Match of the Round
New Lambton FC v Edgeworth FC
Alder Park, Saturday 2:30pm
Edgeworth FC coach Peter McGuinness hopes that his side are not complacent when they travel to Alder Park to face New Lambton FC.
The Eagles will travel to face the Golden Eagles on Saturday with some newfound confidence after they secured their first win of the season against Valentine FC.
Edgeworth had a rocky start to their 2024 campaign before the victory last week with two draws and three defeats to their name. But the win saw them move up to eighth position on the table with seven points.
But McGuiness said that he wanted to side to harness the confidence to prepare for another hard battle this weekend.
“It was nice for us to get a couple of goals and get off the mark last weekend,” McGuinness said.
“It was a good feeling to win and the performance was quite good against a team that is pretty well organised and has some good players.
“We just need to make sure that we aren’t complacent in any way shape or form.
“It’s game by game for us to continue to improve and try not to look at the table but look at the momentum we are building.
“We need to respect them (New Lambton) and take the game to them.”
Despite a rocky start to the season, McGuiness said that he has been pleased by every performance from his side and likened their journey so far to their opponents.
“In all of our games, I never felt that we played poorly or have been completely off the pace. We have been really close to it,” McGuinness said.
“We have been similar to New Lambton. They haven’t been far off this season.
Three points for the Eagles this weekend could see them move as high up the table as fifth if results go their way, which is a big motivator to get the job done on Saturday.
“The points are really important,” McGuinness said.
“The performance is pretty important but the points are more important. If you want to gain momentum, points are a must.
“I am looking forward to the battle of the birds this weekend.”
Opponents New Lambton have also had a mixed start to their season with one draw and four losses and sit 11th on the table with one point.
The Golden Eagles have had two weeks off the competition as there was a scheduled break for Easter before their round six fixture against Cooks Hill FC was postponed due to wet weather.
New Lambton will be eager to kick their season into gear and pick up some more points to ensure they are not in the relegation battle at the end of the year.
Coach Shane Pryce has confidence that his side will continue to build each week and was hopeful they can secure a result against Edgeworth on Saturday.
“We have improvement in us and I have faith in the squad and the players,” Pryce said.
“We have still turned up as a team to be competitive in games and have been close and then lost it at the end of the game. Our game management has to be better when we get into a position to win.
“I still think that we have a lot to offer."
“The focus for this weekend will be that our last performance was very poor and disappointing, so we need a reaction.
“They (Edgeworth) are trying to get momentum and so are we. I think it is going to be a ding-dong battle.”
But Pryce admits that he needed his players to step up individually to help the team succeed.
“Hopefully we can get more consistency in player's efforts and their attitudes,” Pryce said.
“I think in our last game if you were to mark all of our players out of ten, they were all a four or five and we need to be higher than that.
“My attitude is that for this group every week is important. I don’t think any game is more important or that others will be season-defining.”
Multiple players are unavailable with injuries, including Chase Lattimore (foot) and Jackson O’Sullivan (thigh).
Thomas Siderovski may also be unavailable through injury but Pryce said that they try and focus on the positives in how it gives a chance for other players to step up.
“It opens up opportunities for young players to take their place,” Pryce said.
“Young players have that youthful exuberance and they just go out there and enjoy their football.”
If other results go their way, a win for New Lambton could see them move as high as ninth on the table.
Newcastle Olympic v Charlestown Azzurri
Darling Street Oval, Sunday 2:30pm
Newcastle Olympic coach Paul De Vitis does not believe his side’s confidence is down after three straight losses as they prepare to face Charlestown Azzurri this weekend.
Olympic will return home to Darling Street Oval this Saturday off the back of three straight defeats against Maitland FC, Lambton Jaffas and Broadmeadow Magic.
The results have seen the side drop to seventh on the table with seven points, but De Vitis remains positive that his side will bounce back again this weekend and give it their all against a strong Azzurri side.
“I don’t think that confidence is down,” De Vitis said.
“We are performing well and are creating chances. Now we need to see the character of players after three losses in a row and who will rise up and help us come out of this.
“We are battle-ready.
“Charlestown are a very good and physical team.”
Olympic may be without experienced defender Jacob Pepper again this weekend after he missed the round six match with a calf injury.
De Vitis acknowledged the impact Pepper has on the squad but was confident in the player's ability to get the job done without him.
"We lost Jacob (Pepper) during last week with a calf injury. He will get some scans this week to see if he will be able to play this weekend,” De Vitis said.
“But Luke Rutlidge stepped up and filled the hole last weekend and did a great job. We say that losing a player opens up opportunities for another.
