By Blake Jarrett

Newcastle Jets Youth vs. Lambton Jaffas FC
Arthur Edden Oval
Sunday 3rd August 2.45pm
#NEWvJAF

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The winner will put themselves in the box seat to be crowned the 2014 National Premier League Minor Premiers. The loser: well you can almost see them now with their heads down pondering what could have been.

That is what is at stake this weekend in the Round 17 Match of the Round as the Lambton Jaffas host the Newcastle Jets Youth side.

The Jaffas are currently third on the table after eight wins on twenty-seven points, just three behind the first placed Jets Youth who have won nine matches.

The two sides enter the round as polar opposites as one has been enjoying life on the rise, whereas the other would have been hoping for much better form heading into the last two rounds.

The Jaffas have been exceptional the last two and a half months, despite a hiccup last weekend that saw them lose 2-1 at home to South Cardiff. In ten rounds of football they have won seven, scoring twenty-six goals. That has seen them catapult to premiership contention, after they experienced a horror opening six weeks that included four losses and just one win.

The Jets have been quite flat since losing their two key strikers, and in the last three matches have managed just one point.

Lambton will be extremely confident heading into the match after completely dominating the Jets Youth the last time the two sides met in Round 8. John Majurovski and Tommy Smart netted for the Jaffas on that Saturday afternoon in May.

With second placed Weston playing against a South Cardiff side who have travelled over two thousand kilometres this week, and played a grueling hundred and twenty minute FFA Cup game, this match turns into an even bigger event.

Hypothetically if the Jets and Weston both picked up victories this weekend it would set up a huge clash between them in the final round next week.

Both Dave Tanchevski and James Pascoe will only be thinking about this weekend though, more specifically the ninety-minute affair beginning at 2.45pm on Sunday.

Both sides pride themselves on playing attractive, fast-paced, attacking football.

It will be an end-to-end match, and therefore both sides will need to be switched on in attack and defence.

They will be both looking to bounce back after neither won their respective matches last weekend, and when all of the above circumstances are taken into account, this match is an obvious Match of the Round fixture.

 

 

Adamstown Rosebud FC vs. Hamilton Olympic FC
Adamstown Oval
Sunday 3rd August 2.45pm
#BUDvOLY

The second match of Round 17 is somewhat of a local derby as Adamstown host Hamilton Olympic.

Adamstown is currently second last on the ladder, however sit just five behind fifth place. They have won five matches this season, and alongside three draws and eight losses they are on eighteen points.

The side that occupies that fifth spot is the Rosebud’s opponents this weekend, Hamilton Olympic. Hamilton has not reached its potential this season, winning just six games, with five draws and five losses.

A win this weekend can take the side from Darling Street Oval to fourth, possibly one away from third, and two from second.

They take on an Adamstown outfit that is determined to end their return season in the top division positively.

‘Ultimately our main focus is finishing the season on a high,’ said coach Anthony Richards.

‘Hamilton Olympic is a good side, and we will approach the match like normal, but I’m hoping we can get a result’.

Hamilton coach Mick Bolch was left disappointed last weekend as his side failed to capitalise on a number of chances against the Newcastle Jets Youth, in a match where they conceded in the second last minute to squander a 2-1 lead.

The last time Adamstown met Hamilton was in Round 8. James Monie’s third minute goal separated the sides, in what was a tighter affair then many presumed.

Expect an abundance of shots this weekend as both sides have a number of personalities who enjoy striking a ball, but also expect a tight match, as Adamstown’s Scott Carter and Hamilton’s Brad Swancott are arguably two of the leagues top keepers.

 

Charlestown City Blues FC vs. Lake Macquarie City FC
Lisle Carr Oval
Sunday 3rd August 2.45pm
#CCBvLMC

Last weekend’s loss to Broadmeadow may have seen Lake Macquarie’s chances of playing NPL football in 2015 diminished, however the side is not quite finished yet.

This weekend they travel to Lisle Carr Oval with a job to do; take home the three points.

The Roosters have managed just three wins this year. Combined with two draws and eleven losses they hold the dreaded last place on eleven points, seven behind the ninth placed Rosebud.

Their Round 17 opponents have a lot more to play for. The Blues are sixth after six wins, four draws and six losses. A win this weekend can take them to as high as fourth, and they will be looking to make amends after a 4-1 smashing at the hands of Weston last weekend.

This weekend they will be surely on the lookout for Roosters and competition leading goal scorer Sam Walker. Last weekend the Blues midfield and defence were cut apart by Connor Evans, and as Walker showed in a 5-1 demolition of Hamilton earlier in the season he is capable of the same thing.

