George Tsamouras Football Journey

6 pm Saturday 15^th April at Darling Street Oval

Last Meeting: Round 18, 2016: Hamilton 3 Charlestown 0 at Lisle Carr Oval

Ladder: Hamilton 7^th (6), Charlestown 5^th (7)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Hamilton – Won Jets 4-1 (h), Won Rosebud 1-0 (a), Lost Jaffas 2-3 (h)

Charlestown – Lost Magpies 1-2 (h), Won Magic 1-0 (h), Won Jets 4-1 (a)

Bottom Line

It has been all Hamilton in the last four clashes between the two sides, as Olympic have racked up the goals and tightened the screws at the back when they have taken on Charlestown of late.

Hamilton’s Scott Smith comes up against his former club for the first time and his strong form for Olympic in front of goal will make it even more difficult for Charlestown as they look to end their poor recent record against Olympic.

It has been all one-way traffic since Smith’s former partner in crime at the Blues, and current teammate at Olympic – Kane Goodchild – left the club at the start of the 2015 season.

Since last year’s golden boot left Charlestown, Hamilton have won all four matches by a combined margin of 18-3 including 6-0 and 3-0 victories against the Blues in 2016. Of Hamilton’s last 18 goals against Charlestown, Goodchild has scored five.

The last time Charlestown defeated Hamilton was back in 2014. Kane Goodchild scored at Darling Street that afternoon and the Blues got the job done 1-0.

Charlestown’s recent form has been very good and while a 2-1 loss to Maitland on Tuesday will be disappointing they showed plenty of fight – something that was missing early in the season.

Their win on the weekend against Broadmeadow will have given the Blues plenty of confidence, but the big question of Charlestown this weekend will be whether they can put their recent run of form against Olympic behind them.

In a boost for Olympic, Kane Goodchild (work) will return to the side.

What the Coaches Said:

Mick Bolch (Hamilton)

“They had a great win from last weekend against Broadmeadow Magic. You can’t take your eye of them, they’ve got plenty of quality. Matt Tull is doing really well. Josh Maguire is pulling the strings for them in the number ten and has scored a couple of cracking free kicks so far this year. They’ve got strengths all over the park.”

“We’ve just got to build on what we did against the Jets. I thought the first two goals we scored against the Jets were two of the best goals I’ve seen this year, in team effort. I think the second goal we strung 13 or 14 passes together before Tommy Spencer scored the goal. So, we are doing well with the ball.”

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“[The response] has been terrific [over the last two weeks]. They are a great group of guys who have shown that they can turn up and win a football game and that they are willing to put the effort in and the attitude and the commitment has been good over the last two weeks.”

Key: Can Charlestown cure their case of the blues against Olympic?

U20s Hamilton Olympic vs Charlestown City Blues  kick off at 4:00 Darling St Oval

U18s Hamilton Olympic vs Charlestown City Blues  kick off at 2:15 Darling St Oval

Lambton Jaffas v Broadmeadow Magic

5 pm Friday 14^th April at Arthur Edden Oval

Last Meeting: Round 11, 2016: Broadmeadow 4 Lambton 2 at Arthur Edden Oval

Ladder: Lambton 1^st (10pts), Broadmeadow 6^th (7)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Lambton – Won Roosters 4-0 (a), Lost Phoenix 2-3 (h), Won Eagles 2-1 (h)

Broadmeadow – Lost Blues 0-1 (a), Lost Roosters 1-4 (h), Won Phoenix 3-2 (h)

Bottom Line

Lambton will be looking to make it back-to-back victories for the first time in Season 2017 when they take on Broadmeadow Magic at home in a Good Friday clash between two of the pre-season favourites for the title.

Broadmeadow will be trying to avoid a third straight defeat – something which hasn’t happened since 2015 when they lost four straight.

The two sides come into the match with contrasting form, but with similar headaches in the goalkeeping department. Both sides first choice keepers – Brad Swancott (Lambton) and Niko Giantsopolous (Magic) – will both miss the match due to suspension.

In the form department, Lambton has had the better of the recent results after bouncing back from their loss to Valentine in round four, with a dominant 4-0 victory against Lake Macquarie last weekend.

Broadmeadow come into the match licking their wounds after a physical encounter against Charlestown where they went down in the final five minutes. It was an improved performance from their display in the 4-1 loss to Lakes the week before but Magic still came away empty handed.

While both sides have conceded eight goals this season, Lambton have been by far the better in the attacking third, scoring 13 goals in their five matches including six in their last two. In comparison, Broadmeadow have managed just seven and only one in their last two matches.

Broadmeadow will need to be wary of Lambton’s attacking weapons in Pat Brown and Joel Griffiths. Both have been on song in front of goal, and combine that with Luke Remington who showed his class on Sunday with a blistering strike from outside the box.

What the Coaches Said:

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“They are a team with some weapons. Virgili and Bradbury and Fajkovic is back as well and Haynes. All those sorts of players, you have got to be on your toes that is for sure. They will be stinging from their last couple of results that’s for sure.”

“We’re growing as a team and certainly the first half [against Lakes] was how we like to play for 90 minutes in each and every game. Of course, other teams don’t let you do that, but it sort of gave everyone a glimpse of the potential of the group.”

Ruben Zadkovich (Broadmeadow)

“To be honest I’m very disappointed with the results and even with our performance in many ways. We are still very early days and I’m not playing the same football they were playing last year and I’m not preaching the same things. I’m throwing up some different challenges to the boys and some things they have adapted well and some things they are still finding hard.”

“I’m also trying to change some old habits and I know old habits die hard so I know that change is not going to happen overnight. We’ve got to be patient with it, but there is definitely no panic from us. We are right in the mix and we have proven it with a draw away from home against Edgeworth and a win at home against Valentine, and Valentine have gone and already taken Lambton as a scalp.”

Key: Pat Brown. He’s scored in four of the Jaffas five matches this season and when he has scored this year, the Jaffas haven’t lost.

Maitland Magpies v Weston Bears

2.30 pm Friday 14^th April at Cooks Square Park

Last Meeting: Round 16, 2016: Maitland 3 Weston 2 at Cooks Square Park

Ladder: Maitland 4^th (7), Weston 9^th (3)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Maitland – Won Blues 2-1 (a), Drew Eagles 0-0 (a) Won Jets 4-2 (a)

Weston – Drew Rosebud 3-3 (a), Drew Jaffas 2-2 (h), Lost Magic 0-2 (a)

Bottom Line

Steve Piggott returns to Cooks Square Park to coach against his most recent former side in what shapes us as a crucial Good Friday contest for both sides.

Maitland remains the only unbeaten side after five rounds of the competition, and while the Magpies have only played three matches they have performed well thus far.

While they may have had some luck go their way against Edgeworth on Saturday night with offside calls, they were still able to hold last year’s best-attacking side scoreless and that is no mean feat.

A 2-1 midweek victory against Charlestown has seen the Magpies soar into the top four. With the three sides above them having played five matches Maitland have a great opportunity to climb to the top of the ladder in the coming weeks. If results go their way this week they may even have the top spot before the weekend is out.

For Weston, they are just one of three sides left in the competition yet to claim a win this season. While they haven’t notched a win in four matches, they have only lost one match – a  2-0 defeat against Broadmeadow in round two – and have looked cohesive and well organised across their four matches.

The Bears will come into the match fresh from the bye, compared to the Magpies who will play their fourth match in ten days when they line up on Friday afternoon to take on the Bears. How much of a bearing the fatigue factor has remains to be seen.

Squad-wise both sides are close to full strength with Ryan Clarke (hamstring) a chance to return for Maitland, while Jacob Golding remains sidelined for the Bears.

What the Coaches Said:

Phil Dando (Maitland)

“It’s amazing, isn’t it. Three games, none at home and two wins and a draw at the defending champions. It’s not bad, is it! {While it’s a derby] it’s a just another day at the office and they are coming thick and fast. The players in my experience prefer to play than train and they are such a good bunch, they are adaptable.”

“I told them last night they have been magnificent since I have been involved. They have just done what is required and they are not professionals but they have done a really good professional job, I’ll tell you. They would put some professionals to shame.”

Steve Piggott (Weston)

“We’ll just have to be super, super good at execution this week. They are a good strong physical side, with plenty of experience and we are going to have to be at our best if we are any chance of getting a ‘w’.”

“We ran through a few things, [in the week off] changed a few people into different roles and had a look at a few things. Again, execution was our worry [in our trial match] we probably should have scored five or six. I said to the boys we can no longer just be looked at as underdogs. We have just got to aim up and get our first victory and move on from there. We’ve had about eight or nine games together so there are no excuses now.”

