By Blake Jarrett

Weston Workers FC 2 def. Broadmeadow Magic FC 1

Watch match highlights here

Weston Workers welcomed Broadmeadow Magic to Rockwell Automation Park yesterday to compete in the Round 11 Match of the Round.

Weston entered the round in sixth place on twelve points, following three wins, three losses, and three draws in their opening nine games.

Magic began the round in fourth after five wins, a draw and four losses, on sixteen points, equal with second and third placed Edgeworth and Hamilton.

The match began rather scrappily as both sides constantly turned over ball possession.

Magic were the first side to begin to control the ball and keep possession. They created several chances because of this, and began to look extremely threatening.

They were rewarded in the seventeenth minute as Hakan Canli took the score to 1-0. Daniel Casciaroli dispossessed Weston’s Robbie Turnbull and played in to Canli with his back to goal. Canli turned a defender and steamed into the box, slotting it past Tim Pratt and just inside the right post to give the away side the advantage.

Magic entered the half time break leading 1-0.

Steve Piggot made two changes for the Bears at half time bringing on Michael Ryan and Garry McDermott. The changes, combined with whatever he said at half time, inspired the Bears who came out a different side. They were both attacking and defending with extreme intensity.

Just eight minutes into the second half they found themselves back level. Liam Thornton threaded a ball into the path of Jamie Subat down the left hand touchline. Subat produced a pinpoint accurate cross onto the head of Jason Cowburn who made no mistake of the chance, making the score 1-1.

Just eight minutes later Cowburn played a through ball into the path of a flying Michael Ryan who was brought down on the edge of the area by Matt Paul.

Free kick specialist Nathan Morris stood over the dead ball as expected, driving it into the top left hand corner to make the score 2-1.

Magic had a good chance later in the half to equalise as Luke Virgili found Canli from his cross from the left sideline. Canli didn’t get much power on the shot and it was comfortably saved by Pratt.

An equalizer wasn’t to be for Broadmeadow, as Weston held on to win the match 2-1.

The three points were extremely valuable to the Bears who remain sixth, but move to within one point of the top five, just five behind the first placed Jets. Broadmeadow dropped to fifth with the loss.

Weston will have their chance to enter the top five as they take on Lake Macquarie at Macquarie Field at 7pm on Wednesday night.

In Round 12 Weston host Lambton Jaffas at Rockwell Automation Park on the Sunday, and Broadmeadow welcome the Newcastle Jets Youth to Magic Park on the Saturday. 

 

Adamstown Rosebud FC 0 def. by Newcastle Jets Youth 5

Adamstown Rosebud welcomed the Newcastle Jets Youth to kick off Round 11 of the National Premier League.

Adamstown entered the match in second last after three wins, a draw, and six losses.

The Newcastle Jets Youth top the competition on seventeen points having won five, drawn two and lost two.

Newcastle Jets Youth entered the half time break with a comfortable 3-0 lead after a Radovan Pavicevic brace and a goal to Beau McDonald.

Goals to Brandon Lundy and left back Ben Hay saw the side finish the match as 5-0 winners.

In a blow for Adamstown Abe Wheelhouse was sent off for dissent with twenty-five minutes remaining in the match.

The result sees Adamstown remain stuck in ninth position on ten points, ten short of the Jets who remain first.

Adamstown coach Anthony Richards was proud of his sides fighting spirit, but suggested that the better side won on the day.

‘We were simply outclassed by a better side,’ he said.

‘We didn’t throw the towel in however, and I was rather pleased with the effort that the boys showed.’

Richards said that his side tried a few things that didn’t quite work and he took responsibility for that. He also labeled Matt Comerford as a standout for the Rosebuds.

Jets coach James Pascoe was happy with his side’s performance.

‘We played quite well,’ he said.

‘The boys had a four day break after the washout last weekend, so we were a bit flat in patches, but we were in control for the majority of the match.’

Pascoe suggested that Pavicevic was a standout for the side, continuing his consistent form that has seen his game reach another level this season.

Newcastle Jets Youth play a midweek game against Edgeworth after their Round 10 match was postponed due to weather conditions. A win in the top of the table clash would take them four ahead of their rivals.

Pascoe said that he was prepared for an intense clash against a side who defend extremely well, and that he is looking forward to the contest.

The match is on Thursday night at 7pm at Jack McLaughlan Oval.

In Round 12 Adamstown travel to Ulinga Oval to take on South Cardiff, and the Newcastle Jets Youth will face off against Broadmeadow Magic at Magic Park.

Lambton Jaffas FC 5 def. Lake Macquarie City FC 2

Lambton Jaffas welcomed Lake Macquarie City to Arthur Edden Oval in the second of the two Saturday clashes.

