bird sent the Phoenix home empty handed.
Now their finals hopes hinge on this weekend. They’ll have to do what just two local sides have done this season – beat Edgeworth. Without victory against the Eagles, a top four is almost impossible. A season which promised so much, may fall short of its destiny.
Similarly, for Edgeworth, they will know exactly what the Phoenix’s pain feels like. In the Westfield FFA Cup, they too played against a side with a much bigger budget. They too had their opportunities. But, a last-minute goal from South Melbourne striker Milos Luijic and they went home empty handed.
There is so much at stake this weekend.
Edgeworth will be aiming to keep ahead in the race for their third premiership, and keep alive the dream of the triple-double (three premierships and three Grand Final wins in three consecutive years). A feat not achieved since the Weston side of the early 70s.
Meanwhile, Valentine will be trying to make the finals for the first time since 2010.
Edgeworth are no doubt favourites, but against a Phoenix side who has lost just once at home this year, and whose season is on the line, this one could go down to the wire.
What the Coaches Said:
Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)
“The message [after last weekend’s loss] is going to be that we are good enough. I genuinely believe that the players we have are good enough and the team is even better again. It’s decent individually, but I feel like as a team we have the capability to win everything. We knew that if we wanted to win the comp, we would have to beat Edgeworth at some point and it may as well be this week.”
“I’m liking that they’ve [Edgeworth] played a few games recently. It would have been good if they had of beaten South Melbourne so might have been that little bit more distracted. But, it could go the other way. They might have their confidence dented a bit, and realise they’re not invincible and it would be good for us to exploit that. Again, if you look at where we can poke holes in them it is a short conversation, but we’ll find one.”
Damian Zane (Edgeworth)
“They [Valentine] are well organised. I watched the game on the weekend, and they have to count themselves unlucky not to get something out of it in the end. A mistake by Reece [Pettit] but he couldn’t be faulted in general. That’s the game isn’t it, you get punished for one mistake. They were good and around the time of their goal they had a few chances and could have gone 2-0 up and they definitely wouldn’t have lost the game from there. They would have won it to be honest.”
“I think we still have been defending well, but we haven’t kept a clean sheet in a while. It was good to get that back on track [last weekend]. I thought we defended really well in the Cup, and probably should have kept a clean sheet there. It’s a different beast, Valentine down at that ground [Cahill Oval]. It is quite easy to get Jalon Brown isolated against guys, because it is so big. They do counter and use him quite well.”
Key: Can this weekend’s must win match bring out the best in the Phoenix?
Lambton Jaffas v Maitland Magpies
2.30pm Saturday 5th August at Arthur Edden Oval
Last Meeting: Round 10, 2017: Maitland 1 Lambton 2 at Cooks Square Park.
Ladder: Lambton 3rd (36), Maitland 6th (28)
Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Maitland – Lost Magic 1-3 (h), Won Roosters 4-0 (a), Drew Phoenix 2-2 (a)
Lambton – Won Rosebud 6-1 (h), Drew Blues 2-2 (h), Lost Magic 1-3 (a)
Bottom Line
While Lambton had the weekend off in Round 20, Maitland had their hopes all but ended by Broadmeadow Magic in a 3-1 defeat at home.
Although they are still a chance mathematically, it seems more like an impossible mission for the Magpies, who now sit five points outside the top four.
In recent weeks, Maitland will rue the two goals they conceded late against Hamilton in round 15, where three points were all but secure until they fell apart defensively. Then in round 18 against a ten-man Valentine outfit they could only manage a draw.
While draws have stalled their progress, the Magpies have been difficult to beat, losing just two of their last eight matches.
In addition, their record away from home is also very good, with Maitland losing just one of their nine trips away from Cooks Square Park.
Their opponents Lambton experienced a difficult run of form before having the weekend off with the bye.
They lost to Broadmeadow and drew with Charlestown, before winning last start against Adamstown in a canter by six goals to one.
While the Jaffas have sat at the top of the ladder for much of the year, the recent form slump has meant they are not yet assured of a finals spot.
Victory over Maitland on Sunday would ensure their spot in the finals and a point would go a long way to confirming their place in the top four.
However, with Jobe Wheelhouse and Nathan Morris still out indefinitely, the task is still a little tricky for the understrength Jaffas.
What the Coaches Said:
James Pascoe (Lambton)
“[Maitland are a] good side, a positive goal difference of plus ten, that tells a story in itself I think. They had the issues around the weather at the start of the year which made it really quite difficult for them, I think. On their day, they are as good as anyone so not expecting anything but a very tough game.”
“I think it’s really important, obviously, the bye last week and the 6-1 result the week before against Adamstown was pleasing. So, if we can build on that result with a couple of positive results into the first week of the finals I think very quickly confidence gets restored and all of those sorts of things. We are confident that we well finish the season well.”
Phil Dando (Maitland)
“They [Lambton] are up there and they are doing well. They have recruited players, good players and they have made themselves very difficult to beat. But, having said that, for all the good players they have recruited they should be sitting on top of the comp and not in the position they are at the moment. They are one of the top four and they are going to be difficult to beat.”
“Mathematically we are still in with a chance so we have just got to do the best we can and just work as hard. If we play at our best we can beat anyone, we’ve just got to go and do it. We haven’t been doing it on a regular basis and there are reasons for that. We’ve just got to make sure we get a result and other results go our way. It’s a slim chance, but there is still a chance and we’ve got to go for it.”
Key: Can Lambton record back-to-back wins for the first time since early June, and set sail for a finals assault?
Broadmeadow Magic v Newcastle Jets Youth
2.30pm Sunday 6th August at Magic Park
Last Meeting: Round 10, 2017: Jets Youth 1 Broadmeadow 4 at Magic Park.
Ladder: Broadmeadow 4th (33), Jets Youth 10th (15)
Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Broadmeadow – Won Magpies 3-1 (a), Won Rosebud 3-0 (h), Won Jaffas 3-1 (h)
Jets Youth – Won Roosters 5-0 (h), Won Bears 1-0 (h), Lost Eagles 1-4 (a)
Bottom Line
Broadmeadow farewell a legend of the club on Sunday in what should be a massive afternoon of Old Boys Day celebrations.
After 19 seasons of top grade action Peter Haynes has decided to call it a day, and this weekend’s match with the Jets Youth will mark his final regular season home match.
However, he will get one last match at Magic Park if Broadmeadow make the finals, which is looking increasingly likely.
Magic have achieved what no other side has managed to this year in winning seven matches straight in the league.
Seven weeks ago with their finals hopes in tatters after a round 12 defeat to Edgeworth the equation was simple. Win seven of their last nine and they would make the finals. Since that afternoon, seven of seven have been won.
Last week, in their toughest test of recent times against Maitland, Broadmeadow dug deep with injuries forcing Jon Griffiths and Josh Piddington off the field and won 3-1 to move into the top four for the first time since round four.
The Jets Youth play their first NPL match in three weeks after an up and down trip to China for the Weifang Cup, an international youth football tournament, where they finished the competition in eighth place.
The Jets tournament started brightly with a 3-1 victory over Shandong Luneng, before they were quickly brought back to earth by Mexico’s Chivas Guadalajara in a 3-0 defeat.
With a spot in the semi-finals on offer in their final group match, the young Jets put in a strong performance against the Belgian giants Club Brugge, but could only manage a 2-2 draw which pushed them into the playoff spots for fifth to eighth.
Back to back losses to the u/19 Chinese National Side and FC Tokyo ensured the Jets finished the tournament in eighth.
Back in the NPL, the Jets have experienced a good recent run of form with back-to-back wins.
A tight 1-0 win against Weston, followed by a crushing 5-0 victory against Lake Macquarie saw the Jets rise to ninth, but wins for Adamstown in recent weeks have pushed the Jets back to second last – a position they will be keen to move away from.
With so much on the line for Magic, it seems there will only be one result on Sunday, but how fatigued they are after their extra-time Westfield FFA Cup defeat could have a significant bearing on the match.
What the Coaches Said:
Labinot Hailit (Jets Youth Assistant)
“I think it was a great experience [in China] for them. They learnt a lot, they lived for 10 days with other clubs and saw them first hand. It was a great opportunity and experience for them and one that will live with them forever. They got to see other clubs, big clubs at the same age and how they do things, what they do and got to play against them. It was a privilege to play in the tournament.”