Key: With their fourth match in the days, will the short turnarounds take their toll on Maitland?

Newcastle Jets Youth v Edgeworth Eagles

2.30 pm Saturday 15^th April at Macquarie Field

Last Meeting: Round 12, 2016: Edgeworth 4 Jets Youth 2 at Jack McLaughlan Oval.

Ladder: Jets 11^th (1), Edgeworth 8^th (5)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Jets – Lost Olympic 1-4 (a), Lost Magpies 2-4 (h), Lost Blues 1-4 (h)

Eagles – Drew Magpies 0-0 (h), Lost Jaffas 1-2 (a), Won Rosebud 6-0 (h)

Bottom Line

Since Damian Zane began his tenure as Edgeworth Eagles coach back in 2015, they have never gone three matches without a win. This weekend the Jets Youth get an opportunity to put Edgeworth under some real pressure.

If the Jets Youth do manage to claim a victory or even share the points with the Eagles, many will look at that statistic as a negative. For the present, that is probably valid, but on reflection, it shows just how high Edgeworth have set the bar over the last two seasons and just how exceptionally consistent they have been.

Over recent weeks Edgeworth have struggled in front of goal, and while you could say they were unlucky with offsides last weekend, Zane will want his side to be more clinical. It is by no means doom and gloom for Edgeworth.

At this stage last year they had drawn against Broadmeadow and lost to Hamilton in consecutive weeks and still went on to win the title.

For the Jets, their significant problem is the amount of goals they have conceded in four matches. In all four matches this year the Jets have conceded four goals to make it 16 all up.

While their attack has been good enough – averaging two goal per game – their defence is letting them down and they can’t afford another disappointing effort at the back against Edgeworth or they may just play the defending Premiers back into attacking form.

Edgeworth will be at full strength for the match, while for the Jets Ryan Smith and Tyson Jackson (both ankles) are in doubt.

What the Coaches Said:

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“We don’t look too far ahead in terms of what we are up against. For us, it’s still looking after what we need to improve first and foremost cause I think scoring goals has not been a problem for us again but conceding has. It’s not a bad time for us to play them if they are a little bit goal shy at the moment but for us, it will just be about manning up from a physical point in the back third.”

“I’ve thrown two boys that didn’t play [at the back] last year into the mix and they have had to step up and it’s the first time they have played regularly. They both didn’t play regularly in this team last year as they are younger boys. Mitch Dobson and Pat Langlois have done a really good job. They have listened to how we want to play out and they have implemented that.”

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“I had a look on the weekend and we had numbers [in the box] but it’s just guys making the same runs and when we did have good runs, the delivery wasn’t good enough. We had 23 crosses [against Maitland] and I had 13 down as poor and six as ok and that’s not good enough. I don’t think we are playing poorly at all, it’s just being better in the final third.”

“I don’t think we’ve been great in the final third so [knowing the amount of goals the Jets have conceded] shouldn’t be an issue. To be honest I haven’t even mentioned them this week so far. Our play has been fine. We’re defending well and our build-up play has been good. It’s just that final pass, the final cross, making the right runs [that we need to get right].

Key: Can Edgeworth iron out their attacking yips against a Jets side with a tendency to leak goals?

Adamstown Rosebud v Lake Macquarie City Roosters

2.30 pm Sunday 9^th April at Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Round 14, 2014: Adamstown 5 Lake Macquarie 2

Ladder: Adamstown 10^th (2), Lake Macquarie 3^rd (8)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Adamstown – Lost Phoenix 0-2 (a), Drew Bears 3-3 (h), Lost Eagles 0-6 (a).

Lakes – Lost Jaffas 0-4 (h), Won Magic 4-1 (a), Drew Blues 1-1 (a)

Bottom Line

A season which promised so much just over a month ago has quickly gone pear-shaped for Adamstown Rosebud.

While the season is far from over, Pete McGuinness’ side is in desperate need of a victory if not to keep themselves in touch with the sides above them, but to restore some confidence which has taken a battering lately.

Adamstown were impressive in the opening 20 minutes at Edgeworth until Daniel Yaxley was sent from the ground and from that moment the Rosebud’s have seemed to lose their way. A 6-0 hiding followed the next week by a second half fade out against Weston – where they gave up a 3-1 lead – hurt them significantly and against Valentine they lacked creativity in the front third.

The Rosebud’s come up against a Lakes side which may be still reeling from the 4-0 hiding they copped at the hands of Lambton on Sunday afternoon. It was a severe reality check for the Roosters after an undefeated run to the season and there may be no better time like the present for Adamstown to take on Lake Macquarie.

While Lakes will be aiming to return to the winners’ circle, they will also be looking to end seven long years between victories against Adamstown. Their last win was back in 2010, a 6-5 victory a Macquarie Field.

In more bad news for Adamstown, defender Daniel Yaxley left the club during the week citing work commitments. Zaell Ford and Jordan Harrison (both away) will miss the match while Dayne Pawlik returns to the Rosebud side this week. For Lakes, Justin Broadley (broken toe) is out.

What the Coaches Said:

Pete McGuinness (Adamstown)

“It’s been a bad couple of weeks, not just for us, but for everyone, trying to train when you have problems to iron out and you can’t get on a pitch. It hasn’t been ideal.”

“There are some things that are evident that we are not doing well, which doesn’t allow us to complete what we are trying to achieve, trying to keep the ball, trying to execute in the front third which had been difficult because we haven’t had a venue to do that.”

Anthony Richards (Lakes)

“The [boy’s confidence] is still pretty good. I reckon last night they trained harder than they have ever trained so they are still a happy bunch and they are still training hard. There is a good vibe in the camp and the boys get on really well so there are no problems. They have moved one.”

“It is important to make sure we don’t have any battle scars from [the Lambton match] and we are good to go again. If you dwell on it too much, this competition has proven that the sides that haven’t [been predicted] to do well are doing well and the really good sides can fall over at any stage.

Key: The bounce-back factor. Will Lakes respond with a strong performance after their 4-0 loss to Lambton?

source: sportstg.com

Daniel Bird, scorer of Olympic’s 3rd goal

On a cool and dry Sunday evening Hamilton Olympic entertained a Newcastle Jets Youth side which didn’t convince at any stage in the game that they were capable of coming away with any points from Darling St Oval.

In the opening 10 minutes Olympic are in complete control of the game with the Jets reduced to simply watching the dictation of play by the hosts. The intensity of the play isn’t high but you get the feeling that Olympic are just exploring the opponent before they strike.

In the 15’ a lovely through ball by Tommy Spencer to Grant Brown on the left and a perfectly weighted cross to Scott Smith who, with a diving header, found the back of the Jet’s goal to open the night’s proceedings 1-0!

The goal had little impact on the game with Olympic continuing to enjoy the lion’s share of possession and the Jet’s simply chasing shadows.

By the 24’ a scramble inside the Jet’s goalmouth and the inability by the visitors to clear enabled Tommy Spencer to add a second goal by Olympic 2-0!

The Jet’s inability to press Olympic is what enables the team in blue to dominate play and pepper their opponent’s goal. The first time Danny Ireland has to make is a save comes in the 38’ when he palms a shot wide for a corner.

The end of the first 45’ finds Olympic 2-0 ahead but the clear cut chances to add to the score is disproportionate to the amount of possession and domination of play in the middle of the field.

The first 10’ of the second half continued with the same slow intensity of the first with Olympic dominating play and the Jets simply trying to keep up.

In the 55’ a through ball by Tommy Spencer enabled Daniel Bird to shoot from between two Jets defenders to make it 3-0! From here on it is obvious that Olympic have their minds on their next match.

In the 61’ a poor clearance from Kyle Hodges and an ensuing lucky bounce enables the Jets to draw the score to 3-1 through Tim Harris.

In the 68’ Leo Bertos floats in a free kick aiming for the head of Marcus Duncan, the Jets goalie is unable to clear and the oncoming Scott Smith taps it in for a 4-1 score-line.

Three easy points for Olympic looking forward to the next game against Charlestown City.

U20s  Hamilton Olympic – Jets Youth 1-2

U18s  Hamilton Olympic – Jets Youth 2-4

source: Tom Tsamouras

Hamilton Olympic v Newcastle Jets Youth
6 pm Saturday 8^th April at Darling Street Oval

Last Meeting: Round 16, 2016: Hamilton 1 Jets Youth 0 at Darling Street Oval.

