Broadmeadow Magic are one game away from a grand final berth after downing arch rivals Newcastle Olympic 3-1 in an exhilarating qualifying final at Magic Park on Saturday night.
The latest edition of the derby shaped up to be a sensational game and the two sides delivered another quality spectacle.
Both sides looked destined to go into the break all square before Jarred Baker scored a long-range curler which nestled into the top corner to give Magic the lead at the break.
Magic were on their way when Sam Walker scored his goal in the 73rd minute with a great touch and finish before Mitch Rooke sealed the victory a few minutes later with a great solo run and strike.
Dino Fajkovic scored a late consolation goal for Olympic after great build up play by Kent Harrison but it was the red of Broadmeadow who progressed to the major semi-final.
Broadmeadow will take on premiers Edgeworth in a mouth-watering battle to determine the first grand finalist while Olympic will get another shot against Maitland.
Newcastle Olympic completed what coach Harmonie Attwill described as “a fairytale” first season in Herald Women’s Premier League by sealing the premiership-championship double with a 3-2 win over Warners Bay at Macquarie Field on Sunday.
The grand final was tipped to be a thrilling affair with the league’s two most prolific goalscorers lining up in opposing sides in Jemma House for Olympic and former National Women’s Soccer League player Jen Hoy in Panthers colours. And they did not disappoint.
House has proven the difference on many occasions for Olympic this year and the classy striker produced another player of the match performance to set up the victory. She scored twice in the first half as the premiers took a 2-1 lead into the break then crafted the third as Olympic skipped out to a 3-1 lead before the Panthers struck back then applied a mountain of pressure.
“It was an excellent game,” Attwill said post-match. “Warners Bay played excellent. They were dangerous all over the park and very structured. It was hard to break them down but luckily we did.
“You can’t expect 10 opportunities in a grand final – they’re going to be few and far between. So it was more a matter of taking the opportunities when they came. Or if we felt like that weren’t happening, we really had to create. And credit to Jemma. I’ve said that about her before – if something’s not going her way she finds a way to make it. And I do think she was the difference for us today.”
The game was only five minutes old when House volleyed into the net from close range after Georgia Amess broke down right, beat the Panthers defence then crossed the ball into the box.
Hoy equalised in the 13th when she chipped an advancing Olympic goalkeeper Natalie Wiseman then sped away from the defence and buried the ball into the far corner.
House headed into the net from a Georgia Little corner in the 41st minute.
Wiseman parried away Hoy’s long-range shot in the 53rd before denying Annika D’Amico with a diving save to her right in the 57th.
Olympic midfielder Laura Hall scored with a tap-in in the 65th after House unleashed a long-range effort which hit the right post then the left before being pushed off the line by Panthers’ shot-stopper Ally Boertje.
Panthers midfielder Elodie Dagg scored in the 67th then came close to tying the game up in the 80th when her free kick was tipped over the bar by Wiseman. A long-range effort from Hoy was cleared off the line by Brooke Summers with five minutes remaining.
Warners Bay coach Craig Atkins was disappointed to lose but full of praise for a team he rebuilt this season after the departures of a host of talent.
“It was a fantastic effort from our girls and they showed why they deserved to be here,” Atkins said.
“They never gave up. They were fighting to the death and that’s the culture we’ve created this year. We’re looking forward to next year.
“We’ll celebrate the season tonight. No one expected us to be here but we did. We always had that belief.”
Earlier, Adamstown beat Olympic 2-1 to win the reserve-grade grand final, Merewether downed Olympic 4-2 in the 17s decider and United were 3-2 winners over Mid Coast in 14s.
Newcastle Olympic completed an historic double with a 3-2 win over Warners Bay in the Herald Women’s Premier League grand final on Sunday.
The win put the icing on the cake for the women from Darling Street, who secured both the premiership and championship in their inaugural season in the competition.
The league’s two leading goal scorers, Olympic’s Jemma House and Warners Bay’s Jen Hoy, found the back of the net within the opening 12 minutes as a strong crowd at Macquarie Field were treated to a thrilling, end-to-end battle between the two star studded sides.