“They [Magic] are always up there, every year. They are always challenging. They are always at the top, so I think it will be a good test for the boys and we are looking forward to it. There are two more games left, and we will assess how everyone pulls up [after the Weifang Cup]. First things first, we’ll let them enjoy a couple of days off, because they deserve it, and then we will see how they are feeling.”
Key: Can Magic re-focus on the finals run in after their FFA Cup disappointment?
Charlestown City Blues v Weston Bears
2.30pm Sunday 6th August at Lisle Carr Oval
Last Meeting: Round 10, 2017: Weston 3 Charlestown 0 at Rockwell Automation Park.
Ladder: Charlestown 8th (16), Weston 11th (7)
Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Charlestown – Lost Rosebud 0-1 (a), Lost Eagles 1-3 (h), Drew Jaffas 2-2 (a)
Weston – Lost Eagles 0-3 (a), Lost Olympic 0-3 (h), Lost Jets 0-1 (a)
Bottom Line
Charlestown will aim to send departing coach Shane Pryce out on a high this weekend, when they play their final match of the season at home against Weston on Sunday.
With the bye in round 22, the Blues finish their season after Sunday’s clash, and will want to take home three points to ensure they finish a rollercoaster season in at least eighth.
Defeat on Sunday, could mean Charlestown finish second-last if both Adamstown and the Jets Youth can claim victory in their final matches.
After a bright three weeks where Charlestown faced off against the current top three sides in the competition, and led in all three matches, they couldn’t repeat the dose against Adamstown on Saturday falling 1-0 in a tight contest at Adamstown Oval.
It’s been the story of the Blues season. They have shown their quality, but not consistently enough over the year.
Weston come into the match on the back of a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Edgeworth in a match described by many to have lacked intensity.
The Bears will want to add another win to a disappointing season. Their only victory came in their round 10 clash with Charlestown where they ran out comprehensive 3-0 victors at home.
Neither side has tasted much success this season and both will be keen to end the year on a positive note.
The Bears have won just once in their 18 matches thus far, while Charlestown have only won once in their last 13 matches after they started so brightly with three wins in their first six matches.
It’s a difficult match to split, but the Blues may just head into the clash with the edge, playing their final match and looking to make it a positive farewell for Shane Pryce.
What the Coaches Said:
Steve Piggott (Weston)
“They are a bit of a rudderless ship at the minute. Shane has probably clocked off a bit. He is moving on. Their results have been mixed, they’ve played a few young guys the last couple of weeks and again it’s a battle of two teams who are probably not doing too well.”
“I spoke to a couple of players today about the disappointing effort last weekend [against Edgeworth] and most of the players are primed and at this stage. In the talks I’ve had they want to do better than we did last weekend and try and get two victories. That’s always the aim, whether we are successful at that it will be up to what we do and what the other team come out and do. We beat them [Charlestown] in the last round, so I think it’ll be another tight game. Whoever makes the most mistakes will probably get punished.”
Key: Which side can release the shackles and put a difficult season behind them?
Source:sportg.com
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Congratulations to all our teams, including players, coaching staff and managers , from Under 13 Youth NPL right through to our Senior 1st Grade team, for amassing enough points to be 2017 CLUB CHAMPIONS for the second successive year, still with two fixtures to go. We received official notification today that we “have an unassailable lead.”
For the first time this year, our Youth NPL teams also contributed towards gaining enough points to retain our title.
Points are allocated in the following manner for matches throughout the year-
Senior Youth NPL- 1st– 8 points for win, 4 for draw, 20s and 18s- 4 points for win, 2 draw-
Youth NPL – 16s, 15s, 14s, 13s- 2 points for a win, 1 draw. Points for the Youth are counted up until Round 13, when we have played all local NPL teams once.
Since the inception of the NPL competition in 2014, HOFC have been Club Champions for three out of the four seasons, a great achievement!
Already this year, our Under 20s are Minor Premiers, our 1st Grade is currently in second place, while our Under 18s, Under 15s and Under 13s are all leading their respective competitions.
We will keep you posted on how teams fair in the in this the penultimate round.
source: Con Gounis
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Youth Trials: The club wishes to advise that the 2018 Youth NPL trials will be held on the following dates
2018 Teams
U13’s Monday 28 August 2017
U14’s Tuesday 29 August 2017
U15’s Wednesday 30 August 2017
U16’s Thursday 31 August 2017
All trials will be held at Islington Oval.
If you wish to be considered and to participate in the trials you must register your interest by clicking on the link below and filling out the online EOI form.
http://hamiltonolympic.com.au/…/e…/npl-youth-season-2018-eoi
The trials are by invitation only. No walk-ins will be accepted.
Your EOI must be received by 5pm, Thursday 24 August 2017.
If you have questions and / or need further details, contact the clubs registrar:
Heath Stewart: registrar@hamiltonolympic.com.au or 0437776650.
source: Tom Tsamouras
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Hamilton Olympic 2 (Goodchild 67’, Bird 89’) defeated Valentine Phoenix (Murray 59’) 1 at Darling Street Oval.
Hamilton Olympic sealed their place in the finals and ensured the minor premiership race is well and truly on with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Valentine at Darling Street Oval on Sunday.
Down 1-0 just after half-time, Olympic responded with goals from substitute Kane Goodchild and Daniel Bird in the final two minutes to cement their place in the top four.
For Valentine, it was a heartbreaking defeat and it will mean they require two wins from their last two matches to have a hope of playing in the finals.
On a mild afternoon in Hamilton, the first-half was a real arm-wrestle with both sides creating half chances but unable to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
Although, in the second half the match came to life.
In a Man of the Match performance, Jalon Brown was superb all afternoon, putting the ball on a platter for Josh Murray to open the scoring in the 59th minute.
Brown jinked and stepped his way down the left edge and punched a low cross to the feet of Murray who tapped it home.
However, the lead was short lived for the Phoenix as Olympic coach Michael Bolch quickly brought star striker Kane Goodchild off the bench and he made an immediate impact.
Goodchild was played in on goal by Scott Smith and Hamilton’s leading scorer did the rest stepping onto his right foot and calmly slotting the ball in the right corner.
Both sides pushed for the winner and both came close, with the Phoenix probably the closer. Brown again sped down the left and teed up skipper Scott McGinley, but he couldn’t keep his shot down.
Olympic’s Daniel Bird wouldn’t make the same mistake and he ultimately landed the knockout blow.
Intense pressure from Goodchild and Andrew Swan forced a rushed pass from Phoenix centre-back Reece Pettit, who played his pass towards Wilson Edwards on the right.
Bird was too quick flying forward and intercepting the pass, before chipping Phoenix keeper Scott Carter to make it 2-1.
The match was far from over though with Valentine having a late penalty shout, as Luke Willard went down in the box, but referee Trent Nash waved the appeals away as Hamilton held on for a crucial victory.
“Heartbreaking” was the word used by Phoenix coach Darren Sills to describe the result.
“It’s the first time we are out of the [top] four all year. It’s disappointing. We’ve got to lift now and get the result against Edgeworth [next week].”
Sills conceded missed chances were the difference in the end.
“Chris Brown’s miss, all he had to do was lob it over the top of Tyler Warren and then Jalon’s got in behind and just unfortunately hit it straight at Tyler’s foot.”
“Those chances came and went and you’ve got to take them.”
After yet another late win Olympic coach Michael Bolch said “he doesn’t know how the heart will hold out,” but he said as long as they take home three points he doesn’t care how they do it.
“It’s like finals football, Valo [Valentine] are playing for their season and so are we. Everyone knew what was on the line. We probably had a bit better of the game in the first half but we just kept pushing that last pass.”
“We just needed to adjust a bit. We dropped Rhys Cooper a bit deeper and played with two tens for the first 15 minutes of the second half, but I thought the turning point was when Kane Goodchild came on.”
Bolch also praised the Phoenix post-match.
“They are definitely good enough [to play finals]. It’s one of those heartbreaking things, they have been in the top four for 20 weeks are there are two weeks left in the season.