Ladder: Hamilton 8^th (3), Jets Youth 11^th (1)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Hamilton – Won Rosebud 1-0 (a), Lost Jaffas 2-3 (h)
Jets – Lost Magpies 2-4 (h), Lost Blues 1-4 (h), Drew Rosebud 4-4 (h)

Bottom Line

Hamilton have put the Jets Youth to the sword on the last three occasions by a combined margin of 13-0 and while the last match featured just the one goal, it has been the Jets inability to deal with Hamilton’s physicality which has led to Olympic’s nine-game unbeaten record against the Jets.

After starting the year on fire in the opening 45 minutes against the Jaffas, Olympic let Lambton back into the contest in the second half, conceding three goals and losing 3-2.

With an older side, the talk of their ‘ageing squad’ began to grow louder after the second half collapse, especially after the injury to young midfielder Rhys Cooper late in their opening match. But, Hamilton quelled that talk – for the moment – with a last minute win against Adamstown in round three.

The Jets Youth have scored plenty and conceded 12 goals at an average of four a game in their three matches so far and it’s something which has become a trait of the young Jets.

Lacking depth at the back has certainly impacted them, and will continue to do so but it is in the front third where they will continue to do damage this season. If they can tighten up their defence, they will do some serious damage.

Hamilton’s Captain Kyle Hodges should return from injury and will play his 100^th match, while Matt Swan while also return. Andrew Swan is still a week away, while Rhys Cooper is still a month away from returning.

What the Coaches Said: 

Mick Bolch (Hamilton Olympic)

“The [last win against Adamstown] gave the boys a bit of a boost. When you haven’t played many matches with the game washed out on the weekend it doesn’t help. But, the boys have been training well. A 92^nd minute winner after conceding to lose against the Jaffas in the 91^st minute, it swings and roundabouts. You keep working hard and things turn around.”

“What [the Jets] lack in size they make up for. They are that much fitter and that much sharper than every other side in the comp, and they should be training five times a week. They are very well structured and its just a matter of doing what we do well. Obviously, the physical side of it, most first grade sides should be physically be better than them, but as far as the technical and fitness side of it I think they’ve got the edge on most sides.” 

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“I think physically [Hamilton] are our biggest challenge based on what happened last year. They’ll be the biggest physical test that we will have for sure. You can only go off other results though, and Adamstown stuck in the game against them and we did alright against Adamstown, so you sort of hope our boys can man up a bit.”

“We might look to go with guys who match up against [Hamilton physically] a bit better. The other thing we try and do when we play a team that can have that physical presence up top is to try and get pressure on the ball as early as we can, so those types of games we have to try and play a high line and move some space in behind.”

Key: Physicality. The Jets have struggled with Olympic’s strength up front losing the last three matches between the sides by a combined score of 13-0. Hamilton’s Kane Goodchild scored five of those.

U18s Olympic vs Jets Youth kick off  2.15 pm

U20s Olympic vs Jets Youth kick off  4.00 pm

 IN OTHER MATCHES:

Lake Macquarie Roosters v Lambton Jaffas
2.30pm Sunday 9^th April at Macquarie Field
Match of the Round

Last Meeting: Round 11, 2014: Lambton 5 Lake Macquarie 2 at Arthur Edden Oval.
Ladder: Lake Macquarie 1^st (8pts), Lambton 2^nd (7)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Lake Macquarie – Won Magic 4-1 (a), Won Phoenix 3-0 (h), Drew Blues 1-1 (a)
Lambton – Lost Phoenix 2-3 (h), Won Eagles 2-1 (h), Drew Bears 2-2 (a)

Bottom Line

It’s a top of the table clash on Sunday afternoon when the Lambton Jaffas head to Macquarie Field to play a PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues (NPL) Northern NSW match for the first time since 2014.

The Roosters are soaring after an unbelievable start to their 2017 campaign, and they remain the only undefeated side in the competition, except Maitland who haven’t played a match.

After two matches without a goal, many wondered whether Sam Walker would find his goal scoring touch again including former Lakes coach and now BarTV commentator Chris Turner who “offered to take him down to the park”.

Walker responded in fine style scoring five goals in his last two outings including an incredible hat-trick against one of the competition favourites in Broadmeadow Magic. You could scarcely believe what unfolded last Sunday afternoon as a Walker-inspired Lakes crushed Broadmeadow 4-1.

They meet a Jaffas side who saw the polar opposites of agony and ecstasy in the space of just four days. After beating two-time defending Premiers Edgeworth on Wednesday night the Jaffas were quickly brought down to earth when Valentine came from behind to beat them 3-2.

A Brad Swancott send-off didn’t help the Jaffas cause and his absence on Sunday afternoon will no doubt be felt by the Jaffas, and Sam Walker and his side won’t mind it one bit.

Since the Jaffas promotion in 2012, the sides have played four times, with the Jaffas winning three and the other match ending in a draw. The last time Lakes took down the Jaffas was back in 2010, they won twice that season 1-0 at Macquarie Field and 4-0 at Arthur Edden Oval.

What the Coaches Said: 

Anthony Richards (Lake Macquarie)

“I’m serious about this. I haven’t had a look at the ladder. I know obviously from what has been said that we are near the top, but seriously we are just looking at playing the sides that are in front of us. Jaffas are a terrific side, they’ve got probably two of the better players who have played for Newcastle [Jets] in Jobe Wheelhouse and Joel Griffiths. I guess it will be me telling my boys not to take out the autograph books during the game and wait till full-time to get an autograph.”

“They have probably got the prettiest striker in the competition in Pat Brown who is in form at the moment. But, you just can’t focus on them [Wheelhouse, Griffiths and Brown]. If you focus on them, then the other guys like Luke Remington who is a super player, Nathan Morris, Ridge Marpu. These guys are a side who have some tremendous talent. It’s not a ‘let’s focus on one thing’ it’s let’s make sure we have our ducks in order and we do our job to make sure we are at our best.”

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“We’ve got a squad with enough talent and experience in it to be a bit more consistent. Having said that it is still a newish group. We’ve done a longish pre-season, we still are becoming cohesive, I guess you could say, in different areas of our game. There is plenty of room for improvement in lots of that and the speed and momentum in which we move in the last third has got to improve.”

“I watched [Lakes’] first half against Magic, and they were decent. We played them in pre-season and beat them 4-0. They had a couple out and I think we had [Jobe] Wheelhouse, [Luke] Remington and [Ben] Hay out for ourselves, so neither team was probably at full strength. But, they certainly looked a lot more balanced in what I saw in the match against Magic on the weekend.”

Key: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Can Lake Macquarie continue to do the old proverb justice?

Edgeworth Eagles v Maitland FC
7.30 pm Saturday 8^th April at Jack McLaughlan Oval

Last Meeting: Semi Final 2^nd Leg, 2016: Edgeworth 2 Maitland 1 at Jack McLaughlan Oval.
Ladder: Edgeworth 5^th (4), Maitland 7^th (3)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Maitland – Won Jets 4-2 (a)
Edgeworth – Lost Jaffas 1-2 (a), Won Rosebud 6-0 (h), Drew Magic 1-1 (h)

Bottom Line
Both sides return to the scene of last year’s dramatic semi-final second leg where Maitland went within centimetres of reaching the Grand Final. Keigo Moriyasu’s late strike was the difference between the sides that afternoon as Edgeworth marched on and the rest is history.

Edgeworth’s start to the season seemed to be going along like clockwork after a ten-man renaissance against Broadmeadow followed by a ruthless thumping of a wasteful Adamstown. But, the smooth start hit a snag last week when Lambton took them down 2-1 at Arthur Edden Oval.

Damian Zane says the loss has spurred on his side and re-energised them for what is to come in the remainder of the season. After having last weekend off with the bye, expect the Eagles to come into this one ready and raring to go.

Meanwhile, as some sides in the competition have played up to four matches, Maitland have just played the one competitive PS4 NPL Northern NSW match.

The constant downpours and poor drainage of Cooks Square Park have combined to make it almost impossible for matches to be played at the ground and the catch-up matches will make for a busy and fatiguing few weeks for the Magpies.

It was only this week, that the Magpies played their first match – a 4-2 win over the Jets. They will be full of confidence after scoring four unanswered goals in the match after going down 2-0 inside the opening 16 minutes.

Edgeworth are at full strength this weekend as Kieran Sanders makes his long-awaited return from suspension. Maitland on the other hand could be without Ryan Clarke (hamstring) who missed the match with the Jets.

