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With four games to go, Hamilton Olympic climbed back to the top of the NPL mountain after beating Edgeworth for the second time this year.

On a slippery pitch at Darling St Oval the two leading teams of the competition began the match playing at a very high pace with both sides cancelling each other out.

Despite this, Olympic had belief, purpose and confidence in everything they did. Throughout the first half they chased, contested every ball but were unable to create many clear cut scoring opportunities.

Two minutes before half time Kane Goodchild flicked on the ball to Matthew Swan who made a forward run inside the Edgeworth box and in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, had no issue sending the ball at the back of the net for an Olympic 1-0 lead!

The intensity in the second half was the same as in the first. Two shots by Edgeworth came close but were not on target to trouble Danny Ireland. The match continued with Edgeworth probing for an equalizer and Olympic looking for a second that would put the game beyond reach.

In the 79’ minute Olympic were awarded a penalty when Daniel Bird was tripped inside the penalty box! Leo Bertos stepped up to send the Olympic fans into a delirium but instead sent the ball over the post!

With seven minutes remaining Kane Goodchild outmuscles two Edgeworth defenders to fire the ball past an outstretched Fogarty and send Olympic to a 2-0 lead.

Before the home supporters could sit back down from celebrating the goal, Edgeworth were back into the match through a header from Aden Gardiner following a flick on from a Keigo Moriyasu corner.

Edgeworth poured forward to salvage the game and in the nail biting minutes that remained, Kane Goodchild sprinted from the half way line, beat one defender, rounded the goalkeeper and elevated Olympic to the top of the NPL mountain!

A gutsy effort by all the players who rose to the occasion both physically and mentally.

Four more games remain, Olympic are undefeated and in equal first place, and next Sunday meet Broadmeadow Magic at Magic Park.

U19s Hamilton Olympic v Edgeworth Eagles 0-0

U22s Hamilton Olympic v Edgeworth Eagles  4-1

PS4 NPL NNSW ROUND 14 RESULTS:

Broadmeadow Magic – Newcastle Jets Youth 10-2

Valentine – Weston Workers  2-2

Maitland – Adamstown Rosebud 4-2

Hamilton Olympic – Edgeworth 3-1

Charlestown – Lambton Jaffas  0-0

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                             P     W  D  L       F – A   PTS

1. Hamilton Olympic       14    10   4   0      42- 10     34
2. Edgeworth                     14    11    1   2       41-14      34
3. Broadmeadow Magic   14     8    4   2      43 -22     28
4. Maitland                         13     6    4   3      25-15      22
5. Charlestown City         14     5    3   6      22-32      18
6. Valentine                       13     4    3   7      21-34      15
7. Newcastle Jets Youth 13     4    2   7      28-43      14
8. Lambton Jaffas            14      3    4   7      20-26     13
9. Adamstown                   14     3     2   9      14-33     12
10. Weston Workers           14     0    3  11      19-30      3

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 17:

U13 Adamstown  – Hamilton Olympic  0-2

U14 Adamstown  – Hamilton Olympic  1-0

U15 Adamstown  – Hamilton Olympic  1-1

U17 Adamstown  – Hamilton Olympic  1-4

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

source: Tom Tsamouras

Hamilton Olympic v Edgeworth Eagles                                                                       2.30pm, Sunday 17^th July at Darling Street Oval

Last Meeting: Hamilton 3 Edgeworth 2 at Jack McLaughlan Oval, Friday 6^th May 2016

Ladder: Hamilton 2^nd (31pts) Edgeworth 1^st (34)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Hamilton – Won Bears 3-1 (a), Drew Jaffas 2-2 (h), Won Blues 6-0 (h)

Lambton – Lost Phoenix 3-2 (h), Drew Olympic 2-2 (a), Won Weston 3-1 (a)

Bottom Line

This match has all the hallmarks of being one of the games of the season. The last time these two sides clashed – back in round five at Jack McLaughlan Oval – it was a cracking contest. It took a Tommy Spencer goal midway through the second half to get the job done for the visitors on that night, as well as some brilliant late goalkeeping from Jim Fogarty.

But, Edgeworth seem like a different team now to the one that started 2016. Coach Damian Zane thought his sides intensity at training went up a notch before their round eight clash at Cooks Square Park against Maitland, and the stats don’t lie.

Attacking wise Edgeworth’s stats aren’t too different scoring 21 goals in the opening seven matches, compared to 19 in the last six. However, defensively there is a stark contrast, with the Eagles conceding just three goals in their last six matches. In contrast, they conceded eight goals in their opening seven matches.

There is a buzz about the club as well, with fans flocking out to see Japanese sensation Keigo Moriyasu. The tireless work at the back week in week out from captain Josh Evans shouldn’t go unnoticed, though.

Hamilton have flown very much under the radar of late – ever since their loss against Lambton in the Westfield FFA Cup. Their form has been patchy the last few weeks, with three draws in their last five matches, but a morale-boosting win at Weston on Sunday looks to have steadied the ship.

So defensively strong at the start of the season, Olympic have leaked five of the nine goals they have conceded this season in the last five weeks and Captain Kyle Hodges and his defensive partners will need to be on their game on Sunday to stop Edgeworth’s riches of attacking weapons.

Rhys Cooper will be the real key for Olympic on Sunday, with speed to burn and a brilliant right foot, he has the ability to unlock a mobile Edgeworth side. Tommy Spencer vision and Kane Goodchild’s finishing will also go a long way to determining who wins at Darling Street.

If Hamilton go down in this one, the minor premiership race seems all but over, however, a win for the home side and the race will be well and truly on for the final four competition fixtures.

What the Coaches Said:

Mick Bolch (Hamilton)

“This match is for the title really, if they beat us it’s all over and if we win we are right back in it. I’m sure it will be no holds barred, there on a very good run at the moment. They’re just a good unit, they work hard for each other, and have plenty of options off the bench.”

“They are the benchmark, they won everything last year and are leading the competition this year, so it’s up to us to come up with a way to beat them. If we want to beat them everyone has to be on their game, if we turn up and two guys are off their game you just can’t beat a side like Edgeworth.”

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“We’ve just been concentrating on ourselves this week. We’ve had a pretty big month and it was quite heavy on the weekend so we had a couple of light sessions this week to try and get ourselves sharp and ready for the weekend.”

“For us, this is a massive chance to put a six-point gap on Hamilton, and with a busy time coming up that would be good with just four games left after. In the first match against them [this season] I thought we had the better of the chances but I wasn’t happy I thought we weren’t hungry enough. We didn’t deserve a win that night due to our lack of intensity.”

Key: The final fifteen minutes. Scored 15 Conceded 0. That is Edgeworth’s stats in the final fifteen minutes of matches this season. Hamilton stopped them in this period in round five and they will need to do it again.

U19s Hamilton Olympic v Edgeworth Eagles  11.00am, Sunday 17^th July at Darling Street Oval

U22s Hamilton Olympic v Edgeworth Eagles  12.45pm, Sunday 17^th July at Darling Street Oval

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                              P     W  D  L       F – A   PTS

1. Edgeworth                      13    11   1   1       40-11      34
2. Hamilton Olympic       13     9    4   0      39- 9       31
3. Broadmeadow Magic   13     7    4   2      33-20      25
4. Maitland                         12     5    4   3       21-13      19
5. Charlestown City          13     4    3   6       19-31      15
6. Newcastle Jets Youth   12     4    2   6       26-33     14
7. Valentine                         13     4    2   7       19-32     14
8. Lambton Jaffas              13     3   3    7       20-26     12
9. Adamstown                      13     3   3   7        14-33     12
10. Weston Workers             13     0   2  10         7-30      2

 PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 17:

The Hamilton Olympic youth NPL teams travel away to Adamstown Rosebud on Saturday.

U13 Olympic  kick off 10.00 a.m. Saturday 16^th July at Adamstown Oval

U14 Olympic  kick off 11.30 a.m. Saturday 16^th July at Adamstown Oval

U15 Olympic  kick off   1.00 p.m. Saturday 16^th July at Adamstown Oval

U17 Olympic  kick off   2.30 p.m. Saturday 16^th July at Adamstown Oval

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

Zone League 2
Olympic vs Uni Mens
This TUESDAY NIGHT at Islington Oval
1st Grade kick off 8.00pm
2nd Grade kick off 6.15pm

source: Tom Tsamouras

Broadmeadow Magic v Newcastle Jets Youth

2.30pm, Saturday 16^th July at Magic Park

 Last Meeting: Broadmeadow 4 Jets Youth 1 at Magic Park, Saturday 7^th May 2016

Ladder: Broadmeadow 3^rd (25) Jets Youth 6^th (14)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Broadmeadow – Lost Eagles 2-0 (a), Won Bears 1-0 (a), Won Jaffas 4-2 (a)

Jets Youth – Lost Eagles 4-2 (a), Won Blues 4-0 (a), Won Phoenix 4-3 (h)

Bottom Line

This match shapes up as a potential danger game for Broadmeadow, and even though they beat the Jets Youth convincingly back in round five, the young Jets have improved considerably since the start of the season.

Broadmeadow have dominated their last three clashes with the Youth side winning those by a combined margin of 14-5 and will be looking for nothing less than three points to cement their spot in the top four. Their loss at Edgeworth on the weekend has all but ended hopes of a first minor premiership since 2013, but currently, they sit firmly entrenched in the four, six points clear of fourth-placed Maitland who have a game in hand.

Both sides have plenty of pace on offer, especially James Virgili and Kale Bradbury for Broadmeadow and both will be looking to get on the score sheet after an uncharacteristic dry spell in front of goal for Magic. Magic, who have scored at an average of just over 2.5 goals a game this season, have scored just one in their last two matches. That single goal was a penalty James Virgili scored against Weston.