Roosters’ goalkeeper Nathan Archbold was between the sticks for Valentine when they were demoted last season, so knows the disappointment his teammates are feeling. Despite this, he is determined to play out the rest of the season with pride and passion.

The last time the Blues met the Roosters was in Round 8. Just like last weekend’s 4-1 loss against Weston, Scott Smith scored his sides only goal. 
David Field, Curtis Schumann and Tom Walker scored a goal each for Lake Macquarie as they registered their first win of the season, defeating Charlestown 3-1.

They will be hoping for much of the same this weekend as they look to narrow the gap between themselves and the rest of the pack, but they are going up against a determined Blues side who is looking to put last years demons behind them and charge on into the finals.

 

 

Broadmeadow Magic FC vs. Edgeworth FC
Magic Park
Sunday 3rd August 2.45pm
#MGCvEFC

Broadmeadow versus Edgeworth is always an event full of anticipation and excitement.

Magic Park is set to erupt this weekend as the home side look to play themselves into finals contention. This season they have won just six, drawn two and lost eight, and sit three outside of the top five.

Their opponents the Eagles, is fourth on the ladder on twenty-four points after six wins, six draws and four losses.

Broadmeadow enter the match wounded and short. On Tuesday night they contested a one hundred and twenty minute FFA Cup match with the Brisbane Strikers where they were defeated 2-1. Not only will they be less then fresh this weekend, they will also be without keeper Chris Bowling and defender Josh Piddington who were both sent off in that match.

Peter Haynes returns to the NPL this weekend after returning from Japan with a touring junior side. With Bowling and Piddington missing they are without two key leaders. They will need their skipper to stand up and lead the rest of the side on the weekend.

Magic coach Glen Chapman knows the importance of this fixture, but certainly isn’t panicking.

‘Sure this match is a must-win match,’ he said.

‘For us to make the finals we need to win both games, but we’ve been playing well and we need to maintain that. I believe we can’.

The last time Broadmeadow played Edgeworth, a Bren Abbott-Hammel double helped the Eagles thump the Magic 4-1, catapulting them to the top of the table. Magic was left shell-shocked, stuck in sixth on just ten points in eight games, their worst start in years.

This weekend they have the chance to make up for that embarrassing defeat, and shoot themselves into finals contention.

 

 

South Cardiff FC vs. Weston Workers FC
Ulinga Oval
Sunday 3rd August 2.45pm
#SCGvWWB

Take two teams, both have played mid-week games, one needs to win to keep their Minor Premiership hopes alive, and the other needs to win to keep their finals hopes alive. What do you have? A battle.

These are the circumstances in the final match of the Round as the South Cardiff Gunners take on Weston Workers Bears.

The Gunners, as previously mentioned, travelled two thousand kilometres mid-week to contest an FFA Cup match that lasted one hundred and twenty minutes, which went begging as Jarryd Johnson had the final penalty saved.

They are eighth on the NPL ladder, just three short of fifth placed Hamilton Olympic. This season they have registered six wins, and will be intent on making it eight this weekend.

Their opponents, Weston, hosted the Newcastle Jets 1st Grade side on Wednesday night at Rockwell Automation Park. They opened the scoring through Connor Evans, but went into half time down 2-1. After replacing their whole side at the interval they were thumped in the second stanza, conceding six goals to see them fall 8-1.

That is a distant memory now, as they go in search of their ninth win of the season.

There is two key men for Weston this weekend, Connor Evans the attacking midfielder and Bears coach Steve Piggot, who returns to Ullinga Oval this weekend, however this time he will not have the home advantage. 

Connor Evans was sublime last weekend, tearing the Charlestown midfield and defence apart with a mixture of skill and speed. He scored one and set up another, then followed it up by opening the scoring in their match against the Jets. The Gunners’ defenders certainly have their hands full with Evans this weekend.

Bears coach Steve Piggot returns to Ullinga oval after having coached the Gunners for five years, leading them to a State Cup Final win in 2011, and Grand Final loss. He knows many of the South Cardiff players’ games inside and out, and knows the Ulinga turf like his own backyard. This inside knowledge will be key for Weston as they look to set up a Minor Premiership contest in the final week with the Jets Youth.

The sides have met twice this season, with the Gunners winning both times. The most recent was in Round 8 where a Sean Clerke left foot screamer separated the sides. The latter was in the third round of the State Cup where the Gunners won 3-2.

The Gunners will be looking to complete the treble this weekend over the Bears, but it will be no walk in the park as Weston look to make it four NPL wins in a row.