There was action aplenty from the opening whistle as Panthers’ captain Elodie Dagg pushed the Olympic defence deep onto its own line, while a long-range effort from Ellie Brown struck the post.
The decider’s opening goal came six minutes into the match as House found the final touch on a pinpoint cross from Georgia Amess. The delicate volley from House gave the premiers a one-goal advantage.
Warners Bay wasted no time in finding an equaliser. A bolting run from Sophia Laurie played Hoy into space, with the former W-League player too good for the Olympic defence as she weaved her way past goalkeeper Nat Wiseman.
Georgia Little left nothing to chance as she gave a way a free kick just outside the penalty area. The shot from Warners Bay’s Annika D’Amico sprayed over the bar.
Olympic returned serve on the scoreboard as the half neared completion. House was again on the end of a near perfect cross from Little, making the half-time score 2-1 to Olympic.
Momentum reflected a pendulum in the second half as Warners Bay appeared certain to level the score. Hoy and D’Amico peppered the opposing goal mouth as Hoy found the posts, while D’Amico sprayed a long-range effort over the bar.
And just as Warners Bay looked destined to score, Olympic found themselves deep in Panthers territory. A powerful strike from House found the post, only to deflect into the opposite post. Panthers keeper Ally Boertje unable to clear the ball as Laura Hall tapped in to extend the margin for Olympic.
Dagg gave the Panthers hope of a comeback as she switched a midfield turnover into a genuine chance. The following strike enough to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
Amess came from the field with an injury as House found her name in the referee’s book. The substitutions continued as Little made way for Stacey Day.
The closing stages were spectacular as Warners Bay pressed deep into the opposing half. Dagg looked certain to score as her strike forced a diving save from Wiseman, before Olympic’s Brooke Summers made a scrambling save to avoid the game going into extra-time.
A last-minute long-range effort from Hoy was not enough to square the score as Olympic recorded a memorable 3-2 win.
NEWCASTLE OLYMPIC FC V WARNERS BAY FC MACQUARIE FIELD – SUNDAY 5.30PM
After more than 220 days since the first round of the Herald Women’s Premier League, 14 regular season rounds and a gruelling three-week finals campaign, the race for the championship title has come down to this. Premiers Newcastle Olympic against challengers Warners Bay at Macquarie Field.
Never in its history has the Herald Women’s Premier League been played so deep into spring, nor in recent memory has the race for the title been so tight at the end of the regular season.
The premiers, Newcastle Olympic, go into Sunday’s game as the favourites, though if 2020 has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected.
“The girls are quite proud of their achievement and for us, you just look at the start of the season, not really knowing too much of what we were able to produce through the year,” Olympic coach Harmonie Attwill said ahead of the decider.
“We’ve progressively got better which is what you want to do.”
High pressure training scenarios have been a feature of finals preparation for the women in blue, who finished the regular season on top of the table.
“We go about it by setting a bit of a scene. If you are 1-0 down, what are you going to do? Really trying to get the girls to step through how they respond,” Attwill said.
Despite the occasion, the preparation will not change at Adamstown Oval as Olympic look to put the perfect signature on an already spectacular season.
“We will just prepare the same way we have for every other game,” Attwill said.
“It’s never about how important the game is. It is just a game and we just need to focus each week on ensuring we are able to deliver all the things we practice.
“We’ll do our normal two training sessions. We’ll just do what we’ve been doing and just make sure the girls enjoy that they’re about to play a grand final.”
Olympic have become known for attacking prowess throughout season 2020 while the defensive block, led by captain Sophie O’Brien, has set a high benchmark for opposing sides.
“I like us to not just be predictable. For the opposition to not always know where people are going to play, or what area of the field we’re going to target,” Attwill said.
And while grit and determination have seen Olympic clamber out of several tough matches, Attwill believes patience, discipline and togetherness will determine the result on Sunday.
“If we don’t win the game then we weren’t the better team on the day but if we can just follow the three principles we’ve followed all year, I definitely think we have a good chance to be successful,” she said.
“It’s been tough. Those couple of games I think about. Against Magic, we’re down 2-0 at half-time, we had to turn it around and it was a real test of the girls’ character to do that.