The Jets Youth have been the standout performers alongside Edgeworth over the last five weeks of the competition. They won three straight matches before a loss to the Eagles, in a match which they led approaching the final ten minutes. A wash-out against Maitland last weekend will no doubt have them fresh and reading to go from the opening whistle on Saturday.

The most improved aspect of the Jets game over the last part of the season has been their defence. They have conceded eight goals in their last five matches at an average of 1.6 per game, which is stark in contrast to their opening seven matches where they conceded 25 goals at an average of 3.6 per game. Against a Magic side with plenty of strike power, they will need to bring their defensive steel of late to the table.

The Jets Youth have had a blow on the injury front with Antonee Burke ruled out for the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his foot. For Broadmeadow Jon Griffiths and Shane Paul will both miss the match with a suspension.

What the Coaches Said:

Bobby Naumov (Broadmeadow)

“Their obviously in an elite program, so we talk about habits and doing the right thing and that’s what they do. It’s just that their young kids so we have the experience on them. Their not going to be easy and it will be a difficult task if we don’t play well.”

“Every week we just need to focus on the same things. It’s about us taking better options, it’s about us working hard, and it’s about us keeping the ball better every time. So you just keep working on that constantly and if you do that and you play to your structures and your style then the other team have to worry about you.”

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“I think [the week off] was perfect timing for us because we have had most of our team that played against Edgeworth training with the first team. This will be their third week and the demands of training with the first team and a lot higher that what they are used too. The boys’ bodies were a bit of a mess last weekend so it was good to miss the Maitland game.”

“The last game we played against Magic was probably our worst performance of the year. We just never got our foot in the match. I thought we had no control at all throughout that match. This is the one game I really want to see some improvement in, compared to our first match against them. We struggled to deal with their speed up top and their counter attack and this will be a good measure for us to see how far we’ve come.”

Key: The Jets’ defence. If they bring the defensive quality they have shown of late, Magic will be given a real test.

Valentine Phoenix v Weston Workers Bears

3pm Saturday 16^th July at Blacksmiths Oval

 Last Meeting: Valentine 2 Weston 1 at Rockwell Automation Park, Sunday 8^th May 2016

Ladder: Valentine 7^th (14) Weston 10^th (2)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Valentine – Won Jaffas 3-2 (a), Lost Rosebud 2-0 (h), Won Magpies 1-0 (a)

Weston – Lost Olympic 3-1 (h), Lost Magic 1-0 (a), Lost Jaffas 3-1 (h)

Bottom Line

Anything less than a win for Valentine in this one will see their finals hopes all but disappear, and they will need to break a recent trend if they are to claim the three points. The Phoenix have been up and down over the last six matches with an LWLWLW trend over those games. So going off that, this match is supposed to be a loss.

Away from the stats though and Valentine have proved a lot of people wrong this season. Tipped to finish last at the start of the season Valentine have come into their own the last few weeks and seem to be growing with every match. But, coach Darren Sills has higher expectations from his side.

“We are entrenched in the top seven but I set higher standards for these guys. But we have lost two games to teams below us on the ladder and those are games we need to win. We made a bad mistake in injury time against Maitland in round three. And those seven points would put us in the top four.”

Weston will see this game as a big opportunity to get their first win of the season. They went down in a close match to the Phoenix in round five and since that day both Weston and Valentine have headed in different directions on the ladder.

Bears coach Trevor Morris said ‘our two worst performances this year were against Valentine and Maitland’ and to only lose 2-1 in a poor performance will give Bears’ fans hope of a victory this weekend. But, they will have to contend with the loss of five players for this clash.

Dylan Murphy heads back to the USA, Lachlan Rowen (knee), Rurik Pereira has been offered a contract with a third tier German club, Mick Ryan (knee), and Will Myers (broken leg) are all out of Weston’s side for the weekend.

For Phoenix, Alex Tserepas is out for at least three weeks with a broken ankle. Valentine’s leading goalscorer Brenton Olzomer returns from a back injury and Chris Brown (back) also is set to return.

What the Coaches Said:

Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)

“It’s a massive danger game for us, and if there is one positive to take out of the loss to Adamstown a week and a half ago, we came into the game complacent against a team below us on the table, even though only by a couple of points. We can’t afford that this weekend.”

“If you take out the result against Adamstown, we have turned the corner halfway through the year. We figured out that we just need to play a bit simpler. We just to play simple, play through the midfield, get plenty of touches and put the ball in the big white thing in the middle of the park. That’s been the major focus of training this week.”

Trevor Morris (Weston)

“If I want nightmare games our worst performances were against Maitland and Valentine. They were just horror games. All we have to do is turn up. We are in the positions where we just need to fight for everything and scrap for everything. It’s not pretty, but I said to the boys ‘what else have you got to lose?’ You’ve got nothing else to lose, you’ve just got to go out and go for it.”

Key: Which Valentine side will turn up? If they being a performance similar to the one they showed against Lambton last weekend the Phoenix will put themselves in the box seat to make it two wins in a row for the first time this season.

Charlestown City Blues v Lambton Jaffas

2.30pm Sunday 17^th July at Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Charlestown 3 Lambton 1 at Arthur Edden Oval, Saturday 7^th May 2016

Ladder: Charlestown 5^th (17) Lambton 8^th (12)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Charlestown – Won Rosebuds 3-1 (a), Lost Magpies 2-0 (h), Lost Olympic 6-0 (a)

Lambton – Lost Phoenix 3-2 (h), Drew Olympic 2-2 (a), Won Bears 3-1 (a)

Bottom Line

Charlestown will be looking to continue their push towards the finals when they meet the Lambton Jaffas at home on Sunday. Depending on Maitland’s result against Adamstown, the Blues could find themselves inside the top four by the end of the weekend if they can claim all three points against the Jaffas.

An incredible statistic in clashes between these two sides is that five of the last six clashes have been decided by a 3-1 scoreline – three have been won by the Jaffas and two by Charlestown. But, it has been the Jaffas of late who have had the better of the head to head results winning three of the last four matches against the Blues. Charlestown’s only win coming in their match-up in round five earlier this year.

After a lean trot where Charlestown lost six straight matches, it seems like they have may have rediscovered some of their early season form against Adamstown last weekend and they will need to bring that form against the hot and cold Jaffas.

Lambton have been all over the shop this season with results, and injuries have played a major part in that. Jobe Wheelhouse will most likely miss this clash with a calf injury he picked up last weekend, but the Jaffas have shown they can perform without their inspiration captain.

The last two matches without Wheelhouse saw the Jaffas claim a point from a credible draw with Hamilton Olympic and three points from last-placed Weston. Bailey Jensen and Ben Hay have stepped up in recent weeks for the Jaffas in the midfield and will need another big game if they are to beat the Blues.

For Charlestown Josh Maguire is still out with a groin injury.

What the Coaches Said:

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“It’s a massive game for us, we’ve got to keep the gap as short as we can to fourth spot. We got to treat this as a mini grand final. I think a few of the guys will grow in confidence with the win [last weekend]. I thought from the Maitland game there were some positive signs so it was great to get the win and get some confidence back.”

“On paper [even without Wheelhouse] Lambton have a strong side. They have some young talented guys who will want to prove to James Pascoe that they are ready to play week in week out this year and next year. The major difference for us last weekend was everyone contributed and that was lacking in the weeks before. We need the same this weekend.”

Key: Can the Jaffas young guns step up again to make up for Jobe Wheelhouse’s absence?

Maitland Magpies v Adamstown Rosebud

2.30pm Sunday 17^th July at Cooks Square Park

Last Meeting: Maitland 6 Adamstown 1 at Adamstown Oval, Sunday 8^th May 2016

Ladder: Maitland 4^th (19) Adamstown 9^th (11)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Maitland – Won Blues 2-0 (a), Lost Phoenix 1-0 (h), Lost Magic 3-0 (a)

Adamstown – Lost Blues 3-1 (h), Won Phoenix 2-0 (a), Lost Eagles 2-0 (a)

Bottom Line

Maitland will be looking to consolidate their place in the top four when they take on the Rosebuds on Sunday at Cooks Square Park. The two sides met back in round five and by just looking at the result, you would think Maitland did it easily.

But, it wasn’t as straightforward as it seems. Adamstown’s Thom Lino put them ahead inside the opening ten minutes before keeper Paul Bitz was sent from the field for pulling down Maitland striker Ben Martin. In the remaining 80 minutes of 11 versus 10, Maitland piled on the goals but provided there are no red cards in this one the result will be a lot tighter.

After a dip in form which saw Maitland lose four straight, the Magpies returned to form two weekends ago with a 2-0 victory over Charlestown, and there is no doubt they will be the fresher of the two sides after having last weekend off after wet weather caused their match against the Jets Youth to be cancelled.

Adamstown’s form has been solid over the past month without being spectacular, with two draws, two losses and a win the results from their five matches within that period. Those two draws though were against Hamilton and Broadmeadow, which make them all the more impressive.

It seems as though last weekend’s performance against Charlestown wasn’t a fair reflection of their recent form and the Rosebuds will be keen to make amends for that disappointing performance in front of their home fans.

Adamstown coach Graham Law coached Maitland to promotion in the 2014 season and of all the coaches in the NPL Northern NSW he will have the most inside knowledge about the Magpies. He has a good record against them as well, winning two of the three matches against his former club.

For Maitland, Matt Crowell is on the road to recovery from a hernia but still is out as is Nick Russell with an ankle injury. Sam Rossi will most likely come into the starting side after being away.