Lambton entered the round in fifth place on fourteen points after four wins, two draws and three losses, trailing Broadmeadow by only two points.

Lake Macquarie began the round in ninth after one win, two draws and six losses. 

Lake Macquarie went ahead just a minute into the game. David Field played a ball into the path of Sam Walker down the right hand side, who cut inside and struck a powerful shot past Lambton keeper Danny Ireland to make the score 1-0.

In the sixth minute Walker had an opportunity to double the score, however he blasted a shot over the bar from just outside the eighteen yard box after a Lake Macquarie counter attack.

Lambton appeared to have leveled the score in the eighth minute, however Luke Remington’s strike was disallowed after being judged to have deflected of a Lambton player in an offside position.

In the tenth minute Ash Illfield made a crucial tackle for Lake Macquarie as Jaffas’ Alex Palozzi looked away on goal deep inside his sides attacking third.

On the fifteen minute mark the eyes of Lake Macquarie’s Cameron Aspinall lit up as he ran onto a free bouncing ball twenty-five metres out from goal. He didn’t connect well with the volley however, and Ireland saved the shot comfortably.

Just seconds later Tom Walker evaded the Jaffas defence but dragged his one-on-one chance across the face of goal to the delight of Ireland.

Lambton finally found their rhythm in the twenty-fourth minute. After an interchange of passes Kale Bradbury wrong-footed Illfield, and drove a thunderous strike past Nathan Archbold into the bottom left hand corner.

On the half an hour mark Bradbury looked set to double both his and the teams total, but he dragged a left foot shot from inside the box wide of the Lake Macquarie goal.

Lake Macquarie agonizingly wasted a chance to go ahead five minutes later. Another perfect counter attack saw Aspinall find Jake Kepreotes off the left wing. He spotted Tom Walker on the back stick, and found him with an accurate cross, however Walker blazed his shot over the bar.

Four minutes later Lambton looked to have taken the lead, however a Dino Fajkovic snapshot was brilliantly tipped onto the post by an out-stretched Archbold, then cleared to safety by the Lake Macquarie defence.

Neither side’s keepers were troubled in the final five minutes, and the sides went into the break locked at one apiece.

Just after the break David Field found himself in space after Lambton’s Kevin Davinson turned over possession just outside his eighteen yard box, but Danny Ireland was prepared and saved the shot with ease.

In the forty-eighth minute Archbold was forced into a save, cutting out a Luke Remington cross from the left hand sideline that was on its way to Bradbury on the back stick.

Bradbury would not be denied seconds later as he ran onto a Dino Fadkovic cross from the other side, making the score 2-1, doubling his total for the day.

Two minutes later the Jaffas found themselves ahead 3-1 after a well worked set piece. Alex Palozzi found Luke Remington on the edge of the eighteen yard box from a corner. Remington took a touch towards goal, then drove a sizzling strike into the top left hand corner that brought the crowd to its feet.

Archbold was doing a fine job of containing the Jaffas onslaught on his sides goal, producing a number of fine saves in a frantic ten minute period after the third goal, the most notable as he plucked a Michael Sessions header out of the air on its way to goal from an Alex Palozzi corner.

On the hour mark Archbold could not continue his heroics as Dino Fajkovic slotted his one-on-one chance around the stranded keeper to make the score 4-1.

The game produced its sixth goal in the sixty-fifth minute as Sam Walker drove home a strike from close range after his brother Tom picked him out on the back stick from the right hand sideline.

In the seventieth minute workhorse Riley McNaughton was replaced by Jobe Wheelhouse who was making his first appearance since injuring his shoulder in round five.

Two minutes later Fajkovic doubled his total, heading home a deflected Alex Palozzi strike making the score 5-2 to the home side.

In the seventy-fifth minute Luke Remington set his sights on being the third Jaffa to record a brace, however his long range driven shot was tipped onto the bar by a leaping Archbold.

In the eighty-fifth minute Lake Macquarie were awarded a free kick from twenty-five metres out. Sam Walker stepped up and drove the ball over the wall, however it evaded the left post by inches.

With three minutes of normal time remaining Jaffas nearly went four ahead from a sneaky set piece. As Jobe Wheelhouse looked set to strike the ball, Sessions quickly struck it forcing yet another magnificent save out of Archbold.

He was forced into action again in the first minute of stoppage time, blocking a stinging Palozzi shot out for a corner.

That was the final chance of the match, Lambton finishing 5-2 winners.

The result takes the Jaffas to third position, just three behind the first placed Jets, and leaves Lake Macqaurie stuck in last.