“Our second game against Adamstown, we didn’t play our best football. After that game we had a bit of a team building session just to reassess and make sure everyone was really clear on their role.
“To the girls’ credit they’ve always responded to whatever it is we try and discuss.
“What we do as a group will determine whether we are successful.”
At the other end, Warners Bay have an opportunity to write themselves into the record books and become the first fourth-placed finisher in the competition’s history to win the ultimate prize.
“There’s no pressure on us. I think the pressure will be on Olympic. They’ll be going in as favourites. That’s fine by us,” Warners Bay coach Craig Atkins said.
“If we can put in another character-building performance like we did on the weekend [against Broadmeadow] and keep working as a strong unit, I can’t see why we can’t get the result on Sunday.
“We’re going to have to be very structured defensively. And very effective with communication and transitions.
“For us, it’s going to be that intensity, the communication and the ball playing. We know once we get that ball on the ground and we start knocking it around we can compete with any football team in the league.”
The Panthers finished the regular season with eight wins, one draw and five losses. A fortnight ago they left Merewether United reeling in the minor semi-final, before scoring a win for the ages over Broadmeadow Magic in the preliminary final.
“It was another fantastic performance [against Magic], a terrific performance from the girls,” Atkins said.
“It was that character. We were under the pump for what would have been 15 minutes. Magic had corner after corner. That desperation I’ve asked for in semi-finals football, the girls were just all over it, they were everywhere.”
At season’s start, Atkins heralded a new era for the Panthers as fresh faces flooded John Street Oval. Now, with a full season as head coach almost under his belt, Atkins is on the verge of one of the great championship wins.
“I always believed that we could do it. But it was always going to take time. As a coach to watch all that be put in practice now, it’s been a fantastic ride,” Atkins said.
“The momentum has been building for a number of weeks now. We had to make sure we got to the finals first. We knew, if we put in a good performance in the finals, anything can happen.
“If it does come off, it’s going to be very well deserved.”
HEAD to HEAD
Round 3 – Warners Bay 0-4 Newcastle Olympic at John Street Oval
Round 10 – Newcastle Olympic 7-2 Warners Bay at Darling Street Oval
Road to the grand final
Newcastle Olympic
Preliminary Final – Newcastle Olympic 2-1 Broadmeadow Magic (after extra-time) at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility
Warners Bay
Minor semi-final – Merewether United 2-6 Warners Bay at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility
Preliminary final – Broadmeadow Magic 4-5 Warners Bay at Magic Park
In the lower grades, Newcastle Olympic take on Adamstown Rosebud JFC in the reserve grade grand final, Merewether United face Newcastle Olympic in the under-17s decider and Mid Coast FC meet Merewether United in the under-14s grand final.
All four matches will be available to watch live on Bar TV, which will also be streamed through the Herald Women’s Premier League Facebook page.
It will be the red and blue derby in the qualifying final with arch rivals Broadmeadow Magic to take on Newcastle Olympic at Magic Park on Saturday night.
The two clubs have a history of creating memorable encounters and Saturday’s qualifying final will add another chapter to the rivalry.
Broadmeadow have had a fantastic regular season finishing second with eight wins and scoring 29 goals, the second highest attacking record in the league.
Magic have had a draw and a loss in their previous two games but will be accustomed to playing in another finals series having qualified for their sixth consecutive finals appearance.
Newcastle Olympic will return to the finals after missing out for two seasons, with the side finishing third after a final round 3-0 victory over Valentine ensured their ticket into the finals.
Olympic have won four of their last five games to come into the finals in good form and will be readily preparing for another big game.
The two clubs have met on 50 occasions with Broadmeadow having the slight advantage with 21 wins to Olympics’ 20, highlighting the competitiveness of the rivalry.
Broadmeadow beat Olympic 3-1 in round three to now hold the slim advantage.
Magic coach Anthony Richards said his side looked forward to another exciting affair against Olympic.
“It is a big game, even if it was round one it would be no different. The boys are preparing really well and the Jaffas game was a perfect lead in game, they gave us a terrific hit-out to prepare us,” Richards said.
“We’ve had a terrific season. Before round one the players were told they weren’t getting paid and the coaching staff and for all those guys to hang around and get to where they are is a massive tick in their character.