For the visiting Rosebuds Dayne Pawlik is suspended due to his red card last weekend as is Thom Lino with yellow card accumulation. Defender Jordan Harrison is also out of the clash, as is Hakan Canli who is on holidays. On a positive Mitch Hunter makes his debut for the club after receiving an international transfer clearance.

What the Coaches Said:

Reece Thompson (Maitland Assistant)

“Even with the bombshell of ‘Piggo’ [Steve Piggott] leaving the club last night, the mood around the boys is still really positive, it’s been really positive. It’s a big game for the club coming up against a guy [Graham Law] who used to coach our club and one of our former players in Alex Read.”

“Adamstown are unpredictable, to be honest. I watched their game last weekend on BarTV and I thought they were good. They just didn’t get the rub of the green and I think that’s what happened at the start of the year with their goalkeepers being sent off. They have just had an unlucky year. If we can get them on our good day and the boys fire I think we will be right.”

Graham Law (Adamstown)

“We were very disappointed on the weekend losing to Charlestown. That was a big win for them, keeping their finals hopes alive. We played really well but Charlestown just took their chances. The boys are so disappointed that they didn’t win on the weekend. We just need to just win as many games as we can and try and finish up as high up the league as we can.”

“We’ve already won at Maitland this year in the FFA Cup, so we are confident going up there. We just need to keep 11 men on the park. That would be a good starting point. I think it will be an entirely different game to the last one [6-1 loss]. The first fifteen minutes we were very much in the game until [the red card].

Key: Can Adamstown bring the form they showed in the five matches before last weekend’s loss? If they can, an upset is on the cards.

Source: northernnswfootball.com.au

Hamilton Olympic have prepared for the showdown of the season at Darling St Oval next Sunday against Edgeworth after disposing Weston Workers 3-1 at Rockwell Automation Park.

On a warm and sunny afternoon, Olympic put the home team to the sward within the first minute after a disastrous back pass by Nathan Morris was intercepted by Daniel Bird, who had no problem burying the ball in the back of the Weston net 1-0.

The opening 10 minutes were a scrappy affair in midfield with few goal scoring opportunities for either side. In the 13^th minute a well weighted cross from the left by Tommy Spencer found Rhys Cooper in front of goal but his shot went over the bar.

Olympic began to dominate play but were not creating the clear cut goal scoring opportunities we have been accustomed to seeing throughout the season. Defending in numbers by Weston and the poor playing surface didn’t help.

By the 34^th minute Cody Lucas latched onto a loose ball outside the area and without a defender challenging for the ball, unleashed a thunderous shot which ended in the back of the Weston goal 2-0.

Before celebrations had time to subside on the grandstand by the traveling Olympic faithful, Cody Lucas sprinted down the left, provided a perfectly weighted cross to an unmarked Kane Goodchild in the box, who turned and made the rest of the game a mere formality 3-0!

Half time found Olympic leading by 3-0 and looking very comfortable in obtaining the 3points.

With a 3-0 cushion, Olympic began the 2^nd half with a lot more composure, stroking the ball around with ease, despite the condition of the pitch and Weston simply defending in numbers and trying to keep the score line down.

Despite the domination, there was little intensity and few goal scoring opportunities. The only point of interest was a cross from the right by Isaac Peek, a slip by Swan and Robbie Turnbull having enough time to control the ball and score a consolation goal, 3-1.

This victory, in conjunction with Edgeworth’s win over Broadmeadow Magic brings the clash of the season at Darling St Oval next Sunday.

Will Olympic beat in form Edgeworth and take the lead on the points table on goal difference or will Edgeworth win and wrap up the Minor Premiership by opening a 6 point lead with only four games remaining after this clash?

The answers to these questions will be known next Sunday at Darling St Oval at 2.30.

U19s Weston – Hamilton Olympic 1-1

U22s Weston – Hamilton Olympic  2-1

PS4 NPL NNSW ROUND 13 RESULTS:

Lambton Jaffas – Valentine 2-3

Adamstown Rosebud – Charlestown 1-3

Weston Workers – Hamilton Olympic 1-3

Newcastle Jets Youth  – Maitland  p.p.

Edgeworth – Broadmeadow Magic 2-0

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                              P     W  D  L       F – A   PTS

1. Edgeworth                      13    11   1   1       40-11      34
2. Hamilton Olympic       13     9    4   0      39- 9       31
3. Broadmeadow Magic   13     7    4   2      33-20      25
4. Maitland                         12     5    4   3       21-13      19
5. Charlestown City          13     4    3   6       19-31      15
6. Newcastle Jets Youth   12     4    2   6       26-33     14
7. Valentine                         13     4    2   7       19-32     14
8. Lambton Jaffas              13     3   3    7       20-26     12
9. Adamstown                      13     3   3   7        14-33     12
10. Weston Workers             13     0   2  10         7-30      2

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 16 RESULTS:
Under 17s Olympic – Mid North Coast 2-0
Under 15s Olympic – Mid North Coast 1-6
Under 14s Olympic  – Mid North Coast 0-0
Under 13s Olympic  – Mid North Coast 1-1

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Weston Workers FC v Hamilton Olympic FC                                       Sunday, July 10, 2.30pm                                                                                Rockwell Automation Park

Hamilton coach Michael Bolch will ask for a more focused effort from his unbeaten side when they make the trip to Weston to take on the Bears on Sunday.

Second-placed Olympic slipped to three points behind Edgeworth on 28 with a 2-2 draw against Lambton Jaffas last week in which they conceded from a throw-in in the second minute and a corner in first-half injury time.

Olympic hit back each time but could not break down the Jaffas again for the winner in a frustrating day for the club.

Bolch said his side had to be better and would likely need to win their remaining six games to catch the in-form Eagles for the minor premiership.

“We only had ourselves to blame, conceding in the first two minutes then in injury time in the first half,” Bolch said.

“We were chasing the game the whole day.”

“We’ve just got to be better with our decision-making and all over the park basically.

“We’ve got to be mentally switched on for 90 minutes. Obviously, we were still in the sheds on Sunday conceding in the first few minutes and from two set pieces.”

Bolch said all of his players pulled through fine and he was likely to have a full squad to choose from for the match against Weston.

The Bears are last with just two points but are coming off an encouraging effort in a 1-0 loss to Broadmeadow. Bolch believed his side faced a tough task against the Bears.

“They have been defensive good all year,” Bolch said.

“Magic only scored with a penalty on the weekend so they are obviously still working hard defensively.”

Weston will be without Zac Sneddon, who suffered a fractured skull in a head clash early in the match against Magic.

Coach Trevor Morris said Jake Barner, Rurik Pereira and Josh Coleman, who had hamstring problems, were other injury concerns.

Morris was proud of the effort against Broadmeadow.

“Our defence was great, I think Magic had only two clear-cut chances and I thought we were sensational,” Morris said.

“But we’ve been hard to break down all year.”

Despite the Bears’ winless run this season and position on the table, Morris said they still had plenty to fight for.

“We’re playing for respect and that’s a good motivator,” Morris said.

“I can’t fault the players’ effort though.”

“They’ve worked hard at training and they are starting to believe in the system I’m trying to get them to play,” Morris concluded.

U19s Weston Workers vs Hamilton Olympic 11.00 am Sunday 10 July at Rockwell Automation Park

U22s Weston Workers vs Hamilton Olympic  12.45 am Sunday 10 July at Rockwell Automation Park

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                                 P     W  D  L       F – A   PTS

1. Edgeworth                        12    10   1   1       38-11      31
2. Hamilton Olympic         12     8    4   0       36-6       28
3. Broadmeadow Magic      12     7    4   1        33-18    25
4. Maitland                           12     5    4   3        21-13      19
5. Newcastle Jets Youth    12     4    2   6        26-33     14
6. Charlestown City            12      4   2   6        19-31     14
7. Lambton Jaffas                 12      3   3   6        18-23     12
8. Valentine                            12      3   2   7        16-30     11
9. Adamstown                        12      3   2   7        14-33     11
10. Weston Workers                12     0   2  10         6-27      2

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 16:

After winning four out four and without conceding a single goal last week in Maitland, our youth NPL teams  welcome Mid North Coast this Saturday.

U13 Olympic  kick off 10.00 a.m. Sunday 10^th  Darling St Oval

U14 Olympic  kick off 11.30 a.m. Sunday 10^th  Darling St Oval

U15 Olympic  kick off   1.00 p.m. Sunday 10^th  Darling St Oval

U17 Olympic  kick off   2.30 p.m. Sunday 10^th  Darling St Oval

source: Tom Tsamouras

Edgeworth FC v Broadmeadow Magic FC

Sunday, July 10, 2.45pm

Jack McLaughlan Oval

Broadmeadow Magic will be out to match the consistency of leaders Edgeworth when the teams resume their close rivalry in the PlayStation ® 4 National Premier Leagues Match of the Round at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Sunday.

The sides’ past four matches, including last year’s two-leg semi-final and an FFA Cup game, have been draws in regulation time and both coaches expect another close battle.

Edgeworth are on a seven-game winning streak and sit top on 31 points, three ahead of Hamilton and six clear of third-placed Broadmeadow.

Magic kept pace with a 1-0 win over a determined Weston last week, while the defending premiers came back from 2-1 down with 10 minutes left on the clock against the Newcastle Jets Youth to win 4-2.

Edgeworth regain senior trio Daniel McBreen (junior coaching), Bren Hammel (hamstring) and Pat Wheeler (away) to their squad this week, giving coach Damian Zane a full strength line-up to choose from.

The Eagles prevailed on penalties against Magic in the FFA Cup this year and last year beat Broadmeadow on the away goals rule in their drawn semi-finals.

A 1-1 draw this year at Magic Park continued the trend and Zane was bracing for more of the same.

“They are a good team and it always seems to be the tale of our good defence against their good attack,” Zane said.