What the Coaches Said: 

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“I think this group actually needs something each year to spark them. You start the season and it doesn’t really start until something happens, either a poor result or you get a big game. I think they are a pretty proud group and they were hurting after the loss [to the Jaffas]. I’ve seen it at training and we are back and I really expect us to knuckle down over the next month and set a base for the rest of year.”

“[Maitland] are actually my tip to be a bit of a dark horse this year, to be honest. They have recruited pretty well, some good additions. I thought they had a pretty good team up there last year, and I sort of look at their squad and now you’ve sort of got a 16-man squad there. It just shows the comp is getting stronger. Teams that had a strong ‘team’ have now added to it and have a strong squad.”

 Phil Dando (Maitland)

“We’ve got a full-on schedule and [Edgeworth] have had the week off. I’ve had a check through the draw and every team we play has the bye the week before they play us so they are all going to be fresh and we are playing catch-up. Anyway, as I said to the guys in my experience, every player I know has preferred to be playing games than training, so we are going to be playing games alone for the next few weeks.”

“The guys are full of confidence. They know from last season that they weren’t far away and they know if they just work that little bit harder they can give it a real shake this year and the attitude is great. It was just exemplified [against the Jets] for me, where no one got on anyone’s back when we were 2-0 down and they all just rallied round and worked so hard to get it back to 2-2 at half-time and went on with it in the second half.”

Key: With just two days between matches and after playing on the synthetic fields at Lake Macquarie against the Jets, will Maitland have the fuel in the tank to take down the Eagles?

Valentine Phoenix v Adamstown Rosebud
2.30 pm Saturday 8^th April at Cahill Oval

Last Meeting: Round 12, 2016: Adamstown 2 Valentine 0 at Blacksmiths Oval.
Ladder: Valentine 4^th (6), Adamstown 10^th (2)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Valentine – Won Jaffas 3-2 (a), Lost Roosters 0-3 (a), Lost Magic 2-3 (a)
Adamstown – Drew Bears 3-3 (h), Lost Olympic 0-1 (h), Lost Eagles 0-6 (a)

Bottom Line

It has taken a while but finally, Valentine will be allowed back onto Cahill Oval to play their first home match of the 2017 season. While it will be good for the Phoenix to return home, their record in the top flight isn’t great.

Out of four of their matches at Cahill last season, Valentine didn’t win any before they moved their matches away from the ground. They conceded 14 in those four matches and scored just two and whether their home demons will hang around in 2017 remains to be seen.

If you take out their midweek disappointment against Lakes where they were taken down 3-0, Valentine have been very good so far this season. Wins against Charlestown and Lambton and a credible loss to Broadmeadow hold them in good stead for a match against an Adamstown side who just lack confidence at the moment.

Expectations were high for the Rosebud’s after winning the Heritage Cup in the pre-season, but the shine has come off in recent weeks. While they did very well to fight back and claim a point in round one with just ten men, the last three matches have been major disappointments.

First, a 6-0 thumping at the hands of Adamstown, marred by another red card, started their slide. Then a last-minute loss to Hamilton didn’t help their confidence level. If that wasn’t enough giving away a 3-1 lead against Weston was very disappointing for Pete McGuinness’ side.

But, on the bright side, the Rosebud’s have the chance to turn the form guide around this weekend against a side they beat twice last season 2-0.

In terrible news for the Rosebud’s, Robbie Turnbull (knee) is out for the season, while Dayne Pawlik will miss the match with work commitments. Youngster Tom Beecham will come into the starting side.

For the Phoenix Josh Carroll (hip flexor) is out, while Zac Sneddon (hip flexor), Alex Tserepas (ankle), and Chris Brown (knee) will all be assessed later in the week.

What the Coaches Said:

Darren Sills (Valentine)

“[The bad record against Adamstown last year] will affect the way we approach the match. I was a little bit outspoken about the way we performed against them last year and I was probably made to eat my words. I want to make sure basically that we turn up because if we don’t, we’ll do what happened against Lake Macquarie.”

“First and foremost we are training [at Cahill Oval] tomorrow night. That’s the first part of the jigsaw puzzle, that hopefully we can start to get more of an understanding of the pitch, because it’s a massive ground and an awkward one with the cricket pitch in the middle. I went and had a look at it the other day and it’s in pristine condition. The curator Steven Clarkeson copped a bit of hammering last year with the way the pitch came up, but, he has done a fantastic job this year.”

Pete McGuinness (Adamstown)

“We’ve got to make sure we don’t concede that many goals, we have conceded far too many already. We’ve got to make sure we stay in the game with them and hopefully we take the chances we create. It’s just a lack of intensity in and around defending those vital desperate situations. We need to have more mongrel in us to defend our goal.”

“[I think the expectations after winning the Heritage Cup] were where they should have been. I think I’ve got a good bunch of boys. You plant a seed in the ground and it grows into a tree. You put a new team together and it starts to grow. I thought it was good for them the fact that it should give them some self-belief that they are a decent group and a decent squad and they can play some decent football.”

Key: Can Valentine rid Cahill Oval of the demons which plagued them last season?

Charlestown City Blues v Broadmeadow Magic
2.30pm Sunday 9^th April at Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Round 17, 2016: Charlestown 3 Broadmeadow 2 at Magic Park.
Ladder: Charlestown 6^th (4), Broadmeadow 3^rd (7)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Charlestown – Won Jets 4-1 (a), Drew Roosters 1-1 (h), Lost Phoenix 1-2 (h)
Broadmeadow – Lost Roosters 1-4 (h), Won Phoenix 3-2 (h), Won Bears 2-0 (h)

Bottom Line

Ruben Zadkovich will be hoping for a similar response from his troops that Shane Pryce received out of his side on the weekend after Broadmeadow fell to Lake Macquarie in round four. It ended a six-game unbeaten run against Lakes and Zadkovich’s unbeaten run in the PS4 NPL with Broadmeadow.

Magic certainly had their chances in the 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Roosters, especially in the first half with Kale Bradbury and James Virgili going close on a number of occasions.

Bradbury, Magic’s second top scorer last season with 17 goals, has struggled with confidence this season and hasn’t found the back of the net in the opening four matches, while Virgili has scored just two. At this point last season both had three each to their name.

Zadkovich brought key men Shane Paul, Jon Griffiths and Peter Haynes on from the bench against Lakes, so you would expect at least two of them to return to the starting side this weekend.

Charlestown responded strongly to a lacklustre start to the season last weekend as they put the Jets to the sword in the final 15 minutes, when they scored three goals to win 4-1.

After disappointing performances against Valentine in round one, and Lakes in round three, Shane Pryce’s criticism of his side worked and he will be hoping they bring the same energy and commitment from Saturday into the battle with Broadmeadow.

The Blues have one of the better records of local sides against Magic, winning three of their last five matches, including their last match in round 17 last year where Rene Ferguson was the last-minute hero for Charlestown.

What the Coaches Said: 

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“The amount of games and the timeframe that we have had them in has not helped us so it has been good to get a bit of consistency in our game and we can play week in week out football.”

“Our urgency, our willingness to win our battles – our one-on-one battles – and just the general urgency we showed [on the weekend] all over the park was great.”

Ruben Zadkovich (Broadmeadow)

“Sometimes when you rotate things and change formations there is an element of a gamble to it. You want it to come off and you want to see those boys who are getting some time take their opportunities. I didn’t think any of them were particularly poor [on the weekend].”

“It comes down to your execution of what we have spoken about and what we have worked on and can they recognise the scenarios, and it’s a challenge for those boys and it’s a challenge for me as a coach to educate them enough in the short space of time you want to do it. I wanted to give a few of the boys game time and wanted to try something different and that gamble [didn’t pay off on the weekend]. When you don’t take your chances in games you get punished.”

Key: How will Broadmeadow respond from last week’s upset loss to Lakes?

source: sportstg.com

Hamilton will celebrate the 100^th appearance of captain Kyle Hodges when he returns from injury for the clash with Newcastle Jets Youth on Saturday night at Darling Street Oval.

RD 5 (2.30pm*): Saturday: Valentine v Adamstown*, Hamilton v Jets Youth (6pm), Edgeworth v Maitland (7.30pm). Sunday: Charlestown v Magic*, Lakes v Jaffas*.

The centre-back has missed Olympic’s opening two games, a 3-2 loss to Jaffas and injury-time win over Adamstown, with an ankle injury and will be a welcome addition against the dangerous Jets Youth attack.

** Northern NSW Football said special circumstances led to the move of Maitland’s rescheduled game against the Jets Youth to an artificial surface at Speers Point Park for Wednesday night.

