BLAKE JARRETT

Edgeworth FC 3 def. Hamilton Olympic FC 1
Sun 5 July 2:45 PM
Jack McLaughlan Oval
Match of the Round

In the Northern NSW PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues (PS4 NPL) Round 12 Match of the Round Edgeworth Eagles returned to Jack McLaughlan Oval after their 2-1 win over Broadmeadow in Round 11, this week welcoming Hamilton Olympic who led them by just one point at the top of the table.

Both sides entered the match aware that a win would see them end the second third of the 2015 competition as leaders, which would give them great momentum in the final six matches of the season.

After a slow opening 15 minutes the match came to life with a bizarre goal. Brody Taylor struck the right post with a strong left foot strike, and the ball rebounded to Keanu Moore. Moore’s shot from close range bounced off the left post, and by that stage Olympic keeper Danny Ireland was left on the ground stranded, as the ball fell to the feet of Ayden Brice for the easiest of tap ins into an empty net to make the score 1-0.

The home side doubled their advantage in the 33^rd minute after a brilliant spin and outside of the foot pass from Bren Hammel saw Taylor unleash another cracking strike which flew into the bottom left hand corner.

Edgeworth took the 2-0 lead into the break, cruising as Hamilton struggled to get out of first gear.

Hamilton coach Mick Bolch clearly got his point across at half time, and the side responded instantly as Jacob Bailey scored following a Ben Smith fumble from a Simon Mooney free kick to make it 2-1, and then Kane Goodchild struck the woodwork to deny the away side from drawing level, all inside the first two minutes of the second half.

In the 73^rd minute Brice headed in his second of the game after a poor defensive header from a long range free kick gifted him an opportunity on the back stick.

Hamilton’s Ben Koina had two great scoring chances either side of that Brice header, but it wasn’t to be for Olympic as they surrendered their lead at the top of the table to Edgeworth.

Olympic coach Mick Bolch was disappointed in his side’s first half performance, suggesting ‘you can’t give a side like Edgeworth a two goal start and then compete’.

‘The tone of the game was set in the first half, and we were just chasing the game in the second,’ he went on to say.

Edgeworth now lead the pack at the end of the second third of the competition, whilst Hamilton drop to second.

Next weekend in Round 13 action Edgeworth are away, as they travel to Cook Square Park to take on Maitland on Sunday afternoon. Hamilton are also away, on Saturday afternoon at Arthur Edden Oval, where they challenge the Lambton Jaffas in the Match of the Round.

 

Lambton Jaffas FC 4 def. Weston Workers FC 3
Sat 4 July 2:30 PM
Arthur Edden Oval

The first match of Round 12 took place on Saturday afternoon at Arthur Edden Oval, and it was the perfect start as it produced a seven goal thriller with an interesting twist.

Lambton and Weston entered the match fourth and third respectively aware that a win could see them finish the round in second place. Neither could fall out of the top four, however a win would do wonders in terms of a Premiership push.

Weston started the better of the two sides, dominating the Jaffas with intensity and physicality that the home side simply could not match.

Garry McDermott’s 12^th minute strike following a cheap turnover by Michael Sessions, then a goal keeping error by Brad Swancott following a long range Wilson Edwards shot in the 29^th minute saw the Bears ahead 2-0 at the half an hour mark.

Nathan Morris converted a penalty in the 34^th minute, and the Bears took a strong 3-0 lead into half time.

Immediately after the break the Jaffas pulled a goal back as Jobe Wheelhouse got on the score sheet in his first game back from injury that has seen him miss the last two matches.

Luke Remington found the net in the 55^th minute, and then Wheelhouse completed his double three minutes after the hour mark, making the score 3-3 and leaving the three points there for the taking for both sides.

John Majurovski ensured Lambton would finish the match as winners, scoring an 88^th minute winner to complete a remarkable comeback, much to the disbelief of the Weston players and fans.

Jaffas coach David Tanchevski was proud of his side’s attitude in the second half, suggesting their mentality and changed tactics are what led to the win.

‘Weston came out with a lot of intensity, they were strong and physical and we didn’t compete with them in that regard,’ he said.

‘I told the boys at half time they had to lift the intensity and work rate. We changed shape by moving Jobe (Wheelhouse) to the number ten, and Remo (Luke Remington) higher up the park. It paid off as Jobe got two goals and Remo got a goal and set up two’.

Tanchevski suggested that all three goal scorers performed extremely well, labeling Players’ Player Remington as a stand out.

The Jaffas moved to second on Saturday night on 24 points, but that was short lived as Edgeworth’s win saw them slide back to third. Weston remains in fourth on 22 points. The sides are three and five points off the top spot respectively.

In Round 13 both sides are at home on Saturday afternoon. The Jaffas host Olympic in the Match of the Round, and Weston welcome the Jets Youth to Rockwell Automation Park.

 

South Cardiff FC 1 def. by Newcastle Jets Youth 2
Sat 4 July 2:30 PM
Ulinga Oval

The second of the two Saturday afternoon matches in Round 12 saw the second clash of the year between South Cardiff and Newcastle Jets Youth at Ulinga Oval.