“There’s been a few draws between us and it’s first versus third so it should be tight again.”

Magic will be without midfielder Michael Kantarovski, who is suspended after being sent off late last week for a second yellow card offence.

Co-coach Robert Virgili said Matt Hoole, who rolled his ankle and missed last week’s win, was also in doubt.

Virgili said his side would need to lift across the park to match the Eagles.

“They are going along well and they are just consistent every week,” Virgili said.

“I think the last seven games we’ve played them we’ve had one win each and five draws, in regulation, so there’s nothing in it and that’s how I look at it.”

“On the day, in terms of quality of players in each squad, I don’t think there’s much between us.

“They’ve got one way, they work hard, they know their roles and they’re a team, and their performances don’t waiver from week to week.”

“We’ve just got to be up for it and if we can do it for 90 minutes, like we have a couple of times this year, we’ll be well and truly in the game,” Virgili concluded.

Lambton Jaffas FC v Valentine FC

Saturday, July 9, 2.30pm

Arthur Edden Oval

Valentine coach Darren Sills will ask his side for a big improvement in their “last real throw of the dice” against Lambton Jaffas on Saturday at Arthur Edden Oval.

Eighth-placed Phoenix lost 2-0 to Adamstown last week to stay on 11 points, eight off the top four with six rounds to play.

Sills was disappointed with the effort against Rosebud, who joined them on 11 points but trail on goal difference.

Valentine take on a Jaffas side who beat them 2-0 first time around and are one point ahead in seventh.

“This is the last real throw of the dice for us,” Sills said.

“We need to be desperate. We’ve lost six points to a team running behind us, in Adamstown, and they were fairly ordinary on the weekend and we were a bit ordinary as well.”

“But they just probably wanted it a bit more than us and their attitude was a bit better than ours.”

“For a team fighting to stay alive finals-wise, I couldn’t come to terms with our mentality and intensity. The performance was way down on what it has been.”

Valentine are sweating on the fitness of Chris Brown and Brenton Olzomer, who both have back injuries.

Brown came off the bench last round and was having scans this week to determine the extent of the problem.

Olzomer lasted about 30 minutes last week because of a recurring issue with his back.

Sills said Peter McPherson and Jobe Wheelhouse “killed us in the middle of the park” the first time around against Jaffas, who could be without both for the rematch.

Wheelhouse, McPherson and Michael Sessions were missing for the Jaffas’ 2-2 draw with unbeaten Hamilton last week.

Jaffas coach James Pascoe said McPherson was a chance to return from a hamstring problem off the bench, but Wheelhouse remained sidelined with a leg injury. Centre-back Sessions returns from an overseas trip in time to replace Michael Williams, who suffered a season-ending hamstring tear against Olympic.

Pascoe was impressed with his understrength side’s effort against Hamilton last week.

Newcastle Jets Youth v Maitland FC

Saturday, July 9, 2.30pm

Cooks Square Park

Newcastle Jets Youth coach Clayton Zane hopes his side’s improved defence will help turn the tables on Maitland at Cooks Square Park on Saturday.

Maitland defeated Zane’s team 4-1 in a midweek catch-up match last time around when the Jets Youth were lacking depth in defence.

Matt Thompson scored twice with free kicks in the game.

Since the loss, the Jets Youth have won four and drawn once in seven games to move to fifth on 14 points, five points shy of fourth-placed Maitland.

Zane said the Magpies would provide his team with another valuable test.

“We got towelled up there last time with goals from three set-pieces so it’s something we need to be prepared for, that threat from dead-ball situations,” Zane said.

He said the addition of centre-back Matthew Richardson, who has played the past three games, and the return of players from injury had helped his side improve.

“I don’t think the performances are getting any better, we’re just cutting out silly, individual errors from earlier in the season,” he said.

“The other thing is now we’ve got competition for places.

“We had really the bare 11 before and, in defence especially, we didn’t have any pressure on the ones who were playing.

“Before they would make a mistake and they were back in there, whereas now there’s accountability and they know performances will dictate if they start each match.

“With the ball, we’ve been pretty similar, pretty effective from the beginning. We’ve scored a lot of goals but out of possession has been the problem for us.

“We’ve tidied that up and we look a lot better at the back since we’ve brought a new centre-back in. We started with three at the back at times early in the year because we didn’t have enough fit defenders, now we’ve got probably five competing for the four spots.”

He said right fullback Ryan Ensor had a calf strain and would likely miss the match, while Antonee Burke was out for the season with a stress fracture in his foot.

Maitland, meanwhile, will be keen to build on their first win in five rounds. The Magpies defeated Charlestown 2-0 with a double from captain Matt Thompson.

Coach Steve Piggott started Sam Rossi instead of regular skipper Blake Thompson and 16-year-old Regan Payne over Ryan Broadley to inject more pace into his side after just two goals scored in four games.

Piggott was pleased with the result and the chances created. Striker Ben Martin missed the match with an injury.

Adamstown Rosebud FC v Charlestown City Blues FC

Sunday, July 10, 2.30pm

Adamstown Oval

Charlestown coach Shane Pryce believes his side turned the corner in defeat last week as they head into a must-win game against Adamstown at Adamstown Oval on Sunday.

The Blues have lost their past six matches to stagnate in sixth place on 14 points after a bright start to the season, which had them as high as second.

An undermanned Charlestown were thumped 6-0 midweek by Hamilton but responded with an improved showing in a 2-0 loss to Maitland last weekend.

Pryce was encouraged by the effort and said his team, who are five points outside the top four, had not given up on finals football.

“I was quite happy with the majority of our performance against Maitland,” Pryce said.

“The attitude and effort was a vast improvement. Our structure and shape was better, so this is a chance for us to turn the corner against an improved Adamstown.”

“We’ve got everything to play for.”

“Over the last four or five defeats we’ve rolled over and died a bit. We haven’t had much fight in us but the attitude against Maitland was better.”

“It would have been nice to come out with something, but I think we’ve turned the corner a little bit.

“Those finals are still in sight and we’ll be going for them until they are gone.”

Captain Ben Hughes returns from illness and Jarryd Johnson is back from suspension for the clash with Rosebud. Josh Maguire may be back from a groin problem.

Adamstown moved to 11 points with a 2-0 win over Valentine last week.

Coach Graham Law was more than pleased with the performance and said his side could have won by more after creating several great chances.

He said striker Thom Lino was suspended and he might give new signing Mitchell Hunter, a striker from Queensland who has been playing in Germany, a start in his first game.

He said another new signing, 41-year-old Sean Matthews, would play under 22s and likely sit on the bench in first grade.

source: northernnswfootball.com.au

Edgeworth coach Damian Zane will guide an NPL select side to take on the Newcastle Jets in a trial set for July 20 at Magic Park.

The Jets have not played a pre-season match against a Northern NSW representative side since 2013 but the concept is being revived.

Zane has been asked to steer the side and he was glad to take on the role despite his duties with leaders Edgeworth, which include a trip to Cairns to play Far North Queensland in the FFA Cup round of 32 on July 27. That fixture was confirmed Tuesday along with the Jets versus Melbourne Victory on August 3 at Magic Park and Lambton Jaffas away to Devonport on August 10.

Zane said the game would be a chance for the NPL’s best young talent and standout players to impress.

“I love Newcastle and I want more of our players to get recognition and hopefully in the future pass up into the A-League,” Zane said. “I think our comp is becoming stronger and they are starting to recognise that not all players get spotted early and go through systems.”

“Some are late developers and I think down the track there’s going to be more of that happening.”

source: theherald.com.au

On a warm and sunny afternoon at Darling St Oval Olympic took on a depleted Lambton Jaffas side.

Before the teams had enough time to warm up a seemingly innocent shy from the right into the Olympic box, caught the defense of the home side napping and Ben Hay opened the account with a simple tap in 0-1!

Olympic then spent the next 10 minutes creating 4-5 great goal scoring opportunities to put the ball at the back of the Jaffas net, but without success.

The game is fast and free flowing and the smell of goals is in the air. Olympic are in charge but need to close Jaffas down much quicker to dominate possession and limit the opposition’s offensive moves.

In the 18^th minute the hearts of Olympic fans almost stopped when a shot from Ben Hay cannons off Danny Ireland’s upright!

On the half hour mark a lovely ball from the right finds Simon Mooney with time to control and fire a shot in, but the ball ends up well over the cross-bar.

 The game continues to be free flowing with Olympic failing to put Jaffas under more pressure when on the ball.

An early ball to Rhys Cooper by Jacob Bailey enables him to round Michael Williams and then in a one-on-one against the goalkeeper Brad Swancott, has no difficulty in leveling the score at 1-1.

A late  tackle on Rhys Cooper by Alex Johnston-Young results in a scuffle between the players and two yellow cards for Jaffas and one for Tommy Spencer from Olympic.

Right on half time, a rebound ball to Kevin Davison on the right, enables him to fire a shot at Danny Ireland and Olympic goes into half time 1-2 behind.

The opening 10” of the second half find Olympic trying to find a way through but Jaffas have committed numbers in the final third of the field to ensure they don’t get through.

During a build up from the right, Rhys Cooper sends a cross to the far post where Kane Goochild rises between two defenders to head the ball into the Jaffas net to level the score at 2-2.

Olympic dominate with Jaffas content at soaking up pressure and looking to catch them on the break. Despite this, there is little space available and Olympic are not creating clear cut goal scoring opportunities.

In the last 15 minutes Olympic dominate play, look for an opening but through the weight of numbers, Jaffas keep them out.