“Next week will be whether they are good enough or not, and I think there are plenty of twists to come next weekend.”
Under 20s Olympic won 4-0
Under 18s Olympic won 6-0
NPL Youth
Olympic vs Adamstown
Under 16s Olympic won 2-0
Under 15s Olympic won 9-0
Under 14s Olympic drew 2-2
Under 13s Olympic won 5-1
Zone League 2
Olympic vs University
1st Grade Olympic won 9-1
2nd Grade Olympic won 3-0
NET results
Under 12s Olympic defeated by Wallsend 0-1
Under 10s Olympic defeated Wallsend 5-1
Olympic Junior Results
Under 16a Olympic defeated West Wallsend 4-0
Under 15a Olympic defeated Magic 6-0
Under 13a Olympic defeated Magic 3-0
Under 12b Olympic drew with Magic 2-2
IN OTHER GAMES:
Edgeworth Eagles 3 (Taylor 2’, Moriyasu 25’, Brice 90’) defeated Weston Bears 0 at Jack McLaughlan Oval.
Edgeworth bounced back from their FFA Cup heartbreak with a 3-0 victory at home, in a match that never reached any great heights against bottom-placed Weston.
Brody Taylor, Keigo Moriyasu and Ayden Brice all found the back of the net as Edgeworth moved a step closer to their third-straight minor premiership.
The Eagles didn’t take long at all to get the scoring started – 62 seconds in fact – as Aaron McLoughlin curled in a cross from against the left touchline onto the head of Taylor at the back post who made it 1-0.
Moriyasu doubled the lead in the 25th minute as Kieran Sanders played a classy ball over the top of Weston’s defence with the outside of his right boot to the Japanese import who finished with a delicate touch.
The Eagles sealed the match in the 90th minute via Ayden Brice and it couldn’t have been more ironic. Moriyasu curled in a corner from the right edge and it fell to Brice who tapped home to make it 3-0 – in similar circumstances to Wednesday night.
Edgeworth moved three points ahead of second placed Lambton with the victory and took a huge stride closer to a third consecutive minor premiership.
“The boys were flat to be honest,” Eagles coach Damian Zane said, describing it as an “ugly” contest.
But, he was happy with his side’s ball movement.
“Honestly, the pace we played at if we were fresh it might have been anything.”
“The first minute when we got in and when we got the second one, I was like ‘we ain’t conceding two and we are definitely not conceding three’.
“Brody [Taylor] and Lachy [Pasquale] were exceptional and they actually played 90 minutes the other day [in the Cup].”
In the race for the minor premiership Zane thinks “four points will get us home”.
Bears coach Steve Piggott called it an “ordinary display”.
“I’m a bit filthy on my own team this week for the first time this year,” Piggott said.
“They didn’t give me enough, they didn’t give the club enough and they didn’t give themselves enough.
“I wouldn’t say it’s the worst performance but it has really dented my confidence about their ability to shine when you give them a bit of freedom.
“When you give them the freedom and they come up with blanks, that hurts.”
Adamstown Rosebud 1 (Berlin 36’) defeated Charlestown City Blues 0 at Adamstown Oval.
Old Boys’ Day and a return to Adamstown Oval proved to be just the lucky charm the Rosebuds needed as they recorded their third victory under interim coach Nick Webb.
It was Adamstown’s first win in nearly a month after three straight defeats.
The only goal of the match came in the 36th minute when Matt Tull was harassed and harried into playing a stray pass straight to Rosebud Charlie Horsley.
From the left edge of the box, Horsley squared his pass to Mitch Hunter in the middle of the box, who played a ball inside to Justin Tannock.
Tannock then threaded a through ball across to the right and Chris Berlin finished expertly at the back post to make it 1-0.
The win moved the Rosebuds from 10th place on the ladder into 9th and level on points with the 8th placed Blues. With the bye next week, the Rosebuds could move as high as 8th with a victory over Maitland in the final round.
Rosebuds coach Nick Webb said his side “dominated for 90 minutes”.
“You can look at the game anyway you like but we should have won by eight or nine. The first half a dozen goals we should have put through them and the second half not far off it either.
“We trained really well. I brought in Paul Gomez [as assistant coach]. Paul and I work really well as coaches analysing games together and we worked out how we wanted to play against Charlestown and the boys set up, and did really well.”
Webb said the announcement by the club of the appointment of head coach Shane Cansdell-Sheriff for 2018 helped relax his side.
“I prompted them to start to look for a coach,” Webb said.
“I did that because the players were showing a lot of unrest and I didn’t want that.
“Then it has gone against me, that’s fine. But, now that that has happened they know where they want to be or they don’t want to be so they can just play normal.
“The club can sit on their hands as long as they like, but at the end of the day players are what matters and they weren’t showing players what I believe was the right amount of respect.”
Broadmeadow Magic 3 (Virgili 13’, Oxborrow 29’, Pettit 80’) defeated Maitland Magpies 1 (Comerford 51’) at Cooks Square Park.
Broadmeadow Magic continue to be an unstoppable force in the PlayStation®4 NPL Northern NSW, winning their seventh match in a row and all but ending Maitland’s finals hopes on Sunday.
Magic shot to a 2-0 lead within the opening half-hour at Maitland’s Cooks Square Park home and it proved too difficult a task to for the Magpies to run them down, minus injured skipper Matt Thompson, who left the field in the first half after a nasty head clash with Broadmeadow midfielder Alex Kantarovski.
The loss also came at a cost for Magic who lost Josh Piddington (knee) and Jon Griffiths (ankle) to injury, and both are now in doubt for their FFA Cup match in Queensland on Wednesday.
Broadmeadow opening the scoring in the 13th minute after Mitch Oxborrow threaded a pass down the right edge for a flying James Virgili.
Virgili raced onto the pass and stuck his shot across Magpies keeper Matt Trott, and with the aid of the post the ball bounced over the line and in.
Oxborrow doubled Magic’s lead in the 29th minute when Dino Fajkovic found him with a square pass from the right. Oxborrow’s first time shot from the top of the box nestled in the bottom left corner.
Broadmeadow led 2-0 at the interval and when they returned Maitland struck almost immediately.
Ryan Clarke weaved his way down the right before gliding into the centre of the park where he played a ball to Matt Comerford on the left. Comerford took on Magic’s defence and came out the other side, neatly finishing past Niko Giantsopoulos.
Soon after Comerford was forced from the park with a hamstring injury which was a blow for Maitland in the front third.
It wasn’t to be Maitland’s afternoon and Magic sealed the match 15 minutes from time when Scott Pettit scored his first goal of the season.
After some neat interplay Kale Bradbury’s shot was saved by Trott, with the rebound falling for Pettit who made no mistake.
The win pushes Magic inside the top four, for the first time since round four as they set their sights on a third consecutive finals berth.
Victorious coach Ruben Zadkovich felt his side was “just a bit too classy” for the Magpies.
“We were petty motivated for that and we knew what an opportunity it was going to be, Zadkovich said.
“We probably deserved it. There was a sticky patch after half-time where they came back into the game really, really strongly.
“We lost Jonny Griffiths at half-time to an ankle injury and were forced to make a substitution that I really didn’t want to make and then Josh Piddington hurt his knee and had to come off and before you knew it we didn’t have a centre-half on the pitch.
“It was a really tricky period for us but the boys saw it out for us really well.”
Zadkovich said he was happy with the desire and determination of his side after the injuries to both key defenders.
“I was really stoked to see their attitude and their willingness to fight and scrap and show the other side of our game which was nice, because lately all it’s been about is our football and us going forward and defending really well and then hurting teams.
“But, this time we were under the pump and we saw it out and then scored and started to dominate again.”
Magpies coach Phil Dando said Magic’s intensity early on was difficult to deal with.
“They were getting it knocked forward early to [James] Virgili and he was causing all sorts of problems and we didn’t really cope with it.”
“All credit to Magic since we played them in the last round Ruben [Zadkovich] has done a great job with them.
“They were a completely different team to the one we played in the first round with the intensity and the way they played. They passed it well and they stopped us from playing and they did really, really well.”