Regular NPL matches are not typically played at the facility but NNSWF premier club development and compliance officer Gary Fisher said the change was needed. Poor drainage at Cooks Square Park and regular rain has contributed to Maitland not yet taking the field as the NPL approaches round five.

“It’s got to the stage where Maitland need to play some football,” Fisher said.

“The facility is available, the game is against the Jets Youth, and it’s technically the Jets’ home game. It’s not something we do every time, but given the circumstances, and with more wet weather this week, we’ve decided to go this way.”

Maitland were to host the Jets on Wednesday but Maitland City Council closed all grounds on Tuesday following more heavy rain. 

Maitland football manager Michael Mirisch said the club had been unlucky with the weather and the timing of their games. Mirisch also said the club were writing a letter to council in the hope of gaining help to fix the drainage problems at Cooks Square Park.

source: Newcastle Herald

The Round 4 washed-out fixtures Maitland FC v Hamilton Olympic FC have beenrescheduled at Cooks Square Park, with due consideration being given to Maitland FC’s already scheduled Round 2 wash out fixture:

Tuesday 18th April 2017
18 Years – 6pm
20 Years – 7:30pm

Wednesday 19th April 2017
First Grade – 6:30pm

source:Tom Tsamouras

The round 4 clash between Hamilton Olympic and Maitland Magpies at Cook Square park on Sunday was washed out for all three grades.

Our NPL Youth games which were scheduled at Darling St Oval but were switched to Speers Point were played with the following results:

NPL Youth
Olympic vs Mid North Coast
Under 16s lost 0-6
Under 15s won 4-0
Under 14s won 4-3
Under 13s won 2-0

In other First Grade matches of Round 4:

Lambton Jaffas FC 2 Valentine Eleebana FC 3
Newcastle Jets Youth 1 Charlestown City Blues 4
Broadmeadow Magic FC 1 Lake Macquarie City Roosters Football Club 4
Adamstown Rosebud FC 3 Weston Workers Bears FC 3

source:Tom Tsamouras

Maitland Magpies v Hamilton Olympic
2.30pm Sunday 2^nd April at Cooks Square Park
“Match of the Round”

Last Meeting: Round 10, 2016. Hamilton 1 Maitland 1 at Darling Street Oval.

Ladder: Maitland 11^th (0 pts), Hamilton 5^th (3)

Last Starts (most recent first):

Maitland – Yet to Play

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

Bottom Line

It has taken a while but Maitland will finally play their first match at home this season. With bye’s and wet weather, the Magpies have had a long wait to finally get their season started.

A lot has happened in the pre-season with Phil Dando coming in as a coach to replace the departing Dean Heffernan and there would be no doubt Dando has enjoyed the extra time with his squad to get them playing to his structure.

The Magpies meet a Hamilton side who they have had some success against in the four matches they have played against each other since Maitland’s promotion in 2014. Maitland are undefeated in the last three against Olympic, after two draws last year and a win in the final round of 2015.

With Matt Thompson, Ryan Clarke and Shane Cansdell-Sheriff all available for the weekend it makes for a mouth-watering battle as they come up against the likes of Kane Goodchild, Scott Smith and Kyle Hodges from Olympic.

Rhys Cooper remains on the sideline for Olympic while Kyle Hodges is a week-by-week proposition and will more than likely miss the match. Andrew Swan (groin) will still be out for Olympic while brother Matt will return to the side.

For Maitland, English recruit Josh Dutton-Black still isn’t up to full fitness and will most likely play in the u20s and sit on the bench for first grade. Ryan Clarke (hamstring) and Ben Martin (calf) are in doubt for the Magpies.

What the Coaches Said:

 Phil Dando (Maitland)

“We’ve ended up with four games in nine days which is not ideal. We were hoping that we could have the second of the postponed games put off for another week but it’s not the case. So, four games in nine days it is to kick off our season, and it’s just what we have got to do, we’ve got to cope.”

“To be honest the ladder doesn’t worry me too much [having played no games while other teams have played three]. I don’t see the point in looking at the table this early on. Three games in, it’s neither here nor there. We haven’t played and whatever we do is in our own hands and it has nothing to do with anyone else. If we get nine points from our three games we are doing better than anyone else and there is no reason we can’t.”

Michael Bolch (Hamilton)

“It’s a tough one, I haven’t seen them play in a while. They’ve obviously got some quality bringing in [Shane] Cansdell-Sheriff and young [Andrew] Pawiak from the Jets. They have obviously improved their group from last year and they made the semi-final last year and I’m sure they’ll be fresh and ready to go.”

“The boys did really well on Tuesday night, with a 92^nd-minute winner. The week before against Jaffas it was an ageing squad and running out of legs so it was good to see them go the full 90 minutes against Adamstown.”

Key: After such a long wait to the season, will the Magpies take a little while to find their groove?

1st Grade kick off 2.30pm
Under 20s washed out
Under 18s washed out

NPL Youth
Olympic vs Mid North Coast

GAME HAS MOVED TO LMRFF
Under 16s kick off 1.30pm
Under15s kick off 12.00pm
Under 14s kick off 1.30pm
Under 13s kick off 12.00pm

IN OTHER MATCHES:

Newcastle Jets Youth v Charlestown City Blues
2.30pm Saturday 1^st April at Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Round 11, 2016: Charlestown 0 Jets Youth 4 at Lisle Carr Oval

Ladder: Jets Youth 8^th (1), Charlestown 9^th (1)

Last Starts (most recent first:

Jets Youth – Drew Rosebud 4-4 (h)

Charlestown – Drew Roosters 1-1 (h), Lost Phoenix 1-2 (h)

Bottom Line

Charlestown coach Shane Pryce was furious with his side’s first-half showing last weekend and will be hoping for a change in attitude against the Jets Youth.

The two sides traditionally play out high-scoring matches with the last three averaging 4.8 goals per match. When there are plenty of goals, it seems to favour the Jets and it has done so, with the side winning three of the last four clashes, including the last match in emphatic style as they won 4-0.

The Jets started off the season with a high-scoring draw against Adamstown, while Charlestown grabbed their first point of the season on Sunday with a 1-1 draw against Lake Macquarie.

However, Pryce wasn’t happy with the point after a disappointing first half from his side. In the second the Blues had their chances they just couldn’t make any count when they dominated the final 15 minutes.

The Jets had the bye during round two, so will be very fresh coming into the match after also having their round three match against Maitland washed out.

They looked good in attack during their round one draw with Adamstown, however, it was at the back where they struggled again, conceding four goals and they can’t afford that against a Charlestown side who have been strong at the back over the last two seasons.

Key: After blasting his side’s performance last weekend how will Shane Pryce’s men respond?

Lambton Jaffas v Valentine Phoenix
2.30pm Sunday 1^st April at Arthur Edden Oval

Last Meeting: Round 13, 2016: Lambton 2 Valentine 3 at Arthur Edden Oval

Ladder: Lambton 2^nd (7), Valentine 6^th (3)

Last Starts (most recent first):

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

Valentine – Lost Lakes 0-3 (a), Lost Magic 2-3 (a), Won Blues 2-1 (a)

Bottom Line

Valentine will look to make it two wins from two at Arthur Edden Oval since their promotion in 2015 when they take on the Lambton Jaffas on Saturday afternoon.

Last year the Phoenix shocked the Jaffas 3-2, as youngster Riley Russell grabbed the match winner in the dying moments of the match and based on Valentine’s early season form you wouldn’t write them off causing an upset against the highly fancied Jaffas.

Lambton were held by Weston the weekend in a match where coach James Pascoe felt they played well enough to take the three points but just didn’t finish their chance as well as he would have liked. However, the disappointment at Weston was quickly forgotten on Wednesday night as the Jaffas took down the Premiers 2-1.

Pat Brown scored a double against the Eagles and now has five in three matches for the Jaffas and seems to be in the form of his career back under James Pascoe.

On the other hand, Valentine took the battle to Broadmeadow Magic, and in the end, were unlucky not to snatch a late point as Jalon Brown’s shot was well saved by Magic keeper Niko Giantsopolous.

However, the Phoenix disappointed midweek in their 3-0 derby loss to Lake Macquarie and will be keen to respond. That makes it three losses by combined scores of 11-5 in midweek catch-up matches for the Phoenix over the last two years.

Lambton have a full squad for Saturday’s match while Alex Tserepas (ankle) is in doubt for the Phoenix. In an intriguing side note, Ridge Marpu (Lambton) will play his former side for the first time.