“It is a different competition now and we want to win it and we’ll be doing the best we can to get there. [Olympics’] coaching staff have done a terrific job and they are very good.
“This is the first game where everyone is available in the whole squad which is perfect timing. We’re looking forward to it.”
Newcastle Olympic interim coach Alex Tagaroulias said he was ecstatic with the side’s position and looked forward to the next instalment of the derby.
“For a club like ours, it’s always important to be as successful as possible so it is quite pleasing to be back in the semis. It feels like it’s been a long time even though it’s only been a couple of seasons. It’s a massive boost for the whole place,” Tagaroulias said.
“We have a decent squad to pick from with a couple of injured players back so there is more options to pick from which a couple of weeks ago we didn’t have. We’re all feeling rather good.
“We’re going to have to improve again, the clean sheets were good, the goals we score were good but we’re going to have to improve again to overcome Broadmeadow Magic.
“It doesn’t take much to motivate players of either club when it’s Olympic against Broadmeadow, adding to that it is a semi-final. My message to them is to enjoy it and have no regrets.”
The winner of this clash will progress to the major semi-final to play premiers Edgeworth.
In a Round 14 matches which were re-scheduled due to poor lighting, the u15s and u16s sides of Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas clash tonight at Arthur Edden Oval, Lambton.
Both Olympic teams have wrapped up a place in the finals but a win tonight for our u15s puts them in 1st place on the points table!
Newcastle Olympic won their last round of the 2020 NNSW NPL season 3-0 at Valentine this afternoon to claim 3rd spot on the table and a place in the Finals. Earlier in the day Reserve Grade won 2-0 and claimed 1st place on the table and the Premiership. U18s who are also running in 1st place on their table defeated Maitland 6-0!
NPL: Valentine Eleebana FC vs Newcastle Olympic
1st Grade Olympic won 3-0 Goals: Rhys Cooper, Reece Papas, Anthony Marenghi
U17s Olympic 2-1 Adamstown U14s Olympic 1-5 Merewether United FC WPL
Congratulations to U17s for making it to the Grand Final. Newcastle Olympic will have teams in 3 out of 4 Grand Finals next week!
Newcastle Olympic WPL U17s
NPL Youth NPL Youth continued their domination with emphatic wins in all four age groups in the NPL Youth competitions and all four teams are positioned in 1st or 2nd spot in their respective tables.
Newcastle Olympic vs Weston Workers Bears FC
Under 16s Olympic won 4-1 Under 15s Olympic won 7-0 Under 14s Olympic won 5-0 Under 13s Olympic won 8-0
Zone League 1 Olympic vs University 1st Grade drew 1-1 Reserve Grade drew 1-1
Over 35’s
Congratulations to our O/35A Team who won the Premiership!!
Unfortunately their last game on Friday was cancelled with the opposition forfeiting.
Newcastle Olympic O35s
SAP/NET:
Newcastle Olympic SAP u9s, u10s, and u11s played against Macquarie Girls, Wallsend, Lake Macquarie, Weston, Edgeworth and Kahibah over the weekend and played very well and recorded some memorable victories.
U12s NET played at Kahibah on Saturday and won 3-0.
Community Juniors: Newcastle Community juniors played Round 14, the last of the season, on Saturday against Wallsend South Wallsend, Newcastle Grammar, and Maryland Fletcher. Our young Olympians ended their football journey for 2020 with a great display of football.
The club wishes to thank them, the coaching staff and their parents for a fantastic season. See you again in 2021.
Newcastle Olympic are one game away from returning to the finals arena and will be desperate for maximum points when they travel to play Valentine on Sunday.
A win would see Olympic move to 23 points and as high as third if they were to win while a draw or a loss could see them slip out of the five.
Newcastle defeated Adamstown Rosebud 2-0 last start with key players Reece Papas, Rhys Cooper and Blake Green all featuring in the NPL NNSW Team of the Week.
Valentine will be playing for pride and will want to finish their season on a high on their home turf.
The side narrowly went down 1-0 to Maitland last start and will finish the season in eighth.
Newcastle Olympic interim-coach Alex Tagaroulias said his side knows the significance of this final game.