Lambton will be in action again during the week, taking on Charlestown City Blues at Lisle Carr Oval on Wednesday night at 7pm in their rescheduled Round 10 clash.

Lake Macquarie will also feature mid week, hosting Weston on Wednesday at 7pm.

In Round 12 Lambton travel to Weston to challenge the Bears, and Lake Macquarie welcome Hamilton Olympic to Macquarie Field to contest the Match of the Round.

 

Hamilton Olympic FC 0 def. by Charlestown City Blues FC 1

Hamilton welcomed Charlestown City Blues in an all-blue clash at Darling Street Oval in the second of three matches yesterday.

Hamilton entered the round in third, having won four, drawn four and lost only once on their way to sixteen points.

Charlestown began Round 11 in seventh, just three points outside the top five following a trio of wins, two draws and four losses.

The visitors opened the scoring in the eighteenth minute as Kane Goodchild headed home from close range off a free kick sent in from the right sideline.

They went into the break leading 1-0.

Neither side could break the deadlock in the second half, and Charlestown finished the match leading 1-0, gaining a valuable three points.

The result saw Hamilton drop to fourth. Charlestown remain in seventh, however the win takes them to within three points of third placed Lambton.

Blues coach Shane Pryce was pleased with both his side’s performance, and also the result.

‘A great performance with some outstanding individual efforts,’ he said.

‘Players stuck to their task and were rewarded for their discipline. Everyone in the squad played their role and I’m proud of them.’

Both sides play midweek games after their round ten matches were postponed.

Charlestown have a chance to enter the top five as they take on Lambton Jaffas at Lisle Carr Oval on Wednesday night at 7pm. Hamilton travel to Ulinga Oval on Tuesday night at 7pm to take on South Cardiff, and could finish the night in second if results go their way.

In Round 12 Charlestown host Edgeworth Eagles, and Hamilton travel to Lake Macquarie to contest the Match of the Round.

 

Edgeworth FC 2 def. South Cardiff FC 1

In the final match of Round 11 Edgeworth hosted South Cardiff at Jack McLaughlan Oval.

Edgeworth began the round in second after four wins, as many draws, and only one loss. They trailed the Newcastle Jets Youth by only a point going into the round, but that stretched to four with the Jets’ dominant 5-0 defeat of Adamstown the day before.

South Cardiff entered the round in eighth on ten points following three wins, a draw and five losses. With Adamstown and Lake Macquarie losing the day before they had the perfect chance to go further ahead of the only two sides below them.

Halfway through the second half the Gunners won a penalty, and Jamie Byrnes comfortable drove it into the bottom left hand corner to give the visitors the lead.

He thought he had doubled his sides lead just five minutes later, scoring again after a strong challenge with an Edgeworth defender, however the referee ruled that he had fouled the defender in the process.

The Gunners went into the half time break with a 1-0 lead after having the better of the first half.

Edgeworth adjusted their shape at half time to a more attacking formation to go after the game, and it worked wonders for them.

Jesse Krncevic equalised for the Eagles in the 55th minute. Just five minutes later Dylan Holz but them in front.

They held on for the remainder of the game; the match ending 2-1 in favour of Edgeworth.

Edgeworth coach Gary Wilson was content with the result, especially as his side did not produce their best game of football.

‘We weren’t at our best today, but we found a way back into the game and it was good to get the win,’ he said.

‘Southy were good in the first half, but we created three or four chances as well. We new we’d create chances in the second half going to three at the back, and in the end I think the result was a fair one.’

South Cardiff coach Greg Asquith was optimistic about his side’s performance, and suggested that they didn’t adapt well enough to Edgeworth changing their shape.

‘We had the better of the game in the first twenty-five minutes, but then Edgeworth created some chances and the game began to even out,’ he said.

‘We really didn’t adjust to Edgeworth changing their shape. We created chances in the second half but we just couldn’t capitalise.’

He went on to say that the side defended well, and that he was proud of their effort as a whole.

The result ensures both sides remain in the position in which they entered the round; Edgeworth in second and South Cardiff in eighth.

Both sides play mid week games after they were both washed out in Round 10.

Edgeworth host the Newcastle Jets Youth in a top of the table clash at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Thursday night at 7pm, aware a win would see them back into first.

South Cardiff takes on Hamilton Olympic at Ulinga Oval on Tuesday night, also at 7pm. They will be without key defender Matt Grey who was sent off in the final minutes of the match against Edgeworth.

In round twelve action South Cardiff host Adamstown at Ulinga Oval, and Edgeworth are away to Charlestown City Blues. 

NOTE: NPL will break next weekend due to State Cup finals in Coffs Harbour. Round Twelve will commence Saturday 28th June.