U19s Hamilton Olympic  – Lambton Jaffas  5-2

U22s Hamilton Olympic  – Lambton Jaffas  2-0

PS4 NPL NNSW ROUND 12 RESULTS:

Valentine – Adamstown Rosebud 0-2

Hamilton Olympic – Lambton Jaffas 2-2

Charlestown – Maitland 0-2

Broadmeadow Magic – Weston Workers 1-0

Edgeworth – Newcastle Jets Youth  4-2

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                                 P     W  D  L       F – A   PTS

1. Edgeworth                          12    10   1   1       38-11      31
2. Hamilton Olympic            12     8    4   0       36-6      28
3. Broadmeadow Magic        12     7    4   1       33-18     25
4. Maitland                              12     5    4   3       21-13     19
5. Newcastle Jets Youth       12     4    2   6       26-33    14
6. Charlestown City              12      4   2   6        19-31     14
7. Lambton Jaffas                 12      3   3   6        18-23     12
8. Valentine                            12      3   2   7        16-30     11
9. Adamstown                        12      3   2   7        14-33     11
10. Weston Workers                12     0   2  10         6-27     2

Youth NPL Results:
Olympic vs Maitland
Under 17s Olympic won 1-0
Under 15s Olympic won 5-0
Under 14s Olympic won 2-0
Under 13s Olympic won 2-0

Zone League 2
Olympic vs New Lambton
1st Grade Olympic won 7-1
2nd Grade Olympic won 3-0

source:Tom Tsamouras

http://hamiltonolympic.com.au/c5/

PS4 NPL NNSW Round 12:Hamilton Olympic ready for Lambton Jaffas on Sunday

2.30pm, Sunday 3^rd July  Darling Street Oval

Last Meeting: Lambton 3 Hamilton 2 at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility, 19^th June, 2016 (Westfield FFA Cup)

Ladder: Hamilton 2^nd (24pts) Lambton 8^th (11)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Hamilton – Won Charlestown 6-0 (h)Drew Rosebuds 1-1 (a), Drew Magpies 1-1 (h),

Lambton – Won Weston 3-1 (a) Lost Magic 4-2 (h), Lost Eagles 5-0

Bottom Line

Lambton and Hamilton do battle for the second time in two weeks after the Jaffas’ upset Olympic in a 3-2 victory in the Westfield FFA Cup. Tight matches have been the trend between these two sides with 3 draws being played out between the sides in their last five PlayStation® 4 National Premier League Northern NSW clashes.

The only results in the competition which were not drawn in those five were Olympic’s 2-1 victory in the 1^st leg of the finals last season and their 3-0 win over the Jaffas in round 3 this season. The last time the Jaffas beat Olympic in PlayStation® 4 NPL competition was back in 2014.

Olympic started the season on fire, with seven wins in a row following their round one draw with Maitland. However, in recent weeks Olympic haven’t been taking their chances in front of goal and have surrendered their lead atop of the ladder to Edgeworth. Two draws against Maitland and Adamstown have hurt their minor premiership chances.

However, a dominant win on Wednesday against Charlestown will give Olympic’s frontline some much-needed confidence going into the weekend. Kane Goodchild got back on the scoresheet on Sunday and grabbed one as well on Wednesday, and he will be key to Hamilton’s hopes. If Lambton are not able to contain him – as they didn’t in round 3 when he scored a hat-trick – Hamilton will be hard to stop.

Lambton, on the other hand, looked to be struggling after a 5-0 defeat to Edgeworth in round 10. But, a return to form against Hamilton followed by a promising showing against Magic will give Lambton confidence going into the match against Olympic. A midweek win over Weston has breathed some life back into their finals hopes.

Goals have been Lambton’s undoing, scoring at just over one goal a game. But, those stats will matter little on Sunday. As evidenced in the Westfield FFA Cup, if Lambton turns up with the attitude and determination they did two weeks ago, they will give themselves every chance of claiming the win.

What the Coaches Said:

Mick Bolch (Olympic)

“They were very good in the second half in the FFA Cup. We’ve just got to replicate what we did in the first 30 minutes. We’re starting games really well at the minute, but we are just in a little lull at the minutes. At the moment we are just not being clinical. Go back five or six weeks ago we were creating plenty of chances and scoring goals, but at the moment we are scoring goals and just not finishing them.”

“Last year we didn’t play on the FFA Cup weekend and thought [we lost a bit of form] because we didn’t play in a fortnight, and now this year we have played and have a few bumps and bruises. I think it’s just about not taking for granted our position on the table.”

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“I don’t think the match against Hamilton [in the FFA Cup] will have much influence on this one. That’s because we are relatively decimated at the moment. I really don’t know at this stage what [players] I am going to have to put out against Hamilton. When you’ve got three or four of your best 11 out, it will affect you.”

“Someone’s misfortune is normally someone’s opportunity and this is a real opportunity for the young boys to stand up. You expect nothing less than massive amounts of enthusiasm and energy when you get some young boys in the team.”

Key: Kane Goodchild. If he is allowed the freedom he was offered in round 3, Lambton will find it tough to make it back to back wins against Olympic.

U19s Hamilton Olympic vs Lambton Jaffas  11.00 am Sunday 3 July Darling St Oval

U22s Hamilton Olympic vs Lambton Jaffas  12.45 am Sunday 3 July Darling St Oval

 TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                                 P     W  D  L   F – A   PTS

1. Edgeworth                          11      9   1   1         34-9     28
2. Hamilton Olympic            11     8   3   0        34-6      27
3. Broadmeadow Magic        11      6   4   1        32-18    22
4. Maitland                              11      4   4   3       19-13     16
5. Charlestown City               11      4   2   5       19-29     14
6. Newcastle Jets Youth       11      4   2   5        24-29    14
7. Valentine                            11      3   2   6        16-28     11
8. Lambton Jaffas                  11      3   2   6        16-21     11
9. Adamstown                         11      2   2   7        12-33     8
10. Weston Workers                11      0   2   9         6-26     2

PS4 YOUTH NPL ROUND 15:

After the bye last week our youth NPL teams are away to Maitland this Saturday.

U13 Olympic  kick off 10.00 a.m. Saturday 2^nd  July at Cook Square Park

U14 Olympic  kick off 11.30 a.m. Saturday 2^nd  July at Cook Square Park

U15 Olympic  kick off   1.00 p.m. Saturday 2^nd  July at Cook Square Park

U17 Olympic  kick off   2.30 p.m. Saturday 2^nd  July at Cook Square Park

source: Tom Tsamouras

http://hamiltonolympic.com.au/c5/

Valentine Phoenix v Adamstown Rosebuds

3pm, Saturday 2^nd July

Blacksmiths Oval

Last Meeting: Adamstown 2 Valentine 0 at Adamstown Oval, 24^th April, 2016

Ladder: Valentine 7^th (11) Adamstown 9^th (8)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Valentine – Won Maitland 1-0 (a), Lost Jets 4-3 (a), Won Blues 3-2 (h)

Adamstown – Drew Olympic 1-1 (h), Drew Magic 3-3 (h), Won Bears 2-1 (h)

Bottom Line

This is a crucial match for both sides in their aspirations for the top four. A win for Valentine and they will just be one win outside the top four while Adamstown will have to win this one if they are to have any hope of making the finals.

Valentine have been up and down all season, but have won two of their last three and will be full of confidence defensively after keeping their first clean sheet of the season against the Magpies in Maitland. In an interesting sidenote to the clash, Matt Paul lines up against his former club for the first time this season, and it will be interesting to see whether it will bring out the best in him.

In their match earlier in the season Valentine struggled to contain Chris Berlin, who has been in outstanding form of late, scoring two goals and having a hand in another against Magic, and against Hamilton he won the penalty which Alex Read scored. As well as Berlin, Thom Lino has caused problems up front for opposition defences and Valentine will need to be on the lookout for those two.

Adamstown’s form has improved in the last few weeks, and they are undefeated in three of their last four matches. A 2-0 loss to Edgeworth was by no means an embarrassment for the Rosebuds, with the score at 1-0 for most of the contest. Keigo Moriyasu grabbing a late opportunistic goal from distance to seal the points for the Eagles.

Defence is where Adamstown have been their strongest of late, conceding just five goals in their last four matches, at just over one goal a game – a welcome change from the 28 goals they conceded in their opening seven matches at an average of four goals per game. If they can show the same steel defensively against the Phoenix, it will go a long way to getting them the points.

Owen Littlewood is out through suspension due to yellow card accumulation for Adamstown while Thom Lino makes his return from suspension.

What the Coaches Said:

Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)

“[Last match] They took their time and slowed the game down and broke when they had to and scored two decent goals. Chances wise I think we still created six to eight chances throughout the game but our execution was pretty poor. That was the big thing abut that game, I remember the amount of passes that went over the sideline and it wasn’t good enough.”

Graham Law (Adamstown Coach)

“I though the [last match against them] was a pretty dominant performance from us. I thought 2-0 probably shaded them a little bit. We’ve just come through what many would perceive, but not me, as a really hard run with Magic, Hamilton, Edgeworth and have come out with our heads held high.”

“It will be difficult of the Belswans’ pitch, it’s a small park and a very sandy surface. It doesn’t greatly suit our game to an extent, as we like to get the ball moving, and pass the ball, so we might have to adapt a little bit to the pitch, but then so will they.”

Key: Valentine played arguably their worst match of the season against Adamstown in their last clash. Was it just themselves or do they not like playing the Rosebuds?

Broadmeadow Magic v Weston Workers Bears

2.30pm Sunday 3^rd July

Magic Park

Last Meeting: Weston 0 Broadmeadow 0 at Rockwell Automation Park, 24^th April, 2016

Ladder: Broadmeadow 3^rd (22) Weston 10^th (2)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Broadmeadow – Won Jaffas 4-2 (a), Won Magpies 3-0 (h), Drew Rosebud 3-3 (a)

Weston – Lost Eagles 3-0 (h), Lost Jets 3-0 (a), Lost Rosebud 2-1 (a)

Bottom Line

While both sides sit at opposite ends of the ladder, their last match was a tight contest at Weston and gave an indication of just how strong Weston’s defence has been at stages this season – the 6^th best in the competition.

