Blake Jarrett

Lambton Jaffas FC 0 drew Hamilton Olympic FC 0
Sat 11 July 2:30 PM
Arthur Edden Oval
Match of the Round

Lambton and Hamilton slipped further away from the top spot of the Northern NSW PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues (PS4 NPL), after playing out a stalemate in the Round 13 Match of the Round.

Both sides entered the match with near full strength squads, however neither could find the back of the net as both defences and goalkeepers stole the show for the full 90 minutes.

The opening half an hour was quite slow as both sides attempted to work the other out.

The first significant chance of the match came on the half hour mark as Simon Mooney broke free for a one-on-one with Brad Swancott, however his shot struck the post.

The sides went into the break locked at 0-0, and despite both creating a number of chances in the second half that is the way it stayed at full time.

Jaffas coach David Tanchevski was impressed with both sides’ defences in the 0-0 draw.

‘Defensively it was a good effort from both teams, and I think a draw was probably a fair result. Both teams had opportunities to score and they missed them,’ he said.

Tanchevski commended both keepers, Brad Swancott and Danny Ireland, as well as key defender Michael Sessions whose return has seen the Jaffas become ‘more compact and stronger’ in defence.

Hamilton Olympic assistant coach Phil Koina described the draw as a ‘reasonable outcome’.

‘We were better than last week, but we were still a bit scratchy,’ he said.

‘Since the week off we haven’t hit our stride. We aren’t scoring our opportunities, and it is a little bit disappointing at the moment’.

Hamilton have picked up just two of a possible nine points since the Westfield FFA Cup break, squandering their lead at the top of the table, and now trailing leaders Edgeworth by four points. Next weekend they will be looking for their first win in a month when they host South Cardiff Gunners on Saturday afternoon at 2.30.

The Jaffas remain third with the draw, trailing the Eagles by five points. Next weekend their top four spot is on the line when they travel to Magic Park to take on Broadmeadow.

 

Weston Workers FC 2 def. Newcastle Jets Youth 1
Sat 11 July 2:30 PM
Rockwell Automation Park

The second match on Saturday afternoon took place at Rockwell Automation Park as the Jets Youth travelled to challenge Weston.

The Bears entered the clash in fourth spot, and a win ultimately would help their cause as the two sides above them were playing against one another in the Match of the Round.

Weston were boosted as they were playing at home on Old Boys Day, or as the Bears call it,  ‘Olde Bears Day’, with their 1995 Premiership winning team watching on from the sideline.

The Bears were also looking to prove a point after their Round 12 capitulation against Lambton, which saw them squander a 3-0 half time lead and lose 4-3.

It was the Jets however, who went ahead first, as Ben Hay continued his impressive 2015 scoring form with a goal in the 23rd minute.

Teenage import Paul Clout equalised for Weston in the 43rd minute however, sending the sides into the halftime break at one apiece.

Three minutes after the hour mark Clout completed a brace, putting the Bears ahead 2-1.

Both sides battled to score the match’s fourth goal, however neither could find the back of the net as the Bears celebrated a hard fought 2-1 win.

The win sees Weston stay fourth, however they move equal on points with third placed Lambton, and one behind second placed Hamilton. Next week Lambton play the side two points behind the bears, Broadmeadow, so they can take advantage when they host Maitland on Sunday afternoon in the Match of the Round.

The Jets remain seventh with the loss, on 13 points, and now will most likely finish in that position, or sixth at the highest.

Next weekend they travel to Lisle Carr Oval to challenge the Charlestown City Blues who are hot off two wins, but more importantly two clean sheets.

 

South Cardiff FC 0 def. by Charlestown City Blues FC 2
Sun 12 July 2:30 PM
Ulinga Oval

South Cardiff hosted the Charlestown City Blues yesterday afternoon in a match so important for both sides’ 2016 PS4 NPL hopes, members of both clubs labeled in ‘their own grand final’ during the week.

The Gunners sat last on five points going into Round 13, and the Blues were only four points ahead on nine.

17 year old Daniel Minors took it upon himself to make a mark on the game in just the eighth minute as he fired the Blues into the lead with a cracking strike into the top left hand corner.

There was a great atmosphere at Ulinga Oval as it was Old Boys Day, however the Blues were on top of South Cardiff, and went 2-0 up in the 40th minute as Minors produced a pin point cross for Rene Ferguson who buried the shot.

Charlestown took the 2-0 lead into the break, and that is the way it finished as neither side could add to the score sheet in the second half.

It was Charlestown’s second win in as many fixtures, doubling as their second clean sheet in those two games. They are now showing what they are really made of as they begin to play to their potential, and two or three more wins from now until the end of the season could see them finish as high as sixth.

With five games to go, and seven points ahead of the relegation zone, the Blues could certainly consider themselves as safe in 2015. They will not take anything for granted though, and will look to achieve as many wins as possible from now until the final round.

Next week they return home to Lisle Carr Oval to take on a Jets side which has won just one game in eight matches, and a win will see them finish the round just a point short of the Youth side.