The Gunners entered the match on the back of seven losses, and the Jets on the back of six, and combined this year the pair had conceded a massive 58 out of the 198 2015 PS4 NPL goals going into Round 12.

The Jets began the more positive of the two sides, with two goals inside the opening 25 minutes seeing them race to a 2-0 lead.

Defender Caio De Godoy opened the scoring in the 20^th minute of the match, and then Braedyn Crowley doubled the away side’s advantage in the 25^th.

The Gunners replied with a goal of their own as Phil Buras nodded down a cross for Sean Clerke who found the back of Jesse Cook’s net.

Neither side could add to the score line in the remaining 15 minutes of the half, and the Jets went into the break with a 2-1 lead.

Whilst the Jets were the better side in the opening stanza South Cardiff fought back in the second.

Gunners defender Matt Darr had a shot cleared off the line that looked certain to roll in, then Lee Ashton missed a one-on-one chance late in the match.

Both sides pushed hard for the game’s fourth goal however neither could find the net in the second half, and the Jets Youth took the three points with a 2-1 win.

Gunners coach Greg Asquith was pleased with his side’s performance, especially in the second half.

‘The Jets had the better of the first half, but in the second we did quite well and we had a couple cleared off the line, and missed a late one on one,’ he said.

‘We defended quite well, Phil Buras and Matt Darr did a very good job, and Dan Johnson in his 250^th senior game was as solid as ever’.

The Gunners’ loss sees them fall four points adrift of Charlestown after the Blues upset Adamstown 1-0 yesterday afternoon. In Round 13 they are at home again, where they will meet the Charlestown City Blues for a chance to reduce that margin back to one on Sunday at 2.30.

The Jets Youth remain in seventh with their win, moving to three points of sixth placed Adamstown. Next week they will travel to Weston to tackle the Bears on Saturday afternoon.

 

Adamstown Rosebud FC 0 def. by Charlestown City Blues FC 1
Sun 5 July 2:30 PM
Adamstown Oval

The second of three Sunday afternoon matches saw the Adamstown Rosebud welcome the Charlestown City Blues to Adamstown Oval.

The Buds were desperate for a win which would have landed them within three points of the top four, but were taking on a side who had already beat them this year, convincingly 4-2 in Round 2.

The Blues got off to a flying start as Scott Smith put the visitors ahead in the 12^th minute of play.

Neither side could add to the score line in the first half, and the Blues took the 1-0 lead into the break.

Adamstown pushed for an equaliser in the second half, and whilst they were creating plenty of chances they could not convert them into goals.

The Blues held on, still leading 1-0 at the full time whistle, picking up a very well needed three points.

The win does wonders for the Blues who now move four points away from last placed South Cardiff. They travel to Ulinga Oval next week to take on the Gunners on Sunday afternoon at 2.30, where a win will see them go seven points clear of the relegation zone.

The loss keeps the Buds in sixth place, still six points outside the top four. They are home again next Sunday in Round 13 when they welcome Broadmeadow Magic to Adamstown Oval.

 

Broadmeadow Magic FC 3 def. Maitland FC 0
Sun 5 July 2:30 PM
Magic Park

The final match of Round 12 saw Maitland travel to Magic Park, looking to score their third win in a row after a slow start to the season.

The home side, Broadmeadow Magic, were searching for their first win in five matches after a superb start to the season.

The first half was a tight affair, with the best chance of the first 44 minutes a Matt Thompson header that was cleared off the line.

The sides looked set to go into the break locked at 0-0, until Maitland skipper Blake Thompson took down Dino Fajkovic in the box, gifting Magic a penalty.

Peter Haynes stepped up to the spot and buried the chance, and Magic took a 1-0 lead into half time.

In the 68^th minute Maitland had a penalty shout turned away, instead being awarded a free kick and Luke Virgili was sent off.

A double to Kale Bradbury, his first in the 70^th minute and second in the 85^th, saw the home side push on despite having ten men, and win the match 3-0.

Broadmeadow coach Robert Virgili was happy his side picked up the three points, but was more impressed with the clean sheet.

‘We are a side that has goals in us, but it’s a matter of improving defensively and keep getting those clean sheets, which I was happy we did today,’ he said.

‘We were getting forward a lot better today, but we were not as clinical as we would’ve liked’.

‘We were solid in first half but gave them a few chances which we corrected at half time, then we dominated the second’.

Maitland coach Reece Thompson suggested his side put in a good performance and were the better side in the first half.

He went on to commend the performances of new signing, Ryan Clarke, as well as Matt Thompson, Ryan Broadley and Alex Read.

Magic remain in fifth with the win, but move to within two points of the top four. Maitland stay eighth with the loss, but are still five points off the last place relegation spot.

Broadmeadow will compete away from home in Round 13 when they meet Adamstown at Adamstown Oval on Sunday afternoon at 2.30. Maitland’s match next weekend will take place at the same time at their home ground as they host Edgeworth at Cook Square Park.