Source: sportstg.com
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Hamilton Olympic v Valentine Phoenix
2.30pm Sunday 30th July at Darling Street Oval
Last Meeting: Round 9, 2017: Valentine 1 Hamilton 1 at Cahill Oval.
Ladder: Hamilton 3rd (34pts), Valentine 4th (32)
Last 3 Starts (most recent first):
Hamilton – Won Bears 3-0 (a), Won Eagles 1-0 (h), Won Blues 2-1 (a)
Valentine – Drew Magpies 2-2 (h), Won Jets 3-2 (h), Lost Rosebud 2-4 (a)
Bottom Line
This weekend’s ‘Match of the Round’ is the highlight of a critical week of football in the PS4 NPL NNSW, as finals hopes go on the line in the biggest weekend of action so far, this season.
Hamilton are humming along beautifully and are undefeated in six matches. Olympic have won five of those six, including four straight and have gone from being on the fringe of the top four to well and truly inside it now.
Last weekend, Hamilton did what they have been unable to do for the last two seasons – back up a win against Edgeworth with three points the following week. On Sunday, against Weston they did exactly that, winning 3-0 and moving into third position, jumping above Valentine in the process.
Olympics’ recent form means a slip-up on Sunday won’t be fatal to their finals hopes, but it may just put a spanner in the works. With the top four cut-off expected to be around 36 points, Olympic really only need one win from their last three matches to be safe.
However, for their opponents Valentine losing is no option – with a clash in round 21 with Edgeworth following their meeting with Olympic on Sunday.
The Phoenix did brilliantly well to snatch a point from their last start against Maitland where they went down to ten men after Josh Carroll was sent off just after half-time.
Valentine then conceded and were down 2-1, but Jalon Brown stepped up as he has done so often this season and scored a wonderful goal to ensure a share of the points.
Valentine sit on 32 points, just two points ahead of fifth placed Broadmeadow Magic, who play Maitland at the same time, and really need at least four points from their three matches.
A point will be a pass mark for Valentine on Sunday and keep their finals hopes alive, but defeat and the Phoenix will face an uphill struggle.
What the Coaches Said:
Mick Bolch (Hamilton)
“They [Valentine] have had a really good year. They have got class up the front in Jalon Brown, obviously, we’ve got to shut service down to him. They just work hard all over the park for each other and are a really good team unit. They won’t get as much space, obviously on our small ground as what they had out on their ground. I think they’ve done really well on their ground this year. They have probably only lost once on their ground all year.”
“The shape we are playing at the moment, we have done really well defensively the last couple of weeks. Two clean sheets in a row. I think we’d only kept one clean sheet the whole time since we lost Danny Ireland. Defensively we are starting to work really well as a unit. We are going to create plenty of chances, but as long as we keep our defensive structure in place I think we’ll do well on Sunday.”
Darren Sills (Valentine)
“At the end of the day, we play two teams that are above us [Hamilton and Edgeworth]. If we want to be in semi-final contention and we want to be playing semi-final football we have to beat them because even if results go our way and we don’t win games, that’s not the sort of form you want to have going into the semi-finals.”
“They [Hamilton] are in good form. Two clean sheets in two weeks. A great result against Edgeworth and they backed it up with a solid win against Weston and they are back on their home turf and they are statistically very, very difficult to beat there.”
Key: Hamilton haven’t conceded in their last two-and-a-half matches. Can Valentine find the key to unlock Olympics’ watertight defence?
U20s Hamilton Olympic – Valentine Sunday 30th July kick off 12.30 pm Darling St Oval
U18s Hamilton Olympic – Valentine Sunday 30th July kick off 10.45am Darling St Oval
NPL YOUTH: ROUND 20
U13s Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 29th July kick off 10.00 am at Darling St Oval
U14s Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 29th July kick off 11.30 am at Darling St Oval
U15s Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 29th July kick off 1.00 pm at Darling St Oval
U16s Olympic vs Adamstown Saturday 29th July kick off 2.30 pm at Darling St Oval
IN OTHER GAMES:
Edgeworth Eagles v Weston Bears
2.30pm Saturday 29th July at Jack McLaughlan Oval
Last Meeting: Round 9, 2017: Weston 1 Edgeworth 2 at Rockwell Automation Park.
Ladder: Edgeworth 2nd (36), Weston 11th (7)
Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Edgeworth – Won Blues 3-1 (a), Lost Olympic 0-1 (a), Won Jets 4-1 (h)
Weston – Lost Jets 0-1 (a), Lost Magpies 2-3 (h), Lost Rosebud 0-2 (h)
Bottom Line
With the minor premiership race heating up, this match is a crucial one for the Eagles, with a game in hand on the Jaffas, who they are level on points with currently.
With the Westfield FFA Cup heartbreak during the week, this match can bring out two reactions from the Eagles. One of greater drive and determination after the gutting defeat, or a flat performance after the emotion of the Cup.
The Eagles conceded a final minute goal to South Melbourne on Wednesday to lose 1-0, after impressing for much of the match.
In the PS4 NPL NNSW the Eagles bounced back last weekend from their defeat to Hamilton, with a 3-1 victory over Charlestown under lights at Lisle Carr Oval.
The return to form of striker Keigo Moriyasu – who scored just his second goal since round three – was pleasing for coach Damian Zane and he could be just the spark Edgeworth need in this run into the finals.
Weston make their first trip away from Rockwell Automation Park in more than a month after four straight home matches which yielded little for them in the way of competition points.
The Bears come into the match on an eight-game losing streak – not an ideal run when you face the two-time major and minor premiers.
But, the Bears have shown plenty of fight and desire over the last three matches, with tight defeats to Maitland and the Jets Youth followed by a 3-0 defeat last weekend to a Hamilton side who have really hit their stride.
With so much to play for Edgeworth will be hot favourites to make it five wins in a row against the Bears. Stats don’t lie and Edgeworth are very hard to beat at home – losing just twice in the last two seasons there.
What the Coaches Said:
Steve Piggott (Weston)
“There were a lot of players who got pushed off the ball [against Hamilton]. I’d say about 70% of our team got muscled off the ball at least once or twice. Ignacia Giampaoli, he got substituted at half-time. He had to come off with a busted shoulder. Millsteed who took his place got smashed off the ball about eight times, maybe more. They are just too strong, physically too good for us.”
“I said [after the match] go and watch BarTV, tell me how many times you got pushed off the ball. Then tell me if you have got a solution to it. Go to the gym with Michael Holt and see if you can work on some things. Short term, what do we do? Apart from me telling them plant your feet when you come to the ball, stop get your arms out and put all your weight on your heels and stop getting pushed off the ball. I can’t do that for the individuals, I can only tell them and show them how to keep the ball. If you haven’t got any physical strength and get outmuscled, how am I meant to help them?”
Damian Zane (Edgeworth)
“It’s just been made a bit tougher with Dom [Bizzarri] pulling out of the Cup game, so it means Adam [Cawley] comes into the starting line-up, so he would have been fresh on Saturday. Keigo [Moriyasu] and Will Bower will come off the bench [in the cup]. Depending how Josh [Evans] pulls up Aaron Oppedisano may play on Saturday.”
“A lot depends on the spirit we are in. If we get a win in the cup and are in good spirits, I think we’ll knuckle down and get the job done. Everyone is just sort of talking as if we’ve just got to rock up on Saturday and we get the points. We’ll be fatigued, there is no doubt about it, so we’ll just have to switch on and have a really good mental attitude towards the game.”
Key: Can the Eagles recover quickly and get back on the horse after their Cup heartbreak?
Adamstown Rosebud v Charlestown City Blues
2.30pm Saturday 29th July at Adamstown Oval
Last Meeting: Round 9, 2017: Charlestown 2 Adamstown 2 at Adamstown Oval.
Ladder: Adamstown 10th (13), Charlestown 8th (16)
Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Adamstown – Lost Jaffas 1-6 (a), Lost Magic 0-3 (a), Lost Roosters 1-3 (a)
Charlestown – Lost Eagles 1-3 (h), Drew Jaffas 2-2 (a), Lost Olympic 1-2 (h)
Bottom Line
Old Boy’s Day couldn’t have come at a better time for Adamstown after they hit rock-bottom last weekend in a 6-1 hiding they received from a Lambton Jaffas side with a point to prove.