In fact, the last six contests have been split between the sides, Weston winning two, Magic two, and two draws. Broadmeadow have actually only won one match in the last five between the sides and the last time they beat Weston at Magic Park was 2013. Who could forget last year’s match at Magic Park? Jake Milsteed scoring the winner for the Bears in stoppage time for a 4-3 win, after being down 2-0 early on in the match.

Weston’s ability in front of goal has gone downhill since then and it seems that if they are to have any hope of claiming the three points at Magic Park on Sunday they will need multiple goals – coming up against the equal best-attacking side in the competition. And their attacking form of late – with just one goal from general play since round one – doesn’t bode well.

However, a goal against the Jaffas midweek will no doubt give the Bears some confidence going into the weekend’s clash, with Rurik Pereira grabbing his first goal of the season.

For Broadmeadow, since their 3-1 defeat to Hamilton, their attack has come to life. With 17 goals scored in their five matches since then. James Virgili has been almost unstoppable of late, scoring a goal and setting up another as he took his goal scoring tally to 12 for the season against Lambton on the weekend.

Kale Bradbury also got his 8^th of the season on the weekend, and containing those two will help Weston go a long way to getting points out of the match. But don’t discount the likes of Peter Haynes, Michael Kantarovski and Shane Paul in the midfield who have all been outstanding at different times this season.

 What the Coaches Said:

Bobby Naumov (Broadmeadow)

“Every game now is important. We set out a target a couple of weeks ago, we need to win and we drew with Adamstown which was disappointing, but we beat Maitland and we needed that. And we beat Lambton which was massive for us. We needed that win on the weekend as it sort of kills off Jaffas a little bit and we start getting closer to the top end than the edge of the four.”

“Any side is going to be hard, and if you don’t play well it will make things difficult. We’ve just got to look at trying to win every game or as many as we possibly can and where we finish then takes care of itself.”

Trevor Morris (Weston)

“People look at the results and say ‘you must be disappointed,’ which we are, but we are working so hard at training and we are doing things to try and rectify it. We just need to keep working hard to turn it around and the boys are doing that.”

Key: Broadmeadow’s attack was not able to get through Weston in round three, and with the quality they have in the front third they can’t afford not to score here or a top two spot could go begging.

Charlestown City Blues v Maitland Magpies

2.30pm Sunday 3^rd July

Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Maitland 1 Charlestown 1 at Cooks Square Park, April 24^th, 2016

Ladder: Charlestown 6^th (14) Maitland 4^th (16)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Charlestown – Lost Olympic 6-0 (a), Lost Jets 4-0 (h), Lost Phoenix 3-2 (a)

Maitland – Lost Phoenix 1-0 (h), Lost Magic 3-0 (a), Drew Olympic 1-1 (a)

Bottom Line

In terms of the top four, this is a huge match. A loss for Charlestown and their finals hopes could be over as a five-point gap from the top four with six matches to play could be difficult to reel in. A win for the Blues though and they will take the fourth spot from Maitland – provided the Jets Youth don’t beat Edgeworth.

This match is also important in terms of momentum and confidence, which is low on both sides at the moment. Maitland haven’t won since round 7 and are four matches without a victory. For Charlestown, their record is worse of late, with five straight losses seeing them slip from the top two to now 6^th spot on the ladder. But, the Blues have played some tough opponents of late.

Matches against Edgeworth, Hamilton and Broadmeadow as well as an improving Jets Youth side were always going to be tough. But, the manner of the losses is what would have worried coach Shane Pryce. Six goals conceded against Edgeworth and Hamilton and four goals conceded against the Jets and Broadmeadow were the major concern.

Maitland have also had a tough run of late, playing against Hamilton, Edgeworth and Broadmeadow as well. However, coach Steve Piggott was most disappointed with Maitland’s attack on the weekend against Valentine. Piggott said ‘I don’t know where we are going to get a goal from’ after the loss to the Phoenix.

There is no doubt Ryan Clarke will take the time to gel in matches with the rest of his side, having missed the opening nine matches of the competition, and it remains to be seen whether he can spark the Magpies spluttering attack. Ben Martin’s injury on the weekend was a major blow to Maitland and with a lack of options up front Maitland may still struggle in the attacking third.

Key: Confidence. Whichever side can put their past results behind them on Sunday will get their season back on track.

Edgeworth Eagles v Jets Youth

2.45pm Sunday 3^rd July at Jack McLaughlan Oval

Last Meeting: Edgeworth 4 Jets Youth 2 at Jack McLaughlan Oval, 22^nd April, 2016

Ladder: Edgeworth 1^st (28) Jets Youth 5^th (14)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Edgeworth – Won Rosebud 2-0 (h), Won Bears 3-0 (a), Won Jaffas 5-0 (h)

Jets Youth – Won Blues 4-0 (a), Won Phoenix 4-3 (h), Won Bears 3-0 (h)

Bottom Line

This match has all the hallmarks of what should be a cracking showdown at Jack McLaughlan Oval this Sunday. Edgeworth have won six straight since their loss at the hands of Hamilton Olympic, while the Jets Youth have won three straight and have lost just one of their last six matches.

Little is said about Edgeworth’s defence, with much of the focus on Hamilton Olympic’s backline over the opening 11 rounds of the season. However, the Eagles have only conceded two goals in their last six matches and haven’t conceded in their last three matches.

With Pat Wheeler, Josh Evans and Dom Bizzarri playing in the crucial centre back roles at various times throughout the season, they have helped the Eagles to the second best defence in the competition. With Wheeler out on Sunday, it will be up to Evans and Bizzarri to keep the Jets young guns at bay, and with the likes of Krisitan Brymora, Cody Carroll and Cameron Joice it will be a tough task.

Daniel McBreen is out for the Eagles, which will be somewhat of a blow to the Eagles attack. But, with Keigo Moriyasu scoring a double midweek and Bren Hammel and Dylan Holz getting on the scoresheet on Sunday against Weston there is plenty of attacking arsenal for the home side.

This match provides a great opportunity for the Jets Youth to see just home much they have improved since their round three match-up and once again the toughest challenge will be the lack of size and strength they will take into the game which comes with being a youth team.

But, what they lack in size they make up for in speed and skill and if the Jets front men are allowed enough space they will cause the Eagles plenty of problems at the back as they did in round three when they scored two goals.

What the Coaches Said:

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“It’s going to be at the end of a tough week, and it’s probably not the best team to be playing at the end of a tough week, to be honest. That’s where hopefully our squad can kick in and we can freshen a few blokes up. I expect it to be a pretty fast-paced and entertaining match.”

“We’ve been quite good defensively, conceding two goals in the last six games, and on the weekend we kept Weston to one shot on target. We’re never going to look as far as goal conceded as the best defensive team. I think a bit of that has got to do with how attacking we are.”

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“We are not having trouble creating chances. Against Edgeworth, we know that will not be as easy. They are a club that has had success. We played them in the first round and we know what their strengths are

 Key: With the Jets Youth improving every week, especially in defence, keeping Edgeworth’s competition best attack quiet will crucial to their chances of an upset.

source: northernnswfootball.com.au

On a cold night at Darling St Oval, Hamilton Olympic took on Charlestown City as part of  Round 9 of the competition which was washed-out earlier in the season.

Olympic went on the attack from the opening whistle and had Charlestown on the back-foot from the outset. Charlestown were able to keep Olympic out until the first 14’ minutes but a good through ball by Kane Goodchild to Tommy Spencer who had his shot blocked, resulted in Rhys Cooper hammering the re-bound into an empty Charlestown net 1-0.

Olympic continued to dominate the game, created chances and like in the previous two games, were not converting their opportunities to finish the game off.

On the half hour mark Rhys Cooper played a wonderful ball to Kane Goodchild who crossed from the right to find the head of Tommy Spencer who had no problem making it 2-0.

Three minutes later Kane Goodchild put a defense splitting ball through to Rhys Cooper who hammered the ball into the Charlestown net to make the score to 3-0.

No sooner had the celebrations stopped on the grandstand of Darling St Oval, a quick one-two between Bird and Bertos resulted in the former being intercepted in the box and the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Leo Bertos then planted his shot into the Charlestown net for a 4-0 lead and the result in the bag.

Half time found Olympic with a 4-0 lead and cruising to another victory.

The second half continued with Olympic dominating play and threatening with more goals.

Charlestown’s cause was not helped when Jarryd Johnson succeeded in getting himself sent off for dangerous behavior. From the ensuring free kick Rhys Cooper curled a cross to the head of Kane Goodchild who buried it into the Charlestown net for a 5-0 score-line.

Charlestown’s misery was put to an end when Simon Mooney smashed a shot into the Charlestown goal, after collecting a rebound from Ben Koina. 6-0.

Although all the Olympic players deserve to be congratulated for a vintage performance, Rhys Cooper left his stamp on the game through not only scoring two goals, but being everywhere over 90”.

Our next match is on Sunday at Darling St Oval against Lambton Jaffas.