“It’s a must win situation. It certainly is massive as a couple of teams could leapfrog us,” Tagaroulias said.
“It would be a fantastic outcome [to win]. It’s been a very difficult year for all our administration and volunteers and any clubs that are rewarded with a semi-final spot will feel really vindicated.
“We just have to be at our best. Valentine are no easy beats, lots of experienced campaigners and everyone has to be switched on and be mindful of them and then we need bring our own game.”
BROADMEADOW MAGIC V LAMBTON JAFFAS
MAGIC PARK – SUNDAY 5PM
After an enthralling 2020 regular season, it all comes down to the final round with a couple of finals places on the line in a few huge games across the weekend.
Broadmeadow Magic host a fired up Lambton Jaffas in a colossal battle at Magic Park.
Broadmeadow have locked up second spot on the table and will be eyeing a solid performance in preparation for the finals series while Lambton must win this game to keep their season alive.
The Jaffas sit two points outside the top five and only a win would do for the Jaffas, while they would require either Newcastle Olympic or Charlestown Azzurri to drop points.
Broadmeadow went down 2-0 to Charlestown Azzurri last start to knock them out of the premiership running while Lambton are fresh off the bye, with the Jaffas unbeaten in their last four fixtures.
Few can forget the last time these two sides met in round five with Magic stealing a 3-2 victory with a 90th minute winner at Arthur Edden Oval.
Broadmeadow coach Anthony Richards said his side were wary of Lambton’s capabilities and wanted an improvement from his side ahead of the finals.
“[Lambton] are a very good team and on their day probably the best side in the competition. If they are good enough to make the semi-finals, they could go on and win it,” Richards said.
“I’m sure they will be up for a big game against us and hope one of the other teams slip up.
“We need to lift on our intensity from last weekend and we just have to tidy things up in a couple of areas and we’ll start heading in the right direction again.”
Lambton coach James Pascoe said his players were solely focused on trying to beat Broadmeadow.
“Hard work on the training pitch is the only way to prepare for any match and this one is no different,” Pascoe said.
“We can’t control what happens elsewhere so our only focus has to be on getting what we need at Magic Park which is to win the game.
“At 2-1 up in the 87th minute in the last game against Magic fatigue had set in and we didn’t manage the game as we needed to.”
EDGEWORTH EAGLES V ADAMSTOWN ROSEBUD
JACK MCLAUGHLAN OVAL – SUNDAY 5PM
Edgeworth will lift a record-breaking 13th premiership after they take on Adamstown Rosebud at Jack McLaughlan Oval.
The Eagles have swept all before them winning 10 games out of 12 to wrap up top spot with a game to play and the side will want to continue the momentum heading into the finals.
Edgeworth are fresh off the bye last round and will take on the Rosebuds who will be looking to avoid last spot.
Adamstown went down 2-0 to Newcastle Olympic last start and sit one point above Lake Macquarie heading into the final round.
Rosebuds coach Shane Cansdell-Sheriff will take charge of his final game for the historic club and the players will be aiming for a high-quality send off for their experienced coach.
The Eagles defeated Adamstown 3-1 earlier in the season with striker Kristian Brymora scoring a hat-trick that day.
Edgeworth player-coach Josh Rose said it was a great feeling to know his side had won the premiership.
“It was a good feeling when the final whistle went [in the Charlestown-Broadmeadow game]. I think one of the boys mentioned it would have been nice to win it on the field together against Adamstown but once the result was finalised it didn’t take away from it and everyone was happy,” Rose said.
“We spoke about keeping our focus. Adamstown will be full of energy and it will be a good game for us.
“We want to win the game. It will be Old Boys Day so it’s always a special day at Jack McLaughlan.
“We recognised we did have a good group together and we grew even stronger through adversity. We had a fantastic season considering everything that happened at the start and it’s just a real credit to [the players] to push aside everything that happened and continue to focus on the job.”
LAKE MACQUARIE CITY V CHARLESTOWN AZZURRI
MACQUARIE FIELD – SUNDAY 5PM
Charlestown Azzurri are on the verge of finishing in the finals for the first time since 2014 if they are to beat a determined Lake Macquarie at Macquarie Field this Sunday.
