By Mat Fox

Edgeworth FC 2-0 Weston Workers FC 

Edgeworth Eagles moved outright top of the table in the NPL and remains undefeated as they accounted for Weston Workers 2-0 at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Friday night. 

The home side dominated proceedings from start to finish and outclassed the visitors who were also reduced to ten men shortly after the half time break. 

Despite numerous scoring opportunities in the opening forty five minutes the home side only managed to get the break through two minutes before half time when defender Josh Evans headed home Hector Mendez’s free kick. 

Edgeworth Eagles hit the cross bar early into proceedings and again on the half hour mark while Dean Holtz one on one effort in the 14th minute bounced back off Tim Pratt’s head in the Weston Workers goal. 

With possession and pressure mounting the home side knew they needed a goal before Weston Workers could regroup at the break and fortunately the breakthrough came very late in the half. 

The visitors were reduced to ten men shortly after the break with Michael Ryan shown a straight red card but will he consider himself hard done by with the decision that certainly looked like it deserved a yellow. 

The home sides good work was almost undone early in the second half with a back pass that almost found its way over the goal line which would have been  devastating to allow Weston back into the game and for Edgeworth to concede their first goal of the season. 

Weston Workers provided a brief spell of pressure midway through the second half despite being a man down and Fogarty was forced to make a great save to deny an unlikely equaliser. 

Jessie Krncevic confirmed the three points for Edgeworth and gave his side a 2-0 win with 15 minutes remaining. 

Really the result looked like it was only ever going to go one way but that’s football and crazier things have happened. 

Weston Workers struggled away from home missing Subat and Morris while Edgeworth put on their best performance of the season. 

Edgeworth now face Lake Macquarie City on Tuesday night before facing Lambton Jaffas next week and are still yet to concede a goal in the competition after four games.

Weston Workers return home where they will face Adamstown Rosebud and will look to improve on a sluggish performance away from home. 

 

Charlestown City Blues FC 2-3 Newcastle Jets Youth

Newcastle Jets Youth recorded their third win of the season coming from behind to defeat Charlestown City Blues 3-2 at Lisle Carr Oval on Saturday. 

The result handed Charlestown their second successive defeat as Newcastle Jets Youth climb the ladder still with a game in hand. 

Charlestown City Blues held a 2-1 advantage early in the second half before the Jets Youth finished strongly coming out on top to claim all three points. 

Michael Finlayson opened the scoring midway through the first half to give the visitors the lead. 

Scott Smith replied for the home side capitalising on a hand over in possession and made no mistake after being left one on one with the goalkeeper as the scores were locked at 1-1 going into the half time break. 

Jarred Ross gave Charlestown the lead just minutes after the restart as the home side took 2-1 advantage. 

Newcastle Jets Youth equalised through a spectacular Nick Cowburn free kick to level the scores at 2-2 as the home sides lead was short lived with the visitors responding shortly after. 

Radovan Pavicevic gave the visitors the lead with ten minutes remaining and his goal secured all three points. 

Newcastle Jets Youth face Lake Macquarie City next week while Charlestown City Blues host South Cardiff. 

 

Broadmeadow Magic FC 1-2 South Cardiff FC 

South Cardiff secured its first three points of the season with a 2-1 win over Broadmeadow Magic at Magic Park on Sunday keeping the premiers winless after four matches. 

A contentious penalty decision in the 44th minute and a defensive lapse in the 89th handed South Cardiff took a shock 2-0 lead before Broadmeadow Magic responded with a goal in injury time.  

Broadmeadow Magic was left to rue missed chances after controlling proceedings and chances for the opening half an hour. 

The first came just five minutes in when Jon Griffiths almost connected with Scott Pettit’s free kick at the back post. 

South Cardiff goalkeeper Michael Stafford was in the thick of the action early and tipped away Chris Berlin’s free past the post and out for a corner. 

Hakan Canli looked certain to open the scoring in the 12th minute when Peter Haynes did well to control the long ball and release Canli in space who beat his man and had all the time with only Stafford to beat but the keeper got an unlikely hand to guide his shot past the post.  

Against the run of play South Cardiff almost took an opportunist goal as Mitchell Wallace beat the offside trap despite the protests of the Broadmeadow defence, but couldn’t beat Chris Bowling in the Broadmeadow goal. 