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                                 P     W  D  L   F – A   PTS

1. Edgeworth                           11     9   1   1         34-9     28
2. Hamilton Olympic            11      8   3   0       34-6     27
3. Broadmeadow Magic         11      6   4   1       32-18   22
4. Maitland                              11      4   4   3       19-13   16
5. Charlestown City                11      4   2   5      19-29   14
6. Newcastle Jets Youth         11      4   2   5     24-29   14
7. Valentine                              11      3   2   6      16-28    11
8. Lambton Jaffas                   11       3   2   6      16-21    11
   
9. Adamstown                          11       2   2   7      12-33    8
10. Weston Workers                 11       0    2   9      6-26     2

source:Tom Tsamouras

HAMILTON coach Michael Bolch said his side needed to regain their finishing touch or risk a repeat of 2015 after drawing 1-1 with Adamstown and conceding the ladder lead to Edgeworth.

Olympic opened the scoring in the seventh minute on Sunday with Kane Goodchild’s far-post header off a Matt Swan cross and were in control against the ninth-placed side. However, a penalty against Grant Brown on Chris Berlin in the 23rd minute gave the hosts a chance to equalise, which Alex Read converted.

Both sides then failed to take their chances in a round-11 match marred by heated clashes on and off the ball, and words exchanged between benches. Neither coach wanted to comment on the refereeing.

The draw, which followed Hamilton’s 1-1 result with Maitland, allowed Edgeworth to jump OIympic into top spot with a 3-0 win at Weston. Hamilton were undefeated leaders last year until losing to Edgeworth in round 12. From there, the Eagles clinched the premiership and Hamilton finished third.

“I don’t think we played bad against Maitland or bad today,” Bolch said. “We’re creating chances, but not taking them. The cutting edge has probably been a bit stale the last couple of weeks but it’s up to us to address it and fix it.

“It’s similar to last year. We were undefeated up until round 12, lost to Edgy and let it go, so we need to turn things around in the next couple of weeks.”

Adamstown coach Graham Law was disappointed not to get the three points but proud of the effort. 

“We lost 5-0 to Jaffas [in round seven] but we were so in that game, and that was the turning point,” Law said. 

“We’ve been so consistent since then, and we’ll give Edgy a game on Wednesday night.”

source:the herald.com.au

U19s Adamstown vs Hamilton Olympic   1-2

U22s Adamstown vs Hamilton Olympic   1-2

PS4 NPL NNSW ROUND 11

Lambton Jaffas – Broadmeadow Magic  2-4

Adamstown Rosebud – Hamilton Olympic  1-1

Maitland  – Valentine  0-1

Charlestown City  – Newcastle Jets 0-4

Weston Workers – Edgeworth  0-3

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                                  P     W  D  L   F – A   PTS

1. Edgeworth                           10      8   1   1      32-9     25
2. Hamilton Olympic            10      7   3   0      28-6     24
3. Broadmeadow Magic         11      6   4   1      32-18   22
4. Maitland                              11       4   4   3      19-13   16
5. Charlestown City               10      4   2   4      19-23   14
6. Newcastle Jets Youth        11      4   2   5      24-29   14
7. Valentine                              11      3   2   6      16-28   11
8. Lambton Jaffas                   10       2   2   6      13-20    8
9. Adamstown                          10       2   2   6      12-31    8
10. Weston Workers                  10     0    2   8        5-23    2

Youth NPL
Olympic – Bye

Zone League 2

Olympic vs Medowie

1^st grade Olympic won 6-2

2^nd Grade Olympic won 9-1

This Wednesday Night

1^st Grade play a deferred fixture Olympic vs Charlestown at Darling St Oval kick off 7pm

source:Tom Tsamouras

Adamstown Rosebud v Hamilton Olympic                                                 2.30pm, Sunday 26^th June Adamstown Oval

Last Meeting: Hamilton 3 Adamstown 1 at Darling Street Oval, April 16, 2016

Ladder: Adamstown 9^th (7) Hamilton 1^st (23)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Adamstown – Drew Magic 3-3 (h), Won Bears 2-1 (h), Lost Jaffas 5-0 (a)

Hamilton – Drew Maitland 1-1 (h), Won Phoenix 5-0 (a), Won Jets 5-0 (a)

Bottom Line

The big question about this match is: How will Hamilton respond after their first loss of 2016 on Sunday? Many expected Olympic would get through to the final 32 of the Westfield FFA Cup when they met Lambton on Sunday after a tremendous start to the season. But it wasn’t to be.

There is no doubt Olympic players will be hurting, but they can’t forget what they have already done this season from their nine matches. Seven wins and a couple of draws against Maitland have Hamilton leading the competition with an outstanding defensive record, where they have conceded just five times.

There is still plenty more for Hamilton to achieve this season without worrying about the Westfield FFA Cup, with a place in the PlayStation® 4 NPL Finals if they can win the minor premiership. How well the players respond this weekend against Adamstown will provide a huge indication of where Hamilton’s confidence is at.

After a run of injuries and suspensions to key players to start the season, Adamstown’s line-up appears more settled and an improvement in their results has shown. A win against Weston followed by a spirited 3-all draw with Broadmeadow where they just wouldn’t go away will no doubt steel the Rosebuds for the back half of the season.

Chris Berlin was in fine form against his former club Broadmeadow in their last outing and he will need to be on song again if Adamstown are to breach Hamilton’s defence. The Rosebuds are just one of four sides to have scored against Olympic this year, with now Valentine’s Matt Paul scoring their goal late on in their 3-1 loss.

Adamstown Captain Dan Clements could make a return from injury, but coach Graham Law believes he is more likely to return midweek against Edgeworth or in round 12.

Grant Brown returns for Hamilton after missing the Westfield FFA Cup due to already playing in the competition for Lambton, and Leo Bertos will also return after missing Sunday’s game as he was completing a coaching course.

What the Coaches Said:

 Graham Law (Adamstown)

“They will be the wounded beast after their [FFA Cup] match on the weekend. They are still an exceptionally good team, and quite rightly so have been the best team this year. We will get one of our hardest games of the season this weekend, I’ve got not doubts about that.”

“This will be a good test. I can feel something in the camp right now. I felt it before the Magic game, the boys just seem to be gelling. They did stuff together on the weekend, the characters are coming out. If we can back up a good performance against Magic, with one against Olympic, then we will set ourselves up for a stronger second half of the season to the first.”

Mick Bolch (Hamilton)

“They have done really well the last couple of weeks. Scott Carter back in goals for them is big, he’s a brilliant shot stopper and they have improved well defensively since he has come back from suspension. Chris Berlin is scoring some good goals.”

“We’ve got to bounce back from our first loss on the weekend in the FFA Cup where we were pretty poor in the second half. The boys were devastated to be knocked out and it’s going to be tough mentally lifting them up with three games in seven days.”

Key: Were Hamilton’s defensive frailties which Lambton exposed last weekend a flash in the pan or have sides finally found out how to break Olympic down?

U19s Adamstown vs Hamilton Olympic    11.00 am Sunday 26 June Adamstown Oval

U22s Adamstown vs Hamilton Olympic     12.45 pm Sunday 26 June Adamstown Oval

TABLE  FIRST  GRADE:

                                                                     P     W  D  L   F – A   PTS

1. Hamilton Olympic              9      7   2   0     27-5     23
2. Edgeworth                            9      7   1   1      29-9     22
3. Maitland                                9      4   4   1     19-9      16
4. Broadmeadow Magic           9     4   4   1     25-16    15
5. Charlestown City                 9      4   2   3     19-19   14
6. Lambton Jaffas                    9      2   2   5     11-16     8
7. Newcastle Jets Youth         9      2   2   5     16-26    8
8. Valentine                               9      2   2   5     12-24    8
9. Adamstown                           9      2   1   6     11-30     7
10. Weston Workers                   9     0    2   7     5-20    2

Youth NPL
Olympic – Bye

Lambton Jaffas v Broadmeadow Magic

2.30pm, Saturday 25^th June
Arthur Edden Oval

Last Meeting: Broadmeadow 2 Lambton 1 at Magic Park, 27^th April, 2016

Ladder: Broadmeadow 3^rd (19pts) Lambton 7^th (8)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Lambton – Lost Eagles 5-0 (a), Drew Jets 1-1 (h), Won Rosebud 5-0 (h)

Broadmeadow – Won Magpies 3-0 (h), Drew Rosebud 3-3 (a), Won Blues 4-2 (a)

Bottom Line

After an upset victory over unbeaten league leaders Hamilton Olympic at the FFA Cup on the weekend, Lambton will have a renewed sense of vigour when Broadmeadow travel to Arthur Edden Oval for the Match of the Round in the PlayStation® 4 National Premier League Northern NSW competition.

The home side shocked many on Sunday with a 3-2 victory over Olympic to book their place in the final 32 of the prestigious Westfield FFA Cup. Especially after their performance just a week earlier, when they fell away badly in the second half to lose 5-0 to Edgeworth.

Lambton may well have rediscovered their mojo and with Rhys Tippett fit and firing the Jaffas could present Broadmeadow with another tough task. The last time they met, back in round 2, in a midweek catch-up match, Broadmeadow got out to an early 2-0 lead. But in the second half the Jaffas fought back and could have easily snatched a late point after Jamie Byrnes got on back for the visitors.

Broadmeadow have been very up and down of late, with dominant performances such as wins against Charlestown and Maitland intertwined with a couple of 3-all draws with Valentine and Adamstown. While they have been impressive in those wins, it has been Magic’s defence which has been their issue.

But, after just their second clean sheet of the year against Maitland last Wednesday, it seems Magic made be turning things around. The return of Matt Hoole from overseas will no doubt be of benefit to the visitors in this clash.

In a crucial match for both sides, a win here for Magic and Lambton’s finals hopes appear remote, while if Lambton can claim the three points, they may be hard to beat for the rest of the year.

Ben Higgins and Scott Pettit will play 22s for Magic in their return from hamstring injuries while Michael Kantarovski could miss the match with a hamstring strain. Matt Hoole will start on the bench with Bobby Naumov saying he is ‘yet to regain full fitness’ after his overseas trip.