The Old Boys could provide just the inspiration Adamstown need, who after winning two straight against Weston and Valentine, have now lost three on the bounce and are in danger of an ignominious end to an already forgettable campaign.
After leaking goals in the first half of matches against Valentine and Lake Macquarie, the Rosebuds have been better in the first 45 against both Broadmeadow and Lambton.
In both fixtures, Adamstown have held firm for more than 35 minutes, but goals just before the break in both have crippled their chances.
Maybe a return to Adamstown Oval, for the first time since their dramatic comeback against Valentine, could potentially spark the home side.
While Charlestown have had little to show for it on the ladder in their last five matches, the side mixed with youth and experience which Shane Pryce has put on the park recently has stood up to the plate.
They have faced the top three sides in their past three matches and in all three the Blues took an early lead, only to be pegged back.
It has been in the second half of matches recently where Charlestown have struggled to keep pace with the top sides, conceding all seven goals in their last three matches in the final 45 minutes.
Old Boys’ Day is sure to lift Adamstown, but based on recent form the Blues are favourites heading into Saturday’s clash. They will be out to demonstrate that their solid showings against the top three were no fluke, with a win over the struggling Rosebuds.
What the Coaches Said:
Nick Webb (Adamstown)
“We need any type of motivation we can get. They are just scraping through to the end. Let’s hope the Old Boys’ Day gives them something to play for. That’s the challenge every week to just try and get them up so they don’t drop their heads like they did against Lambton last week. It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do to be honest. I knew that going into it, I probably didn’t realise how hard it was going to be, but it’s been a great opportunity.”
“I actually think they have shown enormous courage in the last month. I think Prycy [Shane Pryce] will be really proud of what he has achieved to be quite honest especially in the last month with all the turmoil going on before it, and people backstabbing and all that. It’s not a nice environment to coach in for him, no doubt and he has done really well and can hold his head up high. That’s what we’ve got to do, we’ve got to match them for that first 50 minutes.”
Shane Pryce (Charlestown)
“It’s [conceding second half goals] been mainly because we’ve had to make changes. People have either got injured or had to come off, experienced players and that has probably hurt us a bit I suppose. I don’t think it’s a fitness thing or even probably to a point a mental thing. Circumstances in games have changed and we’ve had to change people around in different positions or bring on some young guys who are new to the first-grade experiences and the smarter and clever players finish over the top of us.”
“I can’t fault attitude and effort from the players at the club and also the opportunity that has been given to some younger players who haven’t let me down or their teammates down or the club. I’m really impressed that way.”
Key: Can Adamstown show some pride on Old Boys’ Day or will the Blues spoil the party?
Maitland Magpies v Broadmeadow Magic
2.30pm Sunday 30th July at Cooks Square Park
Last Meeting: Round 9, 2017: Broadmeadow 0 Maitland 7 at Magic Park.
Ladder: Maitland 6th (28), Broadmeadow 5th (30)
Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Maitland – Won Roosters 4-0 (a), Drew Phoenix 2-2 (a), Won Bears 3-2 (a)
Broadmeadow – Won Rosebud 3-0 (h), Won Jaffas 3-1 (h), Won Blues 2-0 (h)
Bottom Line
This clash at Cooks Square Park on Sunday may not have ‘Match of the Round’ billing, but it is of equal importance to Hamilton’s clash with Valentine at the same time.
The equation is simple. Win and finals are still a chance, anything else and it becomes an uphill battle to a top four place.
Everyone expects this one to be tight, just as many felt the round nine encounter between the two sides would be. But, what happened that afternoon at Magic Park is still something many are trying to comprehend – a 7-0 thumping of Broadmeadow on their home turf.
Since that stunning defeat, Magic have lost just two of their nine PS4 NPL matches since and are on a six-game unbeaten run.
Eighth after the Maitland defeat, Magic have risen to fifth and sit just two points outside the top four. With victory on Sunday, and a Valentine defeat, or draw at Hamilton, and Broadmeadow will be in the four.
One side that will be doing their utmost to stop that occurring is Maitland who seemed to struggle after that huge win against Magic. They lost two straight, and didn’t win in three matches as they dropped from second to fifth and now sit in sixth.
However, a thumping 6-1 victory against the Jets Youth in round 14 turned Maitland’s season around and they have now gone unbeaten in five of their last six, winning three.
Matt Thompson returns from suspension for the Magpies which is a huge inclusion to the side who cruised to a 4-0 victory last weekend against Lake Macquarie.
With Ryan Clarke, Matt Comerford and Josh Dutton-Black all looking good of late, Magic will have their work cut-out.
Mitch Oxborrow may play for Magic in his final match before moving to A-League club Brisbane Roar and his influence will be key.
It’s a match which can’t be split. Two sides with quality all over the park.
What the Coaches Said:
Phil Dando (Maitland)
“I’d rather not be in this position, but we’ve got to do it. We want to be playing finals football so we might as well start now in a way. There is a job to be done, so let’s go and do it. They [Magic] are in a mean streak of form, six on the trot in the league and a good run in the FFA Cup. Since we beat them in the first round that could have been forgiven for falling in a heap, but they’ve really got themselves together and regrouped and done really, really well.”
“All credit to Ruben and his boys for getting where they are, because at that stage [after the 7-0 defeat] you thought their season may just be written off. We know they are dangerous, we know that in the earlier game just about everything went right for us and everything went wrong for them. We know it won’t be the same way again, it’ll be a real tussle, so we’ve got to be ready for it.”
Ruben Zadkovich (Broadmeadow)
“[Maitland are a] quality team. Hot and cold, but when they are hot they are real hot. We witnessed that first hand in the first round. We were obviously really poor that game and did some silly things, and not much went our way. But, I think they are a good quality team. They have got a few boys that can definitely hurt you. The likes of Thommo [Matt Thompson] and Clarkey [Ryan Clarke] and Commo [Matt Comerford]. They are just high quality players. They are a good side.”
“At the moment Mitchy [Oxborrow] will be probably back this weekend, but I’m not 100% sure if we’ll play him because we’ve got to look towards the future. I’ve got to talk to Brisbane [Roar] about where he is at and what they want from him. He’s not going to be a guaranteed starter and if he is playing then it definitely will be his last game. He definitely won’t play in the FFA Cup match [against Moreton Bay] because we want him to be available for Brisbane [in the FFA Cup] and that’s just an example of the club putting player’s futures and careers ahead of our own ambitions, because we know it’s important for Mitch to start well at Brisbane.”
Key: Can Magic’s defence, which has conceded just once in their last four matches stand tall against Maitland lethal attacking arsenal?
Newcastle Jets Youth v Lake Macquarie Roosters
8pm Tuesday 18th July at Macquarie Field
Newcastle Jets Youth 5 (Hayes 12’, Joice 17’, Jennings 37’, Moric 69’, Kelly (og) 90+1’) defeated Lake Macquarie Roosters 0 at Macquarie Field.
*Match played earlier due to Jets’ Weifang Cup commitments.
source: sportstg.com
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Hamilton Olympic FC would like to sincerely thanks all parents, players and supporters who attended our Annual Trivia Night last Friday night. A huge crowd of 260 participants had a wonderful time, not only contributing in all the rounds and activities, but also socialising with other Olympic people.
A special thanks to our sponsors who donated such lovely gifts, to all the ladies who spent so much time organising, and finally to the Greek Community for allowing the club to utilise the facilities. Congratulations to the winners of the 2017 Trivia, the Alex Tagaroulias table.
Regards
Con Gounis
Secretary HOFC
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Congratulations to our Under 20s on winning the Premiership today
Hamilton Olympic 3 (Smith 10’, Papas 41’, M.Swan 84’) defeated Weston Bears 0 at Rockwell Automation Park.
Weston’s wretched run of results continued on Sunday afternoon as the Bears lost their eighth PS4 NPL NNSW match in a row to Hamilton Olympic.
Scott Smith returned to the starting side for Olympic and returned to the scoresheet, while Reece Papas scored his first goal of the season, and substitute Matt Swan snagged his second goal of 2017.