Peter Haynes lined up a header with plenty of time and saw his effort go just centimetres wide from Jon Griffith’s perfectly timed cross.  

Just when you thought Broadmeadow was bound to find the back of the net Wallace was adjudged to have been pushed in the back and James Byrnes stepped up to convert from the penalty spot to give his side the lead going into half time.  

The visitors almost doubled their lead 10 minutes in to the second half when Dean Kelley released Byrnes in space but Bowling produced another top class save. 

Stafford produced three one on one saves himself down the other end to deny Haynes, Petit and Berlin on numerous occasions before the visitors produced the killer blow in the final minute. 

Substitute Sean Clerke capitalised on hesitation in the Magic defence despite not knowing much about the initial cross, a dreadful error which allowed him to recover and slot the ball home to confirm the win. 

Broadmeadow Magic scored their first goal of the season in the final minute with Peter Haynes getting his header on target barely making its way over the line and looked like Matthew Paul was on hand to send it over the line at the back post.  

It was little too late, a goal for Broadmeadow in the opening thirty minutes certainly would have changed proceedings and given them confidence they needed still looking a bit sluggish but will certainly be disappointed to concede a contentious penalty and concede with another defensive blunder. 

It was great to see that football is more than a game as Broadmeadow players donated part of their match payment towards Gunners player Dean Kelley who recently lost his mother and father. 

Broadmeadow Magic face Adamstown on Wednesday night before facing Hamilton Olympic at Darling Street Oval in our match of the round next week while South Cardiff travel to Lisle Carr Oval where they will face Charlestown City Blues. 

 

Hamilton Olympic FC 2-2 Lambton Jaffas FC 

A ten man Lambton Jaffas outfit was denied a win away from home with a late Hamilton Olympic equaliser securing a 2-2 draw at Darling Street Oval. 

Adrian Perisic received his second yellow card and marching orders five minutes before half time with his second for a tough hand ball decision. 

Jobe Wheelhouse was also forced from the field after fifteen minutes with a dislocated shoulder. 

Peter McPherson opened the scoring for the visitors after some nice build up play from Alex Palozzi and John Majurovski. 

However again Lambton allowed their opponents to respond in quickly as Swan was on hand to send home the ball after Danny Ireland spilled the initial attempt on goal. 

Lambton Jaffas came out strong in the second despite being a man down and restored their lead on the hour mark through Kale Bradbury with a nice finish.   

With the final kick of the game deep into injury time Hamilton Olympic rescued a point in front of their home crowd and denied Lambton Jaffas what would have been an impressive win. 

Lambton Jaffas Coach David Tanchevski said “I was extremely proud of the boys, we were outstanding with 10 men and that was the best performance we’ve had all year.” 

“The decision turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we had to work hard for each other, the send off and final goal was tough but that’s just how football goes.” 

Lambton Jaffas will welcome in form Edgeworth Eagles side to Arthur Edden Oval next week while Hamilton Olympic will host Broadmeadow Magic in our match of the round on Sunday. 

 

Lake Macquarie City FC 0-2 Adamstown Rosebud FC 

Adamstown Rosebud recorded its second win in as many weeks defeating Lake Macquarie City 2-0 at Macquarie Field on Sunday. 

The visitors held a one goal lead going into half time and there were two missed penalty attempts in an eventful second half, before Adamstown secured the three points with a late goal. 

Nick Bale continued his impressive scoring form to put the visitors ahead on the half hour mark after being played into space by Matthew Comerford and the visitors took a one goal lead going into the break. 

Scott Carter again provided the goods for his side when he saved a penalty with twenty minutes remaining and denied Lake Macquarie City an equaliser. 

Abe Wheelhouse then had a chance from the spot to extend Adamstown’s lead just five minutes later before but missed his opportunity before redeeming himself by scoring the winner late in the game. 

Adamstown Rosebud Coach Anthony Richards said “we created a few chances and probably deserved a win, but still we weren’t able to kill it off until the end.” 

Adamstown Rosebud face Broadmeadow Magic in their rescheduled match on Wednesday night before facing Weston Workers on Sunday,  

Lake Macquarie City will face Edgeworth in their rescheduled match on Tuesday night before facing Newcastle Jets Youth on Saturday.