“Our starting lineup is still really experienced without Jacob.”
Azzurri will also be eager to turn things around after they suffered their first defeat of the season against Weston Workers FC in their round six fixture.
The loss saw the side slip to third on the table with 15 points and James Pascoe’s men will be desperate to secure three points on Sunday to keep up with the title race.
Charlestown’s defensive line was broken multiple times by the Bears, which is something James Pascoe will need to amend if they are to shut down Olympic’s threats in attack.
Adamstown Rosebud v Cooks Hill United
Adamstown Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
Two sides will be searching for their first win of the season this Saturday when Adamstown Rosebud take on Cooks Hill United FC.
After a two-week break in the competition due to the Easter long weekend and respective round six washouts, both teams will be desperate to pick up points at Adamstown Oval.
Rosebud will return home off the back of two draws against Maitland FC and New Lambton FC. The team sits tenth on the table with two points and has a game in hand.
Daniel Dawkins’ side has shown that they can compete with the big sides but have struggled to cement results. It will be important for them to come away with something and continue to move forward as the season progresses.
Cooks Hill also had a tough start to the season but finally picked up their first point in their last match against Valentine FC with a 1-1 draw. They sit at the bottom of the table but also have a game in hand which could help them keep in touch with the other teams.
A win for Cooks Hill could see them move up as high as ninth position on the table if other results go in their favour as they will be eager to move out of last place.
Valentine FC v Weston Workers FC
Croudace Bay Complex, Saturday 5pm
Valentine FC will look to bounce back when they host Weston Workers FC on Saturday afternoon.
The Phoenix’s dream start to the season lost flight after a draw and a loss in their last two matches. The side fell to fourth on the table with 13 points but has a game in hand after their round six match was washed out.
Adam Hughes believed that his side would respond to their first loss and lift against a strong Bear’s side on Saturday.
“For us, we just have to look at ourselves and dig deep,” Hughes said.
‘We still have a lot of things that we need to continue to work on.
“We need to step onto the pitch and have higher energy levels and the desire to want to win and the want to fight.”
The Bears have had a mixed start to the season with two wins, one draw and three losses.
Weston will travel to Croudace Bay Complex this weekend with some confidence after they broke Charlestown Azzurri’s unbeaten streak with a 3-1 defeat.
Kew Jaliens will hope that his side can continue their momentum against the Phoenix and knock them off their perch for a second time.
The Bears moved into fifth on the table after round six with seven points. But as six teams have a game in hand, it will be crucial for Weston to continue to collect points and stay in the top six race.
Maitland FC v Lake Macquarie City FC
Cooks Square Park, Saturday 6pm
Maitland FC will hope that they can continue to soar when they host Lake Macquarie City FC at Cooks Square Park.
The two sides will come into Saturday night’s match after two weeks off the competition, with a break for Easter and their respective round six fixtures postponed due to wet weather.
The Magpies will hope that the break does not hurt their momentum off the back of two wins and a draw. They sit sixth on the table with seven points and will be eager to secure three points as they could finish the weekend in fifth if results go their way.
Lake Macquarie City FC secured their first win in their last match against New Lambton FC, which saw them rise to ninth place.
Pete Preston’s side will want to tighten up their defence against a strong Maitland attack, as they have conceded the most amount of goals of any team in the competition. Lakes have leaked 17 goals in five matches and scored just four.
The Roosters will be eager to keep the good times rolling and secure three points to stay in touch with the top six.
Broadmeadow Magic v Lambton Jaffas FC
Magic Park, Sunday 2:30pm
Broadmeadow Magic and Lambton Jaffas will go head-to-head in a fierce top-of-the-table clash at Magic Park on Saturday afternoon.
Broadmeadow and Jaffas have already met in 2024, after Magic finally got one over the 2023 premiers and champions to claim the inaugural HMRI Charity Shield.
Broadmeadow has had a dream start to their season with six from six wins and sit at the top of the table with 18 points.
Magic has not been short of goals in their 2024 campaign, as nine of Jim Cresnar’s side has contributed to their total of 20 this season.
Jaffas will travel to Magic Park after two weeks off, as the competition had a break for the Easter long weekend before the side’s round six fixture against Maitland FC was washed out.
David Tanchevski will be hopeful that the break has not hurt his side’s momentum and that they can get their revenge on Magic’s men.
They sit second on the table with 15 points but with a game in hand, three points this weekend can set them up to knock Magic off the throne.
Jaffas has conceded the least number of goals in the competition as they have leaked just two goals and have netted 12.
With the two sides undefeated in the competition, they are desperate to end the others' time in the winner's circle.