Azzurri sit in the same boat as Newcastle Olympic as a victory will earn them entry into the finals, while a draw or loss could spell the end with Lambton Jaffas sitting just behind.
Charlestown defeated Broadmeadow Magic 2-0 last round and have won five of their last six games to be in red-hot form.
Lake Macquarie will be out to avoid last spot as the Roosters sit a point below Adamstown in the fight to avoid the dreaded last place.
The Roosters suffered another loss going down 3-0 to Weston last round and will want to finish the season on a high to build into 2021.
Lake Macquarie earned a draw against Azzurri last time these two sides played in round four.
Charlestown coach Graham Law said his side were focused on putting in a good performance and would not underestimate the Roosters.
“We have a lot to play for and [Lakes] won’t want to finish bottom of the league, so there will be no means taking them lightly,” Law said.
“There’s an opportunity [for us], there is also a nice blend of young players wanting to get to the finals for the first time and senior players who have had great careers and want to make a statement.
“We just know if we focus on this game and play the way we can then a win would take us through regardless so it’s just about getting a good performance and playing well.”
NPL SENIORS: On Sunday 11th October Newcastle Olympic contest the last round of the competition with Valentine at CB Complex. A win guarantees either 3rd or 4th place on the points ladder and a birth in the semi-finals.
Reserve Grade are 3 points clear in 1st spot on the points ladder and with even a draw or a win secure the Minor Premiership!
First Grade kick off at 5.00PM Reserve Grade kick off at 2:45PM
On Sunday 11th October 2020 U18s kick off at 5:00PM vs Maitland at Cooks Square Park, Maitland
HERALD WPL: After winning the WPL Club championship and last week’s triumph of both 1st Grade and Reserve Grade qualifying to the Grand Final after also finishing in 1st place in their respective competitions, U14s and and u17s do battle this weekend for a place in their Grand Final also.
U14s take on Merewether and U17s, Adamstown on Saturday at Magic Park.
U17s kick off at 11:00AM U14s kick off at 9:00AM
NPL YOUTH: On Sunday 11th October Newcastle Olympic NPL Youth teams welcome Weston to Darling St Oval in Round 18 of the competition.
U16s kick off at 3:00PM U15s kick off at 1:00PM U14s kick off at 11:00AM U13s kick off at 9:00AM
ZONE LEAGUE: Newcastle Olympic zone teams take on Uni Mens FC in Round 14 on Saturday 10th October at Darling St Oval.
First Grade kick off at 3:00PM Reserve Grade kick off at 1:00PM
Over 35s: Newcastle Olympic O35s were to take on Maitland but the later have forfeited the match.
SAP/NET: U9s Blue kick off at 9:00AM at LMRFF vs Macquarie Girls, on Saturday 10th October
U9s White kick off at 10:30AM at Fearley Dawes vs Wallsend on Saturday 10th October.
U10s White kick off at 3:15PM at LMRFF vs Lake Macquarie on Sunday 11th October
U10s Blue kick off at 10:30AM at Rockwell Automation Park vs Weston, on Sunday 11th October.
U11s White kick off at 12:15PM at LMRFF vs Edgeworth on Sunday 11th October.
U11s Blue kick off at 10:45AM at LMRRF vs Edgeworth on Saturday 10th October.
U12s NET kick off at 8:30AM at Kahibah 2 vs Kahibah on Saturday 10th October.
Community Juniors: Newcastle Community juniors play Round 14, the last of the season, on Saturday 10th October.
U6s/01 kick off at 10:15AM at Wallsend against Wallsend U6s/02 kick off at 9:00AM at Wallsend against Wallsend U6s/03 kick off at 9:00AM at Wallsend against Wallsend U7s/01 kick off at 10:15AM at Walker Field against South Wallsend U7s/02 kick off at 9:30AM at Kurraka Oval against Maryland Fletcher U8s/01 kick off at 10:15AM at Smith Park against Newcastle Grammar U8s/02 kick off at 9:00AM at Kurraka Oval against Maryland Fletcher U8s/03 kick off at 9.00AM at Wallsend against Wallsend
George Tsamouras Football Journey 