Smith got the ball rolling for Olympic inside ten minutes when Daniel Bird squared a pass from the right to the striker at the top of the box.
Smith struck his shot low and through traffic, making it difficult for Weston keeper Kane Runge as Hamilton opened the scoring.
Bird was provider once more as Papas got on the scoresheet. From a similar position to the opening goal, Bird cut a ball back to Papas from the right edge. Papas shot low and hard, across goal to make it 2-0.
Matt Swan sealed the result in the 84th minute when Papas turned provider. The recent signing chipped a neat pass through the Bears’ defence and Matt Swan drove home on the volley to put some icing on the cake for Olympic and cement their spot in the top four.
To back up last weekend’s win over Edgeworth was the most pleasing aspect of the result for Hamilton coach Mick Bolch, who said the match reached “no great heights”.
“They did what they needed to do. It was tough conditions; the ground was really bumpy and it was really windy up there.
“It became a bit of an arm-wrestle for a while in the second-half. We were pretty comfortable, but they made it difficult. They put themselves about and they tried really hard. But, I think the experience showed at the end of the day.
“They have got a team of young kids who were more than willing and chased all day. Tyler Warren made some good saves, they had a couple of good strikes from just outside the box, but I think the experiences showed, we were a little bit stronger in the individual battles.”
Weston coach Steve Piggott said his side were physically outplayed.
“We played ok in patches. We certainly had more scoring opportunities than we did in the last month which was good, but no finishes. We hit the bar twice, again we’ve got to take those opportunities, they are few and far between.
“We were just pushed off the ball, outmuscled, dived in a few times and got punished for it. They were just too strong physically.”
Under 20s Olympic won 2-1
Under 18s Olympic won 2-0
NPL Youth
Olympic vs North Coast Football
Under 15s Olympic won 2-0
Under 14s Olympic won 3-0
Under 13s drew 2-2
Zone League 2
Olympic vs Merewether Advance Senior FC
1st Grade drew 2-2
2nd Grade Merewether won 0-1
NET results
Under 12s Olympic defeated Kahibah 6-0
Under 11s Olympic defeated Cooks Hill 3-1
Under 10s Olympic defeated Cooks Hill 5-2
Olympic Junior Results
Under 16a Olympic defeated by Kotara 1-3
Under 15a Olympic drew with Lambton Jaffas 2-2
Under 13a Olympic defeated by Kahibah 0-3
Under 12b Olympic drew with Valentine 0-0
Maitland Magpies 4 (L.Thornton 30’, Clarke 46’, OG 71’, Comerford 72’) defeated Lake Macquarie Roosters 0 at Macquarie Field.
Maitland kept their finals hopes flickering in the ‘Match of the Round’ with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over seventh placed Lake Macquarie. The win set up their round 20 fixture with Broadmeadow Magic as a finals-like match-up with the loser unlikely to feature in the playoffs.
However, the big story out of the afternoon was the news that Roosters coach Anthony Richards announced to his player’s post-match that he will leave the club at the end of the season.
Richards said it was a difficult decision.
“I just told the boys that I won’t be here next year. I’m going to move on to maybe somewhere else. I didn’t tell them before the game, I told them after the game. These guys and terrific, they’ll do everything for me so it’s a tough call to go,” Richards said post-match.
“The boys are a little upset, as I am. Unfortunately, that is going to happen.”
On the park, Liam Thornton opening the scoring for Maitland on the half-hour mark, when he looped his header over Roosters keeper Benn Kelly after a Josh Dutton-Black free-kick from the right edge.
It was Thornton’s second chance of the afternoon, after his previous header hit the crossbar and bounced away.
The Magpies took their slim lead into the break and were given a gift when they returned courtesy of Lake Macquarie who turned it over at the back to Chris Fayers who set up Ryan Clarke to stroke it home.
The Roosters then got a foothold into the match, with Sam Walker and Tom Sparre causing problems for the Maitland defence.
But, in the 68th minute Lake Macquarie’s resurgence was brought to an abrupt halt when Benn Kelly took on the Magpies with the ball at his feet.
It’s was a comedy of errors from the experienced keeper who slipped over after receiving a back pass, got back to his feet, took on Matt Sokulski, turned over the ball and then dived at the feet of the Maitland midfielder, bringing him to ground in the box.
Kelly was sent off and Lakes hopes were dashed. The errors then continued in the ensuing penalty, with Matt Comerford striking it hard and straight and reserve keeper Kannon Ford who stood his ground.
He saved the penalty and then fumbled the ball, before the Magpies scrambled the ball over the line to make it 3-0.
There was nothing lucky about Maitland‘s fourth, with Matt Comerford showing off his dazzling speed and skill. He ran from inside his own half, darting past several yellow shirts and into the Roosters penalty box to slide in the Magpies’ fourth of the afternoon.
Maitland, spoiling Old Boys Day while setting up a showdown with Broadmeadow next weekend as they look to keep the finals dream alive.
Magpies Coach Phil Dando said he was pleased with a “good professional performance.”
“We struggled a bit early on, we found it hard on a difficult pitch. They were looking to atone from a heavy defeat the other night.
“They [Lakes] played it long and put us under pressure, but we got the goal in the first half and we said we need to go on with it. All credit to the guys, we really did do well in difficult circumstances.”
Lambton Jaffas 6 (Griffiths (p) 36’, Remington 45+1’, 74’ Brown 47’, 48’, 66’) defeated Adamstown Rosebud 1 (Hunter) at Arthur Edden Oval.
After weeks of up and down performances, Lambton Jaffas returned to form in style with a 6-1 crushing defeat of strugglers Adamstown Rosebud.
Pat Brown scored his first hat-trick since 2015, Luke Remington scored a double and Joel Griffiths converted a penalty to lead Lambton to just their second victory this month.
The Jaffas took a while to get on the scoreboard, but when they did, they rammed home the advantage.
Rosebud keeper Riley Hill felled Ryan Griffiths in the box to give Lambton a chance to open the scoring from the spot. Joel Griffiths, making it count with the easiest of penalties, rolling it into the bottom right corner.
Just before the break Lambton struck a hammer blow when Luke Remington stepped past defenders and curled a shot into the left corner from the top of the ‘D’.
It seemed Remington’s strike before the break had deflated the Rosebuds when they returned as Pat Brown put the game beyond doubt with two goals within three minutes of the resumption.
The first came after Adamstown failed to clear their lines. Michael Kantarovski chipped a neat ball over the top of the Rosebuds defence and Brown guided it past Hill to make it 3-0.
The second came less than a minute later when the Rosebuds turned the ball over from the kick-off, Joel Griffiths threaded the needle for Brown and he rounded Hill and slotted home his second.
Brown sealed his hat-trick in the 66th minute after Ben Hay curled a free-kick onto the head of the tall striker he powered the ball into the net.
Luke Remington made it 6-0 in the 74th minute when a Dain Greentree pass sent him one-on-one with Hill and he chipped a controlled finish to rub salt into the Adamstown wounds.
Mitch Hunter gave the visiting fans something to cheer about in the 78th minute when he headed home a near-post cross. But, it was a harrowing day for Adamstown as they slumped to a third straight defeat.
It was a good three points to put in the bank for Lambton coach James Pascoe.
“It was a good performance. It was one of those weeks where up to match morning we didn’t know which match 11 would be available to play. We managed to be really comfortable in the end so it was a good day in the end.”
“It’s fair to say we need to keep the winning perspective. I thought Adamstown started the game ok, but when Remo [Luke Remington] scored the goal on the stroke of half-time, it took the wind out of their sails and it looked like a couple of their boys had clocked off a little bit.
“We keep it in perspective, it was a good result and it could have potentially been an even bigger score line. They looked like a team that thought their season was over already.”
Rosebud coach Nick Webb said the uncertainty of coaches at the club was starting to take its toll on performances.
“Trying to lift them is hard. We did quite well for 35 minutes, and then when we conceded the penalty the heads went down and that was the end.
“The extra five percent you expect out of players just isn’t there because most of them are thinking of next year and where they are going to play and not concentrating on what’s in front of them.”
Edgeworth Eagles 3 (Sanders 61’, Moriyasu 78’, Moore 84’) defeated Charlestown City Blues 1 (Purcell 31’) at Lisle Carr Oval.