The Gunners will be panicking after the loss, and will be aware every game from now until the final round is a must win match. They have their work cut out for them as they take on five top six sides in their final five matches.

They are now last by five points, and next week take on a Hamilton side, on Saturday away from home, who are at their most vulnerable this season as they are without a win in three games.

 

Maitland FC 0 def. by Edgeworth FC 2
Sun 12 July 2:30 PM
Cook Square Park

Edgeworth extended their lead at the top of the PS4 NPL ladder with a 2-0 win over Maitland in the second of three crucial Sunday afternoon match ups.

The Eagles were aware of the opportunity that presented itself after Lambton and Hamilton played out a stalemate the day before, which meant a win would see Edgeworth move four points clear of the second placed Olympic.

They entered the match without three key defenders in Bray Smith, Josh Evans and Pat Wheeler, so potentially could have been extremely vulnerable at the back.

The first half was a close affair. Edgeworth were on top for the opening 25 minutes, however momentum swung and Maitland got back in the game in the final 20 minutes of the first stanza.

The sides went into the halftime break locked at 0-0, with Maitland a huge chance of picking up the three points with the wind behind them in the second half.

Three minutes after the hour mark the game got its first goal, as Dylan Holtz drove a loose ball home following a corner.

Brenton Olzomer put the visitors ahead 2-0 in the 77th minute with a sneaky chip, sealing the win for the Eagles, keeping them at the top of the table.

Maitland coach Reece Thompson commended Edgeworth for a good performance but suggested it was not all one way traffic.

‘I could tell why Edgeworth are top of the table,’ he said.

‘Edgeworth controlled the majority of the game, however we created some great chances and should have scored a couple’.

‘The conditions were pretty poor and I thought we were a big chance after going against the wind in the first half and it being 0-0 at half time but Edgeworth were too good in the second half.’

Edgeworth coach Damien Zane was impressed with the standard of the match despite the conditions, and was again pleased with his young achievers.

‘It was windy and bumpy up there, but it was a pretty decent game considering,’ he said.

‘The first half of first half was all us, then they got back into it, but the second half was one way traffic as we dominated the game’.

‘Before the Hamilton game we were a point behind, but now we are four in front. Its ours to lose but we will keep taking it one game at time’.

Zane also suggested that Luke Walker is back to his best after three weeks back from a knee injury, saying he was ‘brilliant’ in the win.

Edgeworth take on Adamstown Rosebud next weekend on Sunday afternoon at home as they look to stay top of the table.

Maitland drop to ninth with the loss, and next week travel to Weston to take on the Bears in the Match of the Round.

 

Adamstown Rosebud FC 1 def. by Broadmeadow Magic FC 4
Sun 12 July 2:30 PM
Adamstown Oval

In the final match of Round 13 Broadmeadow took a giant leap towards rejoining the top four with a late blitz seeing them finish as 4-1 winners against Rosebud.

Magic entered the game without John Griffiths through suspension after Luke Virgili’s red card, for a foul actually committed by Griffiths, against Maitland was overturned.

Magic’s Dino Fajkovic opened the scoring in the 23rd minute through a one-on-one strike after running onto a Kale Bradbury through ball, however the Buds made the score 1-1 in the 43rd minute through Nick Bale, and the sides went into the halftime break at one apiece.

Both sides fought hard to get in front early in the second half, however each side’s defence was standing strong.

That was until Peter Haynes scored Magic’s second in the 75th minute, with a brilliantly curled free kick into the bottom right hand corner.

This opened the floodgates as Fajkovic completed a brace in the 81st, then Levis Dusenge completed the scoring in the 84th as Magic cruised to a 4-1 win.

The only real hiccup for Magic came in the 54th minute when key defender Josh Piddington had to leave the field through injury.

Magic coach Bobby Naumov was happy with the three points that his side obtained from a match that was not one of the finest he has overseen this year.

‘It was pretty scrappy conditions today in terms of the weather and the field,’ he said.

‘We came home strong but it was a scrappy game. We were on top without controlling the game and we did well to score four which I was happy with’.

In terms of the remainder of the season it is quite simple for Naumov.

‘Our aim is to win as many games from now until the end of the season, and make it into the top four. Once we get in there we are capable of beating anyone we come up against’.

‘We are pretty confident. The ball is certainly in our court now. At this stage we don’t have to rely on other results, it’s up to us’.

The win keeps Magic in fifth, however they are in a far better position than last week. Lambton and Hamilton who sit third and second respectively, drew on Saturday. This means that Broadmeadow is now just two points behind third and fourth, and three behind second.

They have a huge opportunity to move into the top four next weekend when they host the Lambton Jaffas at Magic Park on Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm.

Mathematically Rosebud are still in with a chance to make the finals, however the loss to Broadmeadow has made it almost impossible for them to scrape through.

If they are to pull off a miracle and finish in the top four they will need to win all of their final five games, the first of which is next weekend, away to league leaders Edgeworth on Sunday at 2.30pm.