Match of the Round
Charlestown Azzurri v Lambton Jaffas
Lisle Carr Oval, Sunday 2:30pm
Lambton Jaffas coach David Tanchevski says his side is full of confidence heading into their clash against Charlestown Azzurri this Sunday afternoon.
The league leaders have had their dream start to the season with six consecutive wins from six matches and sit at the top of the table with 18 points and have a game in hand.
Jaffas fell 2-0 behind rivals Broadmeadow Magic in last weekend’s fixture but made a triumphant comeback to secure the three points with a 3-2 win.
Tanchevski was thrilled with his side's start to the season and their ability to fight back to get into matches. The coach believed recent results have grown the confidence to new levels within the coaching and playing group.
“It is the best start to the season that we have ever had,” Tanchevski said.
“I think we are actually on a 18-19 game run in the competition which has been a long stint for us.”
“Happy with the consistency from our side.”
“When games don’t go our way we find a way to get back into the match. Against Magic to be 2-0 down and come back is a huge testament to the boys.”
“There is lots of confidence from us that we stay calm when we go down.
“Things are working out well and it gives us confidence.
“I am proud of the boy's effort in the first half of the season as we know it will be a pretty tight competition again.”
But Jaffas’ coach knows the threat Azzurri can be and is prepared for a physical battle on Sunday.
“Azzurri is a really strong side and they have some really experienced players as well,” Tanchevski said.
“They are always dangerous on the set pieces but we are lucky that we have players like (Nikolai) Topor-Stanley and BK (Ben Kennedy) in goals that can help us this weekend to set up and defend those. But we will look at ways we can exploit their back line.”
“Every game is tough for us as everyone knows we are the team to beat and people treat our games like their grand finals.
“We just need to stay focused. It is hard when you are at the top as you can only go down from there.”
Jaffas will still be without Matt Cahill and Sam Webster who remain sidelined with injuries. But in some good news for the side Shaun Pratt is expected to return from a calf injury to play some minutes reserve grade this weekend.
Charlestown come into this weekend’s match-up after their first back-to-back defeats this season against Weston Workers FC (3-1) and Newcastle Olympic (3-1)
Their recent losses saw the Blues slip down the table into fourth position but only trail the Jaffas and Broadmeadow Magic by three points which makes a win this weekend crucial for their quest to move back to the top.
Azzurri captain Nigel Boogaard admitted that the past two rounds were challenging but had confidence that his side could bounce back.
“It’s been a tough two weeks,” Boogaard said.
“It was a little bit disappointing. We came up against a solid Weston side that probably got the better run of the game and the way that they played caught us off guard and put ourselves out of it. They capatlised on our mistakes.
“Then again it was disappointing on the weekend as we were really good against Olympic. Both sides didn’t want to take a step backwards but they were more clinical and we were punished for errors again.
“But those results don’t take anything away from us.”
Azzurri will have another tough two weeks ahead as they host the league leaders this weekend before they prepare to face second-on-the-table side Broadmeadow Magic.
But the Blues captain looked forward to the next two battles and hoped they could come out with some results.
“Lambton is going quite well and has some experienced players in their mix,” Boogaard said.
“It will be a challenge for us, but these are the games that you want to play.
“With and without the ball we need to be stronger and to go back to basics to be able to go out there and execute our game plan.
“It would be good to get some good results against the top two sides.
“I am looking forward to this weekend’s game. Hopefully, we can go out there with the strongest squad possible and be on the right end of a result this weekend.”
New Lambton FC v Weston Workers FC
Alder Park, Friday 8:15pm
New Lambton FC will be desperate for a result when they host Weston Workers FC on Friday night.
The Golden Eagles haven't been able to take flight so far this season and sit at the bottom of the table after one draw and five losses.
Coach Shane Pryce admitted that he and the players felt the pressure from the club to secure some results. Pryce said that he hoped to sign some players in the singing window to boost his side and help them avoid relegation.
“We will look at the window coming up in May and see who is available and who is the right fit,” Pryce said.
“You need to take your chances when they do come around.
“It’s tricky to drag someone away of the calibre we are looking for from the other in-form teams. It is a tricky situation. But we need to get some sort of goal scorer and an experienced midfielder.
But Pryce has been encouraged by the improvement he has seen from his side each week and hopes to continue to build as the season progresses.
“We haven’t actually been flogged in our games and the most important thing is that we need to score goals,” Pryce said.
“I don't think they looked out of place, they held their own.”
In the meantime, New Lambton needs to pick up as many points as possible and keep in touch with the other 11 teams in the competition.
Weston has been unable to gain momentum so far this season after two wins, one draw and four losses and sits eighth on the table with seven points.