Three goals in the final 30 minutes ensured Edgeworth regained the ascendency in the minor premiership race with three matches to play.
The Eagles trailed just after the half-hour mark after Jarrod Purcell scored for the Blues, but second half strikes to Kieran Sanders, Keigo Moriyasu and Keanu Moore led Edgeworth to all three points.
Edgeworth had the first opportunity to open the scoring when Ayden Brice was bumped to ground in the box by Rene Ferguson. The tall right-back stepped up to take the spot-kick, but was denied by the outstretched boot of Blues keeper Nathan Archbold.
Five minutes later Ferguson sped down the left edge before playing Purcell in on goal in the 31st minute, who rolled his shot over a diving Nate Cavaliere and into goal to give Charlestown a shock lead.
The Blues took their 1-0 advantage into the sheds and when they returned it seemed like they would cause a huge upset. Enter Keigo Moriyasu.
The Japanese sensation, who has had a difficult time of late, burnt the Blues down the right and squared a ball to Sanders on the penalty spot who guided it into the right corner.
From there, Moriyasu’s confidence grew. This time it would be Sanders providing for Moriyasu, as the Englishman knocked a pass down the left. Moriyasu stepped onto his right foot and curled his shot inside the far post of Archbold.
Keanu Moore then sealed the win, with his first goal in Eagles colours this season. The fleet-footed midfielder turned defenders inside and out, before rolling a calm left foot finish into goal with the assistance of the right post.
The Eagles relieved to get the three points and keep pole position in the minor premiership race and give them confidence heading into the Westfield FFA Cup where they play South Melbourne on Wednesday night.
Eagles coach Damian Zane felt the win moves them a step closer towards the minor premiership.
“We were on top the whole time, bar probably ten minutes after they scored to be honest,” Zane said.
“They scored a nice goal and for that next ten minutes they were pretty upbeat, but second half I just said don’t lose patience, do our defensive job and we will win.”
Zane was pleased with the performance of Moriyasu who returned to form.
“He trained well this week and he was great. He’s going to be big for us coming home and I feel he is going to have a big finish to the year.”
Blues coach Shane Pryce couldn’t knock the performance of his side.
“Again, the players put up a good fight and a good effort. I think we worried them for a bit, making them chase the game for a bit. But, in the end obviously, class rises to the top and they were just that much better than us last night.
He sounded out keeper Nathan Archbold for special praise.
“Archie, he’s pulled off another couple of saves. Over the last four to six weeks he has been a consistent high performer. I’ve been more impressed with him this year.
“He along with Josh Maguire have been our best this season.”
Source: sportstg.com
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Weston Bears v Hamilton Olympic
2.30pm Sunday 23rd July at Rockwell Automation Park
Last Meeting: Round 8, 2017: Hamilton 2 Weston 0 at Darling Street Oval.
Ladder: Weston 11th (7), Hamilton 4th (31)
Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Hamilton – Won Eagles 1-0 (h), Won Blues 2-1 (a), Won Jets 2-1 (a)
Weston – Lost Jets 0-1 (a), Lost Magpies 2-3 (h), Lost Rosebud 0-2 (h)
Bottom Line
If the wooden spoon is to be avoided by the Bears, it is becoming must-win territory after last weekend’s tight defeat to the Jets Youth.
Weston deserved to hold their heads up high last Tuesday when they harassed and harried the Newcastle Jets A-League side at Weston.
It seemed that performance would be the catalyst for them to get some victories and climb off the bottom of the table in their remaining five matches.
But, again on the weekend the Bears couldn’t quite do the job against the Jets Youth. An unfortunate own goal scored by Jordan Jackson put them behind the eight ball early and they just couldn’t find a route back into the match.
This weekend a strong and physical Hamilton side are in town, brimming with confidence after a victory over Edgeworth last weekend. It will be another tough test for the young Bears.
While Olympic haven’t been at their best this season, three points have been achieved with monotonous regularity through the back half of the season.
Hamilton have lost just one of their last 12 and now incredibly sit just two points off top spot.
Michael Bolch got his wish and Olympic were flying heavily undetected, under the radar. That was until last weekend.
This weekend, the spotlight is back on Olympic. But, the margins are so tight. With three points separating first from fifth, winning is essential if Hamilton want to sure up their spot in the finals.
Hamilton have to be favourites, but Weston at home are always a tricky proposition.
What the Coaches Said:
Steve Piggott (Weston)
“We played them last time, it was a lot closer than what people might think. They scored a penalty, we gave them a goal, I think Greg Anderson was in both of those situations. Passed back to the goalie from three yards out and Kane Goodchild tapped it in. We self-destructed there. But, again we’ve got to stop them dominating.”
“Reece Papas has got good feet and good vision. The Swan boys have been on fire for them. They did a bit of a job on the weekend. They are a good team and probably a little more buoyant from their 1-0 victory over Edgeworth. They’ve got everything to play for, we’ll be looking to keep our form coming back into this week’s match and look for a point again.”
Michael Bolch (Hamilton)
“They [Weston] are a good young side. Steve [Piggott] is redeveloping up there and while they haven’t won a great deal of games, they have been competitive in every game they’ve played. These games are dangers for us. If you go back the last three years and we have beaten Edgeworth at this time of the year in the last three years and then you’ll find the next game we drop points straight away.”
“From the last couple of years, we’ve been on that big of a high after beating and going top of the league we’ve probably lost a bit of focus on the next game coming up. Our biggest thing this weekend is making sure we are mentally up for the game. I’m sure a few boys are looking to see where they [Weston] are on the table and that’s the complacency that sets it. We’ve just got to harp on it all week, about how important the game is.”
Key: The last two seasons Hamilton haven’t backed up victories over Edgeworth with three points the week after. Can they buck that trend on Sunday?
U20s Weston – Hamilton Olympic Sunday 23rd July kick off 12.30 am Rockwell Automation
U18s Weston – Hamilton Olympic Sunday 23rd July kick off 10.45 am Rockwell Automation
NPL YOUTH: ROUND 18
U13s North Coast Football vs Olympic Sunday 23rd July kick off 1.00 pm at Coffs Sport & Leisure Park
U14s North Coast Football vs Olympic Sunday 23rd July kick off 3.00 pm at Coffs Sport & Leisure Park
IN OTHER GAMES:
Lake Macquarie Roosters v Maitland Magpies
2.30pm Sunday 23rd July at Macquarie Field
Last Meeting: Round 8, 2017: Maitland 1 Lakes 0 at Cooks Square Park.
Ladder: Lakes 7th (22), Maitland 6th (25)
Last 3 Starts (most recent first):
Maitland – Drew Phoenix 2-2 (a), Won Bears 3-2 (a), Lost Eagles 1-2 (h)
Lakes – Lost Jets 0-5 (a), Won Rosebud 3-1 (h), Won Blues 2-0 (h)
Bottom Line
It’s a case of last chance saloon for the Magpies this weekend, with anything less than a victory against the Roosters extinguishing their hopes of a finals appearance.
Last weekend, a frustrating draw with a ten-man Valentine increased the gap between Maitland and the top four to six points.
It’s been a difficult period for the Magpies, who since beating Broadmeadow 7-0 in round nine, have won just three of their eight matches since.
After that victory, Maitland sat second on the ladder and it has been a downward slide ever since, as they have slipped to sixth.
Lake Macquarie will celebrate Old Boy’s Day on Sunday and will be keen for a victory to send both their past and present players home in good spirits.
The Roosters had the bye last weekend before meeting the Jets Youth on Tuesday night, where they were dismantled 5-0.
However, before the weekend off the Roosters had an improved run of form, following a mid-season slump.
They won just one of eight matches through the middle portion of the season and experienced a similar slide on the ladder to the Magpies. After four rounds, Lakes were first, but now sit seventh.
Lakes then won two straight, including a 3-1 victory over Adamstown Rosebud where they rocketed out of the blocks to lead 3-0 inside the opening 31 minutes, before the defeat to the Jets.
With their season on the line, Maitland are expected to win on Sunday, but on Old Boy’s Day and with striker Sam Walker re-discovering his early season form in recent weeks, the Roosters will push the Magpies all the way.