What the Coaches Said:

 James Pascoe (Lambton)

“My hope is [the win against Edgeworth] gives the boys heaps of confidence. In regards to myself, I expect us to beat everyone we play against. Even though we have recruited well it’s still a new group and we are still not completely fluent with the ball yet. So, there is a huge amount of improvement left in us.”

“We’ve purposely concentrated particularly against Olympic and Edgeworth, being really solid without the ball and not trying to dominate games too much with the ball. Its worked as we hoped it would work to this point, but we have to get better with the ball and we will. The signs are there for us to become a good football team.”

Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)

“It was pretty appalling [on Wednesday against Lakes]. Our attitude just wasn’t right for a first-grade game. Overall it just wasn’t good enough. I tried to pick out some good points to be positive about, but there weren’t many. We’ve just got to give credit to Lakes for that one.”

“If we can put out a performance against Magic where I thought we were unlucky to get a point and then you put the same 14-15 guys on the park three or four days later and perform nowhere near that level its got to be down to attitude. I’ve got no doubt we’ll be up to the game on Saturday. It’s just about finding those elements which drive them to produce a good performance every week, regardless of the opposition.”

Key: Lambton only won two of nine home matches last year. Can they turn it around?

Broadmeadow Magic v Lake Macquarie City Roosters
2.30pm Sunday 2^nd April at Magic Park

Last Meeting: Round 16, 2014. Broadmeadow 3 Lake Macquarie 0 at Macquarie Field.

Ladder: Broadmeadow 1^st (7), Lake Macquarie 3^rd (5)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Broadmeadow – Won Phoenix 3-2 (h), Won Bears 2-0 (h), Drew Eagles 1-1 (a)

Lake Macquarie – Won Phoenix 3-0 (h), Drew Blues 1-1 (a), Drew Bears 2-2 (a)

Bottom Line

Two of the PlayStation® 4 NPL Northern NSW’s undefeated sides clash at Magic Park on Sunday with the newly promoted Roosters facing arguably their toughest test of the season.

The unfancied Roosters have shone over the opening three rounds and expect them to roll up theIR sleeves and get right into the battle with a Magic side who sits top of the table.

Since returning to football this season Justin Broadley has been a revelation, scoring in Lakes’ opening two matches including from a curling free kick in the Roosters draw with Charlestown on Sunday.

It took a couple of matches but finally, talismanic striker Sam Walker opened his account with a brace on Wednesday night. Expect his confidence to flow into the match against the league leaders.

Broadmeadow have gone about their business with a minimum of fuss and coach Ruben Zadkovich seems to be getting the side to gel more, every match they play. They defended well in stoppage time against Valentine to hold onto their 3-2 lead and ground out a victory the week before on a damp pitch against Weston.

Peter Haynes is the key for Broadmeadow, with the Magic Legend at his creative best over the opening three rounds. Against Weston especially, Haynes showed his class almost setting up Kale Bradbury on a number of occasions despite only being on the ground for the final 20 minutes.

Lakes are injury and suspension-free while Broadmeadow are still without Jayden Barber who has a niggle. Magic midfielder Matt Hoole is a chance of returning to the first-grade side.

What the Coaches Said: 

Ruben Zadkovich (Broadmeadow)

“I think [Lake Macquarie] have conducted themselves quite well considering it has been quite a big step up for them [from the Northern League One]. I watched them play against Weston and a little bit last week and they are looking quite decent. I think they are proving their point [that they can compete at this level] and they are undefeated and not an easy team to play against.”

“We’ve just got to execute the game plan. We haven’t really been executing at all. We’ve been well below our best probably running at about a four out of ten in our execution of what we want and the style of play we want. Application and attitude and resilience is the thing that is getting us over the line at the moment. It will be nice to see the team put in a 90-minute performance and not play in patches.”

Anthony Richards (Lake Macquarie)

“Every game we are just looking to do a bit better each time and I think we are slowing doing that. We are slowly getting better and some of the guys are getting used to the speed of the competition. We are happy with our progression and to be playing Broadmeadow Magic at Broadmeadow is fantastic for our guys and they are really excited about that.”

“It meant the world to the guys like Tom Walker, Sam Walker and Brad York who were involved when they got relegated. It’s been a while for those guys since to get back [to Macquarie Field] to plan an NPL game. They were over the moon. The other boys were happy for them, the new boys to the club, they could see how important it was for them.”

Key: Lakes haven’t beaten Broadmeadow since 2011 – a run of six matches – when Chris Turner’s (Lakes) beat Damien Smith’s (Magic) 3-0 at Magic Park. Can the Roosters turn the tide?

Adamstown Rosebud v Weston Bears
2.30pm Sunday 2^nd April at Adamstown Oval

Last Meeting: Round 17, 2016: Weston 4 Adamstown 1 at Rockwell Automation Park.

Ladder: Adamstown 10^th (1), Weston 7^th (2)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Weston – Drew Jaffas 2-2 (h), Lost Magic 0-2 (a), Drew Roosters 2-2 (h)

Adamstown – Lost Olympic 0-1 (h), Lost Eagles 0-6 (a), Drew Jets 4-4 (a)

Bottom Line

After promising so much, with their Heritage Cup victory in the pre-season, the opening rounds of their 2017 campaign hasn’t quite gone to script for Pete McGuinness and his Adamstown side.

Red cards in both of their opening two matches handicapped the side, while a late goal from Hamilton’s Scott Smith on Tuesday night rubbed salt into the Rosebud’s wounds after copping a 6-0 thumping from Edgeworth on Saturday. Describing it as a tough week for the Bud’s is probably an understatement.

Weston, on the other hand, is a side full of confidence after holding a star-studded Jaffas side to a 2-2 draw on Sunday afternoon. The Bears have impressed over their three matches, with draws against Lambton and Lakes, while a 2-0 loss against Broadmeadow was a lot tighter that the scoreline shows.

Weston’s Nick Thompson who has played up front for the Bears for much of the season has done a sterling job for someone that has been thrust into a position they are not used to. Thompson scored a double of the weekend and has held up the ball nicely to create chances for brother James in the front third.

With Weston’s new striker arriving this week in Cooper Buswell, who recently played for the Central Coast Mariners’ Youth Squad in the National Youth League, it should add to the Bears potency up front.

The Bears also welcome back Jordan Jackson (suspension) and Jamie Byrnes (virus), while Jacob Golding (injured) will remain on the sideline for the Bears. For the Rosebuds

What the Coaches Said:

 Peter McGuinness (Adamstown)

“Weston have got a young side and a very good coach and he’ll have them well organised, I’ve got no doubt. It was a great result for them against Lambton last weekend, and they’ll have some confidence in what they are doing and have some belief so it’ll be a tough match.”

“Knowing Piggo, he’ll have them extremely well organised defensively and they will look to counter attack. We’ve just got to be good with the ball and if it the game pans out that they are organised defensively and look to counter attack we will need to be good with the ball and go forward.”

 Steve Piggott (Weston)

“[The most impressive thing over the first three rounds] has been our tenacity and having a go. We’ve still got areas to improve on and each week we are trying to improve on those things. I’ve got three things noted down this weekend. Can we work towards getting a clean sheet? That needs to happen sooner than later, we need to score from open play more than once and try to run out the match in the midfield against the best teams.”

“James [Thompson] has been one of our best players right from the start of training, right through our pre-season games and the Heritage Cup. When he first started he was trying to do too much, trying to beat too many players, but he is starting to lay it off now a little bit more and he had a fair game last weekend.”

Key: Home Ground Advantage? It’s been seven matches since the Rosebud’s last won an NPL match at Adamstown Oval. That last win was against Weston. Can they turn it around?

source: sportstg.com

Hamilton Olympic collected their first 3 points of the 2017 NPL season when they defeated Adamstown Rosebud 1-0 in a deferred Round 2 match which had been washed out a week ago.

The game began with Adamstown being very mobile and pressing hard all over the field in the opening 10 minutes.

After this, the intensity of the home team dropped and Olympic began to take control with one long range effort and a scramble inside the six yard box being the closest to opening the score.

The remainder of the half was a tight midfield affair with neither team making any clear cut opportunities to open the score.

The second half continued in the same pattern with Olympic fans frustrated at the lack of initiative by any of our players to take control and dictate terms.

On the hour mark Olympic begin to show some hunger for goal after some penetrating runs from the flanks. A cross from the right is not cleared by the Adamstown defense and a thundering shot by Leo Bertos is narrowly out.

As the ball comes back into play, Louis Townsend unleashes a thunderbolt from outside the box which smashes off the Adamstown crossbar!

In the 75’ Danny Ireland keeps a clean sheet for Olympic with an extended save.