The Bears will enter Friday night’s clash off the back of a 2-0 loss to Valentine FC eager to turn things around and return home with three points.
Kew Jaliens will hope that his side can bounce back and maintain some consistency to stay in touch with the top half of the table.
Edgeworth FC v Adamstown Rosebud
Jack McLaughlan Park, Saturday 2:30pm
Edgeworth will hope that they can continue to soar when they host Adamstown Rosebud at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles will return home after two rounds on the road filled with confidence after they secured back-to-back wins against New Lambton and Valentine FC.
The results saw them move up the table into seventh position with eight points and are two points outside the top six.
Peter McGuinness was thrilled to see his side get back on track and will hope that they can harness their momentum to use against Rosebud this weekend.
A win this weekend for the Eagles could see them fly up as high as fifth on the table if other results go their way.
Adamstown Rosebud have struggled to kick start their season with two draws and four losses. They sit 11th on the table with two points and are eight points outside the top six sides.
Rosebud needs to kick into gear to save themselves from the relegation battle at the end of the season.
It will be important for Daniel Dawkin’s side to return home with points to help close the gap between themselves and the top half of the table.
Cooks Hill United FC v Lake Macquarie City FC
Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field, Saturday 4:30pm
Cooks Hill will hope that they can keep the good times rolling when they host Lakes Macquarie City FC.
Chris Zorichich’s side picked up their first win of their 2024 campaign with a 3-1 victory against Adamstown Rosebud last weekend and will hope that they can continue their form when they return home to Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field on Saturday.
The win moved Cooks Hill off the bottom of the table and up into ninth position with four points, three points behind Weston Workers FC in eighth.
New recruit Cody Nancarrow has shone brightly for Cooks Hill as he leads the golden boot race after he netted seven goals in six matches.
Cooks Hill will hope that their star striker can continue his goal-scoring form again against Lakes.
The Roosters have had a similar start to the season as Cooks Hill, after one win and five losses. They come into the contest off the back of a 2-0 loss to Maitland and will hope to turn things around and return to the winner’s circle.
Lakes sit one point behind Cooks Hill in tenth and will be eager to secure three points to leapfrog their opponents up into ninth position.
The young Roosters side has proved that they can stand tall in the competition and will hope to do so again against a strong Cooks Hill outfit.
Valentine FC v Newcastle Olympic
Croudace Bay Complex, Saturday 5:30pm
Valentine FC and Newcastle Olympic will be vying for three points when they go head-to-head on Saturday afternoon.
Olympic will travel to Croudace Bay Complex filled with confidence off the back of their third win of the season against Charlestown Azzurri to end their three-game losing streak.
The win saw them remain in sixth position on the table with 10 points but closed the gap between the top five teams and is eight points behind league leaders Lambton Jaffas and Broadmeadow Magic in second.
Rhys Cooper was a standout for Olympic against the Blues as he secured his first hat-trick of the season.
Co-coaches Paul De Vitis and Neil Owens will hope that Cooper can continue his form again this weekend against Phoenix’s strong defensive unit.
Valentine also returned to the winner’s circle last weekend with a 2-0 victory over Weston Workers FC.
The Phoenix sits third on the table with 16 points after five wins, one draw and one loss. They are two points behind Lambton Jaffas and Broadmeadow Magic, with the opportunity to launch back up to the top of the table with a win if other results go their way.
Coach Adam Hughes will hope that his side can continue to build and gain some momentum again to get back-to-back wins this Saturday.
Broadmeadow Magic v Maitland FC
Magic Park, Sunday 2:30pm
Broadmeadow Magic will hope to bounce back when they host high-flying Maitland FC at Magic Park on Sunday afternoon.
Magic’s men come into this weekend’s contest off the back of their first loss of the season with a late 3-4 defeat to Lambton Jaffas.
The loss saw Jim Cresnar’s side fall from the top of the table to second position with equal 18 points to league leaders Jaffas.
Magic have proved that they can hit the back of the net with 22 goals scored in seven matches but have also left themselves open to concede 12 goals.
Cresnar will hope that his side can continue their form in front of goal but tighten up in defence to stop Maitland’s threats in attack which include Braedyn Crowley and Regan Lundy.
It will be important for Broadmeadow to brush their last result off and go again to keep their place at the top end of the table.
Maitland’s rocky start to the season was short-lived after they secured three wins and one draw in their last four matches.
The Magpies' recent results have moved them up into fifth position on the table with 10 points and are five points behind Charlestown Azzurri in fourth.
Mick Bolch will be eager for his side to continue their form and continue to secure points to keep them at the top end of the table.