What the Coaches Said:
Anthony Richards (Lakes)
“We’ve just got to make sure we don’t give them opportunities to run at us. We’ve got to cut them down before they wind up, not illegally, but, get tight on them so they don’t get that free space. That’ll be our plan to try and limit the amount of free space that they get. You can’t do it for 100% of the game and eventually those guys get free and they are dangerous.”
“Not a lot to be honest [changed during our two wins]. We are taking our chances which is taking a bit of pressure off us defensively. Once we are taking our chances it is helping us. It’s not just Sam Walker scoring goals either. Tommy Sparre and Justin Broadley is back in the team and playing.”
Phil Dando (Maitland)
“You just have to go about your business as normal and let everything take care of itself. You can’t go out and say we absolutely must win this, because I think it puts too much pressure on you. You just have to go and do the best you can and hopefully it’s good enough. I keep saying, I keep telling them, on our day our football is as good as anyone going around. Hopefully we do enough to get the right result.”
“They [Lakes] were well organised and they are an enthusiastic side who look to play football. They are looking to do all the right things, and are tough to break down. We only beat them 1-0 and we pinched a ball and broke away and scored the goal. It’s going to be tense as it was in the first game.”
Key: It’s do or die. Can Maitland keep their season alive?
Lambton Jaffas v Adamstown Rosebud
2.30pm Saturday 22nd July at Arthur Edden Oval
Last Meeting: FFA Cup, Round 5, 2017: Adamstown 0 Lambton 1 at Adamstown Oval.
Ladder: Lambton 2nd (33), Adamstown 9th (13)
Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Lambton – Drew Blues 2-2 (h), Lost Magic 1-3 (a), Won Roosters 3-1 (h)
Adamstown – Lost Magic 0-3 (a), Lost Roosters 1-3 (a), Won Phoenix 4-2 (h)
Bottom Line
A spluttering Lambton Jaffas side meet Adamstown Rosebud in the opening match of round 19 of the PlayStation®4 NPL Northern NSW this Saturday.
The Jaffas have lost form just at the wrong time of their campaign, and they have won just one of their last four to fall from top spot on the ladder and lose the initiative in the race for the minor premiership.
Injuries crippled Lambton on the weekend against Charlestown including Joel Griffiths (calf), Luke Remington (hip flexor), Nathan Morris (knee) and Pat Brown (elbow).
The injuries forced Lambton to play the final minutes with just ten men, and adds to the already injured Jobe Wheelhouse (ankle) on the sidelines.
Wheelhouse has proved to be a significant loss for Lambton who have won just two of five in his absence.
Their opponents Adamstown seemed to be heading in the right direction after consecutive victories over Weston and Valentine.
However, in recent weeks, defeats to Lake Macquarie where they didn’t show up in the opening half-hour and a 3-0 loss to Broadmeadow last weekend have stalled their progress.
Like Lambton, the loss of key players Alex Read, Dayne Pawlik and Justin Tannock didn’t help the Rosebuds cause against Magic.
With Lambton looking so comfortable for much of the season, what hasn’t been discussed is the chance of the slipping out of the top four.
Defeat on Saturday opens the door to that possibility, which would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago.
What the Coaches Said:
James Pascoe (Lambton)
“Last week for the third time this year, we cleared the bench by about the hour mark and had to because of injury and then picked up a fourth injury after that, so we were down to ten men for the last 25 minutes.
“But, regardless don’t use that as an excuse in any way shape or form. People still have to adjust to different roles if they are asked to do that. We put bits and pieces of good performances together across the last two or three weeks, but we haven’t quite put together a strong 45 minutes in either half, so that is what we are looking for this weekend.”
“All I asked the boys to do is to concentrate, to work as hard as they can and to look forward, don’t look backwards. As far as I’m concerned after Edgeworth dropped those three points last week, we are playing for the minor premiership, we are not playing for survival in the top four. That has to be our mind-set. It’s the mind-set of people that want to be successful and we certainly want to be that, so that’s how we will be approaching things.”
Nick Webb (Adamstown)
“[Lambton] are obviously up there and on their day they are as good as any team. We’ve just got to match them in the enthusiasm I think. I still truly believe that we were unlucky against Magic. Ruben [Zadkovich] can say what he likes but, the truth is we had two cleared of the line and should have scored in the first five minutes and then it’s a different ball game. But, you’ve got to score goals to win and that’s what you’ve got to do. They scored some good goals and Kale [Bradbury] obviously changed that game for them.”
“We aren’t that bad, we just need a bit of luck at the minute. To be honest they were really disappointed after the game. That was the first time I saw a real desire to win [on the weekend]. They were disappointed not to get something out of it. We’ve got to take that confidence, because it wasn’t a bad performance, into Jaffas.”
Key: Can Lambton find some much-needed form, confidence and come out of the clash injury-free?
Charlestown City Blues v Edgeworth Eagles
6pm Saturday 22nd July at Lisle Carr Oval
Last Meeting: Round 8, 2017: Edgeworth 2 Charlestown 0 at Jack McLaughlan Oval.
Ladder: Charlestown 8th (16), Edgeworth 1st (33)
Past 3 Starts (most recent first):
Charlestown – Drew Jaffas 2-2 (a), Lost Olympic 1-2 (h), Lost Roosters 0-2 (a)
Edgeworth – Lost Olympic 0-1 (a), Won Jets 4-1 (h), Won Magpies 2-1 (a)
Bottom Line
Edgeworth will be aiming to return to the winner’s circle and keep ahead in the minor premiership race when they face Charlestown in the first Saturday evening fixture since April.
Last weekend Edgeworth were ground down by Hamilton, who simply gave them no room to work with on the small Darling Street pitch.
The Eagles chances were few and far between and the only goal came courtesy of a penalty from the boot of Kane Goodchild.
The fixture is the beginning of what will be a busy week for the Eagles, who play three matches.
After the match with Charlestown, they will play South Melbourne in the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 in Melbourne, before meeting Weston at home next Saturday.
While Edgeworth have a busy end to the season, Charlestown have a relative light one by comparison. The Blues have just three matches left this season, with finals now mathematically impossible.
They have showed grit and determination against top four sides in their last two matches, going down 2-1 to Hamilton in round 17, before last weekend sharing the points with Lambton Jaffas.
Blues striker Rene Ferguson is having a season to remember, finding the back of the net ten times this season, and has scored in his last two matches.
Ferguson sits just two goals off the top of the Golden Boot standings and is every chance of reaching top spot by season’s end.
Ferguson will no doubt cause problems for an Edgeworth side who will be keen to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointment. With that in mind they head into the clash as strong favourites.
What the Coaches Said:
Shane Pryce (Charlestown)
“I was ecstatic [after the Lambton result last weekend]. We were playing obviously, the leaders at the time and the players were immense on the day for me. Playing the leaders away from home and we went out and took the game to them and I was proud of the effort.”
“Obviously, with the change that is coming there is still uncertainty for some players. I think when something like that happens with so long to go, it’s easy just to throw your hands up in the air and say, ‘what the hell’ or ‘why are we still doing this’ so to speak with not making the semis or being a chance. Full credit to the guys who are turning up to training and turning up to play on the weekend and giving it there all. I’m happy with that.”
Damian Zane (Edgeworth)
“They [Charlestown] have been very good. They seem to have injected a few young guys and instead of possibly having senior guys who haven’t much to play for, instead they’ve got younger guys who have got a chance. When I took over, every young guy was working hard trying to impress me, so they’d be doing the same trying to impress [incoming coach] Dave Tanchevski.”
“[It will be] not very difficult [to make sure they focus on this weekend and not the FFA Cup]. Because, if you saw our shed after the game [against Olympic] they were shattered. I had a couple of boys apologise for their performance. I said ‘hey, don’t apologise, you’ve had a one off poor game.’ That’s just the standard they have set. Originally, I set the bar and they sort of maintain it. I don’t think [focus] will be an issue.”
Key: With the minor premiership on the line can Damian Zane’s Eagles win these crunch matches as they have the last two seasons?
source: sportstg.com
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George Tsamouras Football Journey 