In the last 10 minutes the game comes to life with numerous good runs by both teams particularly from the flanks.

In a period of sustained pressure by Olympic, Daniel Bird shoots from outside the box forcing a great save from Paul Bitz. Moments later the entire Olympic team appeal for a hand ball inside the area but this falls on deaf ears.

In the 90’ Daniel Bird begins a solo run in the midfield and opens up the Adamstown defense to enable Scott Smith to round the Paul Bitz and score the only goal of the night!

source: Tom Tsamouras

Hamilton Olympic have a bye in Round 3 of the PS4 NPL NNSW competition.

Round 2 fixtures against Adamstown Rosebud have been rescheduled for:

Tuesday 28^th March – 1^st Grade kick off at 7.00pm

Wednesday 29^th March – Under 18s kick off at 6.00pm

Wednesday 29^th March – Under 20s kick off at 7:45pm

NPL YOUTH:

Hamilton Olympic take on Broadmeadow Magic at Wanderers Oval on Sunday 26^th March.

13 Years – 10am
14 Years – 11:30am
15 Years – 1:00pm
16 Years – 2:30pm

In other games:
Edgeworth Eagles v Adamstown Rosebud
6 pm Saturday 25^th March at Jack McLaughlan Oval
Last Meeting: Heritage Cup 2017 Final: Adamstown 1 (3) Edgeworth 1 (2) at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.
Ladder: Edgeworth 7^th (1pt), Adamstown 4^th (1)

Last Start:
Edgeworth – Drew Magic 1-1 (h)
Adamstown – Drew Jets 4-4 (a)

Bottom Line

Two sides with similar round one storyline’s will meet in the ‘Match of the Round’ in the third week of the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues (NPL) Northern NSW (NNSW) competition. Both Edgeworth and Adamstown were required to fight back from a goal down and a man down in their opening round encounters and neither will want to go through that again.

In a re-match of the Northern NSW 2017 Heritage Cup decider, Edgeworth gets their chance to avenge the defeat from just three weeks ago. It was a tight match that afternoon with Paul Bitz the hero for Adamstown in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 fulltime scoreline.

However, that result will mean little come Saturday, with Edgeworth seemingly back in their groove. The Eagles fighting qualities were no more evident than in their opening match against Broadmeadow where after going a man and a goal down they still managed to fight back into the contest and claim a valuable point.

Both Edgeworth and Adamstown missed out on their round two match-ups against Lambton and Hamilton respectively and both will be eager to get back on the pitch and claim some points.

In their only match to date, Adamstown too could only grab a point from their clash with the Jets Youth. After the high of the Heritage Cup victory the week earlier, it was expected by many that the Rosebud’s would make light work of a young Jets outfit.

But, it wasn’t the case as Adamstown made the job even harder for themselves going a man down as former Weston defender Robbie Turnbull was sent off for a second yellow. They then conceded two minutes later to be down 3-2 with less than 15 minutes to play. The Rosebuds rallied through to score twice and claim a share of the points.

Adamstown welcome back a host of players for the clash with Mitch Hunter, Owen Littlewood, Justin Tannock and Captain Dayne Pawlik returning for the match. Edgeworth will still be without Kieran Sanders and Ayden Brice (both suspended), while Josh Evans will be away with work.

What the Coaches Said:

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“I still say it and it’s only early days but our end product, decision-making and our execution has let us down a bit. Our ground work has been good and then we’ve sort of let ourselves down with that final pass or maybe we’ve delivered a decent cross and we’re not getting in the box.”

“It’s pretty simple with me if you’re a midfielder or an attacking player and by round five you’ve got no goals or no assists, you’re no use to me. We’re a team that I think is hard to defend because we don’t have one out and out scorer. We all score, we all assist and share the load so it’s important with the competition for spots in our squad you’ve got to perform.”

Pete McGuinness (Adamstown)

“I think ultimately [the Heritage Cup Final] was only a draw and only played over 60 minutes, but, in saying that it did give the boys some confidence and self-belief that we can play against the bigger teams and compete. The team on the weekend will be a bit different to that weekend and I’m sure they will be different as well, both in personnel and attitude.”

“I think you have got to do one of two things [against Edgeworth]. You’ve got to stop the supply to their players in our half or you’ve got to deny them space in behind. Whatever happens, I think the most important thing we have got to do is compete physically, and be in the fight. If we can do that we’ve got a decent enough structure that we can contain possession and build our own attacks.”

Key: Will the loss of Robbie Turnbull’s experience at the back, will it affect a younger Rosebud’s outfit?

Newcastle Jets Youth v Maitland Magpies
2.30 pm Saturday 25^th March at Cooks Square Park
Last Meeting: Round 13, 2016: Jets Youth 1 Maitland 1 at Cooks Square Park.
Ladder: Jets Youth 5^th (1), Maitland 9^th (0)

Last Start:
Jets Youth – Drew Rosebud 4-4 (h)
Maitland – Bye

Bottom Line

It’s been a long wait for Maitland to finally get their season underway and they will be hoping for some sunny weather over the coming days or it may take even long. A battle against a young and fit Jets Youth side will provide a test for the Magpies in Phil Dando’s first match as head coach.

As they did last season the Jets Youth surprised many in their opening round clash with the Rosebud’s competing well and claiming a 4-4 draw. Clayton Zane probably would have been a little disappointed to not have taken the three points against a side down to ten men for the final 15 minutes of the contest.

It was the Jets’ Achilles heel last year and it was the issue in round one – their defence. They can score goals with ease, but it’s keeping tight at the back which has been the issue. Against a Maitland side with a strong defence, the Jets may not get as many chances in front of goal and leaking goals will cost them against the Magpies.

Shane Cansdell-Sheriff was expected to make his long-awaited PS4 NPL NNSW debut but will miss the match with coaching commitments. While Andrew Pawiak will face off against his former club in his first PS4 NPL match for the Magpies. The extra wait for Maitland to start their season will have benefited their squad no end with combinations able to be developed further.

Maitland has history on their side too. In four of their PS4 NPL matches against the Jets Youth they have won two, drawn one and lost one, but that loss was almost two years ago and with a vastly different squad.

In addition to Cansdell-Sheriff missing the match, Matt Thompson also will miss the match as he is playing for the Australian Legends side in Perth. Like Thompson, Ryan Clarke too will head over to Perth. Phil Dando says English recruit Josh Dutton-Black isn’t quite up to full fitness and will most likely play in the u/20s and sit on the bench for first grade on Saturday.

What the Coaches Said:

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“For us its been about getting players back on the pitch because we were really hamstrung in round one with injuries and we are still not in a good place. It has really been about damage limitation, trying not to get any injuries in training. The first game of the year I thought the performance was really good.”

“Defensively we are going to have problems all year just because of our lack of options and age so that’s not going to change too much. Young Caio [DeGodoy] has gone overseas so we’ve lost another defender. Maitland is a team we’ve had trouble with in the past just in a physical sense. I thought [our matches against Maitland] were probably our two hardest matches last year and I expect the same.”

Phil Dando (Maitland)

“I’m looking forward to coaching against Clacka [Clayton Zane] considering I used to coach him in the Newcastle Breakers Youth team. It’ll be nice to be on the sideline next to him in a coaching role. It just goes to show how old I’m getting!”

“We expect the Jets will play some neat football and my assistants know a bit about them from last season. We’ll just approach it with fresh eyes and concentrate on what we’ve been working on for the past few weeks since I’ve been here. It’ll take a bit of time [to get our structures right] and I’m not expecting it to all fall into place in the first game.”

Key: How well can the Jets defend? Against a Maitland side who give away few chances themselves the Jets backline will need to be on song to keep their side in the contest.

Broadmeadow Magic v Valentine Phoenix
7 pm Saturday 25^th March at Magic Park
Last Meeting: Round 16, 2016: Broadmeadow 1 Valentine 2 at Johnson Park.
Ladder: Broadmeadow 1^st (4) Valentine 3^rd (3)

Last Starts:
Broadmeadow – Won Bears 2-0 (h), Drew Eagles 1-1 (a)
Valentine – Won Blues 2-1 (a)

Bottom Line

Broadmeadow will look to quell Valentine’s strong recent record against them when they meet at Magic Park on Saturday night.

In 2016, the highly-fancied Magic outfit could only claim one point from a possible six against the Phoenix, with a 3-3 draw in round seven followed by one of the upsets of the season in round 16 where the Phoenix beat Broadmeadow 2-1.