For Lambton, Alex Palozzi and Joel Grenell are both overseas and will miss the match. Riley McNaughton will most likely return in the 22s.

What the Coaches Said:

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“I don’t think it will be any different [to out last match against Magic]. They are probably having a little trot like we did at the start of the year in terms of not having their absolute top 11 able to be there due to various reasons with Michael Finlayson’s injury and Dino Fajkovic heading overseas.”

“You have to do a couple of things [when combating their pace]. You have to get pressure on the ball before a pass can be played to them so you must restrict the supply they get by being nice and aggressive. The second part of that is that you need to deny them space in behind by just defending that fraction deeper than you otherwise would.”

Bobby Naumov (Broadmeadow)

“I don’t think we played any worse than what we have been playing so far this season against Maitland. The difference was that we actually competed and the boys were up for it mentally and physically they challenged. It was pleasing to see and it has been missing the past few weeks.”

“I don’t think their [Lambton’s] win on the weekend was an upset. When you look at their players and the calibre of players, they have a good side and one that everyone should be fearing. When you’ve got people like Majurovski, McPherson, Wheelhouse in that side and Swancott they’ve got a good base and backbone. You’d be a fool to take them likely.”

Key: Both have been on a rollercoaster ride of late, so which side can get it together on Saturday?

Charlestown City Blues v Jets Youth

2.30pm, Sunday 26^th June

Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Charlestown 5 Jets Youth 2 at Lisle Carr Oval, April 17^th, 2016

Ladder: Charlestown 5^th (14) Jets 6^th (11)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Charlestown – Lost Phoenix 3-2 (a), Lost Magic 4-2 (h), Lost Eagles 6-1 (a)

Jets Youth – Won Valentine 4-3 (h), Won Weston 3-0 (h), Drew Jaffas 1-1 (a)

Bottom Line

Charlestown’s season has taken a turn for the worst in recent weeks, with three losses in a row, and it won’t get any easier taking on a Jets Youth side who after a slow start to the season, have hit their straps of late.

After conceding just six goals in their opening six matches the Blues were sitting second on the ladder and only two points off top spot. Not bad for a side who was written off at the start of the season, and expected not to feature in the finals.

However, in just three matches the Blues have dropped to fifth, and in doing so conceded 13 goals. They are in desperate need of a win to keep in touch with fourth placed Maitland, who are two points ahead of them.

The loss of Scott Smith through suspension, from the red card he received against Valentine will no doubt hurt the Blues in the front third. Rene Ferguson, Jarryd Johnson and Andy Kjiln will need to be on song in attack against a Jets side who can’t stop scoring.

The Jets have scored seven goals in their last two NPL matches, and if you included their friendly against Shandong, which they won 5-0, that’s 12 goals in their last three matches. The Youth side have warmed to the task lately and coach Clayton Zane has them firing on all cylinders.

The biggest improvement in the Jets over the season, has been in defence. Leaking 16 goals in their opening seven matches was a major issue for the Jets, but in their last three matches they have conceded just four.

Last time they met the Blues, they conceded five, and this will provide a good measure as to just how far the Jets have come since round 2.

What the Coaches Said:

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“Technically they are really, really good and are very fit. We’ve got to turn up and be the senior team and get my senior players to step up. Not saying so much they we’ve got to be physical with them. We’ve just got to stamp the way we want to play really early.”

“When we lose the ball, we need a collective effort to win it back. I just don’t think there is enough of us doing that. We just are leaving it up to a couple of players to do the hard work. We are a team that all needs to work hard to get something out of a game.”

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“I think that first half last time [against Charlestown] was one of our better halves of football over the first half of the season. Obviously we never had a lot of depth with our backline – we couldn’t play a back four and at that particular time. We had a back three for that game. We’ve got strength in numbers now and can play a back four.”

“I think the improvement [in defence] is down to a bit of added pressure on the personnel there. Matt Richardson is fit now so straight away when you have six players to pick from when you select your back four it means one has to miss out. In the last two weeks, there has been competition for places, and people are looking over their shoulders now which is a good thing to have.”

Key: Charlestown’s defence will need to return to its early season dominance against the Jets. If not, the likes of Krisitan Brymora, Cameron Joice and Cody Carroll could have a field day.

Weston Workers Bears v Edgeworth Eagles

2.30pm Sunday 26^th June

Rockwell Automation Park

Last Meeting: Edgeworth 2 Weston 0 at Jack McLaughlan Oval, April 15, 2016.

Ladder: Weston 10^th (2) Edgeworth 2^nd (22)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Weston – Lost Jets 3-0 (a), Lost Rosebud 2-1 (a), Lost Magpies 3-0 (h)

Edgeworth – Won Jaffas 5-0 (h), Won Magpies 3-1 (a), Won Blues 6-1 (h)

 Bottom Line

The last time these two sides met at Rockwell Automation Park, it was the Bears who claimed a 1-0 victory courtesy of a Carl Thornton header, but it seems for the Bears those are distant memories, after their performances this season.

Weston have now lost six matches in a row, and haven’t tasted victory in the PlayStation® 4 NPL since round 15 last year when they beat Charlestown – a run of 12 matches without a win.

In defence they have been stout, hard to break down and determined and in the process have only conceded 20 goals this season. Which for a side who are sitting dead last, is an incredible effort. But this season, after every match bar round one, it has been like groundhog day for Weston. The focus has been their attack. It’s hard to look elsewhere with just two goals – both penalties – in eight matches.

But, positives are there for the Bears, with the performances of youngsters Lachlan Rowan and Isaac Peek giving the fans a positive glimpse into the future. They’ll get a great opportunity to test themselves against the competitions best when Edgeworth come to town.

The Eagles have been their old selves over recent weeks, with four straight wins since the disappointment of a loss at home to Olympic. They got through the Westfield FFA Cup weekend unscathed with big wins over Urunga and Singleton and find themselves in the final 32 for a second straight year, no doubt with the memories of that incredible match against Melbourne City in the back of their mind.

Damian Zane’s rotating line-up has ensured competition for spots remains over the course of the season, and he will be keen to ensure that there will be no complacency coming up against a side who sit last. He will be aiming for his first win as a coach at Rockwell Automation Park, and remember from his playing days that a trip to Weston is always a tough one.

Former Jets Youth player and defensive midfielder Dylan Murphy will play his first match for Weston after coming back from college football in America. Lee Ashton will most likely return from a hamstring strain, while Rurik Pereira is in doubt for the clash.

What the Coaches Said:

 Trevor Morris (Weston)

“When you look at Edgeworth on Sunday, we have the Jaffas, Wednesday, Magic on Sunday and then Hamilton the following Sunday, so it’s not a bad couple of weeks. It’s a great opportunity for the younger boys. I told them if you can look that man in the mirror and know you did your best that’s all I can ask for.

“Obviously they’ve got some strengths and they are mobile, they shut you very quick, and they press high up the field. I expect to spend a lot of time without the ball. We’ll put into practice this week, how we can combat that.”

Key: It will be a great opportunity for Weston’s youngsters to test themselves against the Eagles. Can they rise up to the challenge against the visitors?

Maitland Magpies v Valentine Phoenix

2.30pm, Sunday 26^th June

Cooks Square Park

Last Meeting: Maitland 3 Valentine 2 at Cahill Oval, April 16^th, 2016

Ladder: Maitland 4^th (16) Valentine 8^th (8)

Past 3 Starts (Most Recent First):

Maitland – Lost Magic 3-0 (a), Drew Olympic 1-1 (a), Lost Eagles 3-1 (h)

Valentine – Lost Jets 4-3 (a), Won Blues 3-2 (h), Lost Olympic 5-0 (h)

Bottom Line

If this match is half as action packed as the round two thriller at Cahill Oval, fans heading to Cooks Square Park on Sunday are in for an entertaining contest. Two red cards, five goals and plenty of feeling was witnessed last time these two sides did battle. It took a Matt Thompson goal in the final minutes after he blocked a Beyhan Irmako clearance to separate the two sides.

Recently, Maitland have come through their three toughest tests of the season in their last three matches and unfortunately for the Magpies they have just one point to show from them. Coming up against the three sides above them on the ladder the Magpies have struggled to find the back of the net – scoring just twice in the three matches.

The return of Ryan Clarke against Broadmeadow Magic was a welcome one for the Magpies and with his speed down the right combined with Matt Comerford’s on the left will no doubt improve the home sides goal scoring stats of late.

For Valentine, they took three steps forward with an impressive come-from-behind win over Charlestown in round 10. But, it was two steps back against the Jets where a poor first half saw the Phoenix concede four goals, which ultimately they couldn’t recover from.

Defence has been an issue for Valentine most of the season and is critical in this one. They have conceded 18 goals in their last five matches, and against a Maitland side who normally doesn’t conceded many chances in the front third could be limited.

The return of Dean Heffernan from suspension is a big inclusion at the back for the home side.

Chris Brown is in doubt for the Phoenix with a hamstring issue, while Reece Pettit and Ridge Marpu return from suspension. Josh Swaddling and Wilson Edwards will both return from injury in the 22s.

What the Coaches Said:

Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)

“If we can do what we did in the second half against the Jets which was to get in their face a bit and make it a bit uncomfortable and hopefully get one early, then we’ll give ourselves a chance.”

“Away from home against Maitland is one of the tougher fixtures. It would be a confidence booster if we got our first clean sheet out of this. Not saying that it’s not doable, we’ve got Reece Pettit back which strengthens up our backline.”

 Key: Maitland’s attack has wavered in recent weeks, as has Valentine’s defence. So if Maitland can find some goals, the question will be whether Valentine can breach Maitland’s solid defence.

source:northernnswfootball.com.au