Broadmeadow will need to be on their toes against a Valentine side with plenty of pace and be especially careful of American import Jalon Brown who impressed against Charlestown in the opening round. The Phoenix’s counter-attack caused the Blues all sorts of problems that evening and you would expect more of the same against Magic.

After leaking goals last season, Valentine has seemed to sure up their defence this season with Zac Sneddon and Reece Pettit marshalling the backline and the experienced Scott Carter in goals.

Magic are one of only two sides who has played all their matches so far this season, as they played in round two against Weston. Broadmeadow produced an uncharacteristically gritty display against the Bears, only sealing the match in the 92^nd minute via a James Virgili breakaway.

Magic struggled in attack for the opening 60 minutes until Peter Haynes entered the field of play and changed the match. He proceeded to tee up Kale Bradbury and Virgili on numerous occasions and his influence seems key for Broadmeadow this season.

What the Coaches Said:

 Ruben Zadkovich (Broadmeadow)

 “The thing that I probably try and stress to the boys is that the league is constantly improving. You are not going to get as many easy games as you would have had [in the past]. I think Weston is a good example, a young team, but coached by an experienced coach. [Steve Piggott] knows the league well, and he knows how to make it uncomfortable for you.”

“I think Valentine – I don’t know too much about their squad – but they’ll make things difficult for us and they’ll have their own qualities as well. There’s no easy games. We’ve just got to stick to our process and the way we play. We’ve got a pretty complex way of playing. It may look simple from the outside but on the inside, I ask for a lot of little detail and the boys are doing the majority of it. It’s going to get better with each game and we’re happy with where we are at.”

Sam Griffin (Valentine Assistant)

“We need to do what we did in round one for 92 and a half minutes and defend well. High pressure for as much as we can and the longer we can stop them from scoring, then hopefully they will get frustrated and that will give us a chance to win the match. The age of saying, if you don’t concede you’ve only got to score one.”

“I think our back four is key, we’ve got a lot of guys pushing for a spot there. Wilson Edwards didn’t even get on the park the last match and he is raring to go. To keep the likes of Kale Bradbury, James Virgili, Peter Haynes, etc, quiet, the four guys at the back are going to have to be right on top of their game.”

Key: Peter Haynes (Magic) and Jalon Brown (Phoenix). Both have been influential for their respective sides this season and their impact will be vital.

Charlestown City Blues v Lake Macquarie City Roosters
2.30 pm Sunday 26^th March at Lisle Carr Oval
Last Meeting: Round 17, 2014: Charlestown 2 Lake Macquarie 1 at Lisle Carr Oval.
Ladder: Charlestown 11^th (0), Lake Macquarie 6^th (1)

Last Start:
Charlestown – Lost Phoenix 1-2 (h)
Lake Macquarie – Drew Bears 2-2 (a)

Bottom Line

Expect plenty of goals in this match-up with the last six matches seeing an average of just over five goals scored. While there have been goals aplenty, Charlestown won five of those six matches but only outscored the Roosters 18-13 so all the matches were tight high-scoring affairs.

Both coaches were disappointed after their opening round showings and would like to turn it around here. While a loss wouldn’t be fatal at this early stage neither sides would want a slow start especially with tougher matches to come against the noted ‘big sides’.

Charlestown competed well for most of their round one clash with Valentine despite being a man down for the final 35 minutes of the match. The injury to Corey Atkinson just before the break hurt the Blues and the wet weather will give him an extra week to recover from a nasty eye injury.

Lake Macquarie coach Anthony Richards was disappointed in the quality of football his side played in their opening fixture against Weston but understood the heat of the Hunter Valley took it out of his side. With high humidity expected for Sunday, it won’t easy so expect a hard-fought battle from either side.

Tom Walker will miss the match with a quad injury for Lakes. For Charlestown, Dan Casciaroli (suspended) is out but Atkinson (eye) could return for the Blues. Jarryd Johnson (away) is also out for the home side.

In other news regarding Charlestown, Josh Swadling has left the club due to the requirements of travelling up to training from the Central Coast.

What the Coaches Said:

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“They started off with a point even though they are newly up in the competition. They are not to be taken lightly with what they did in their first game. They are a team that has come up and willing to prove a point and I’m very wary of them, to be honest.”

“I think our last game as far as standards we set is disappointing and there are some individual performances that people will want to correct. We’ve been working on getting roles and responsibilities right for individual players. You get a chance to review videos and to talk and watch players and try to develop them as to what I want and I’m trying to do that and improve that communication.”

Anthony Richards (Lake Macquarie)

“We realise every game is really tough and these guys will be thinking there are three points for them this weekend and we believe we can take the three points. I don’t think it really matters what stage of the season it is whether it be round one or round eighteen we’ll be looking to put our best foot forward. We just want to do really well whenever we play.”

“Prycey’s company Chubb Fire do some work for us at my work so I’m organising a meeting on Sunday at 2.30pm for him to attend. I meant to send out the meeting invite today, but I forgot so I’ll have to send it out tomorrow. But, in all seriousness the boys are really excited to play, they’re as toey as a Roman sandal. “

Key: Desire. Conditions will be tough for football on Sunday afternoon in Charlestown so expect a hard slog.

Weston Bears v Lambton Jaffas
2.30 pm Sunday 26^th March at Rockwell Automation Park
Last Meeting: Round 18, 2016: Lambton 4 Weston 1 at Arthur Edden Oval.
Ladder: Weston 8^th (1) Lambton 2^nd (3)

Last Stars:
Weston – Lost Magic 0-2 (a), Drew Roosters 2-2 (h)
Lambton – Won Olympic 3-2 (a)

Bottom Line

Lambton will be buoyed by their opening round come from behind win against fellow title contenders Hamilton and the wet weather over the weekend would have done little to dampen their spirits.

They face a Weston outfit who competed hard for 90 minutes against Broadmeadow in the only match in round two, but in the end, a red card early in the second half to centre-back Jordan Jackson crippled their chances. With the second meeting in a week against a side expected to finish in the top four will provide another good test for the young Bears and at home they should make like difficult for the Jaffas.

With the likes of Joel Griffiths, Jobe Wheelhouse and Michael Kantarovski, the Jaffas have plenty of Hyundai A-League experience across the park. Combine that with the speed of Luke Remington and Ridge Marpu down the flanks and Weston will have plenty to worry about. As well as Pat Brown – the hero of their opening round win – hasn’t even been mentioned.

Weston has their own quality as well with Greg Anderson leading the Bears backline. Striker Jamie Byrnes will also be looking for a strong performance when he comes up against one of his former clubs, while keeper Kane Runge was superb on against Magic and will get another acid test this weekend.

In a blow for the visitors, Nathan Morris will miss the match with his former club with a hamstring injury. While Jacob Golding (injured) and Jordan Jackson (suspended) will be out for Weston.

What the Coaches Said:

Steve Piggott (Weston)

“Every match is a challenge for us at this stage. James [Pascoe] is a long-term friend of mine and he’s been under my tutelage being an assistant coach under me a few years ago and he’s done well for himself. He’ll have his squad primed up for the match. They’ve got plenty of experience and a bit of pace so no different to Broadmeadow, they’re a good team.”

“All I can ask is the young guys step up and try and improve and it will be a happy camp. Everything is positive at the minute and we are believing in ourselves. Once we get to the top of that and we get a result, they’ll grow in confidence.”

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“I think my approach to [potential complacency] is squad rotation. Good chunks of the team will be getting their first start and I’d like to think there would be an eagerness about them because of that reason. I’ll do that weekly. They’ll be two and three and four changes per week throughout the season just because of the depth we have and it does keep people on their toes.”

“Training has been a case of ‘do what you can with the available facility that you’ve got.’ From a fitness point of view, we’ve been able to tick over quite well, but from a tactical point of view we have some work to do until we get a bit more consistent. But, until we get on a full pitch and can do that work it’s a case of talk about things and draw things and hope the boys understand.”

Key: Weston will need to play for the full 90 minutes. Lapses hurt them against Broadmeadow last weekend and they can’t afford them against a lethal Jaffas frontline.

source: sportstg.com

Round 2 fixtures against Adamstown Rosebud have been rescheduled for:

Tuesday 28^th March – 1^st Grade kick off at 7.00pm

Wednesday 29^th March – Under 18s kick off at 6.00pm

Wednesday 29^th March – Under 20s kick off at 7:45pm

YOUTH
ROUND 2

Hamilton Olympic FC v Emerging Jets FC
Games moved to Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility
Sunday 19th March 2017
13 Years – 10am
14 Years – 11:30am
15 Years – 1:00pm
16 Years – 2:30pm

source: Tom Tsamouras