By Blake Jarrett

Broadmeadow Magic FC 0 def. by Lambton Jaffas FC 2 

In the National Premier League Round 13 Match of the Round two powerhouses collided in a 2013 Grand Final rematch as Broadmeadow Magic hosted Lambton Jaffas.

Broadmeadow had endured a tough start to the campaign which has left them in seventh place. A win could have potentially taken them to third however.

Lambton’s run has been a little better, and they entered the round in fourth, aware a win could also take them to third.

Magic were still without Luke Virgili Ben Higgins and Murray Fletcher but welcomed back Alex Kantarovski. Peter Haynes and Chris Berlin returned to starting line up. Matt Hoole, Hakan Canli and Owen Littlewood all moved to the bench.

Lambton’s only notable loss was again key striker John Majurovski.

Lambton began the match on top creating a great number of chances, but could not find a way past Adam Pearce.

Broadmeadow found their feet after about 15 minutes and the match became extremely even.

Young gun Luke Remington was forced from the field after just 19 minutes with a left knee problem, and substitute Riley McNaughton was introduced into the match.

The sides battled out attack after attack until; the referee finally blew the half time whistle with the sides locked at 0-0.

Lambton struck in the 55th minute through McNaughton. Kevin Davidson won the ball in his own box, intercepting a Chris Berlin cross, and launched a counter attack for the Jaffas. The ball found its way to Alex Palozzi who beat three players on his way into the box on the right hand side. His cross was perfectly placed for McNaughton who had made a superb back-stick run to drive a header past Pearce into the top left hand corner.

After the break the sides continued to battle for the match’s second goal, however it had not come by the 56th minute, and so Glen Chapman introduced Canli into the game and moved Rhys Tippet from up front to right-back.

The match came to a stand still in the 78th minute several Broadmeadow players took exception to a foul on Tippet by McNaughton, and some push and shove occurred inside the Lambton 18 yard box.

At 1-0 down Adam Pearce kept his side in the match with a string of good saves. Two notable efforts included a double save against Kale Bradbury then another shortly after against Dino Fajkovic.

Four minutes from full time Jobe Wheelhouse sealed the win for the Jaffas, meeting a Palozzi corner from the right hand side with his head, the ball cannoning into the top left hand corner.

Lambton then held out from a barrage of Broadmeadow attacks to win the match 2-0.

On a day where the whole Lambton team clicked there was one clear standout. Kevin Davidson was a rock in the backline. His vision saw him make intercept after intercept throughout the match, and his distribution was equally as good.

The result sees the Jaffas shoot into third, however Magic stay down in seventh, in what is turning out to mirror the situation their fellow red counterparts Manchester United experienced in the English Premier League this season; once competition powerhouses failing to make their mark after a premiership winning season. They have just five weeks left to turn their fortunes around and it is certainly not over as they only sit three points outside the top five.

Next week Magic take on South Cardiff at Ulinga Oval on Sunday, and Lambton host Hamilton on Saturday.

 

 

Newcastle Jets Youth 2 def. South Cardiff FC 0

In the opening match of Round 13 of the National Premier League the Newcastle Jets Youth travelled to Ulinga Oval to challenge South Cardiff Gunners.

The first placed Jets had the chance to go nine points clear with a win, but were missing two key players in Reece Papas and Brandon Lundy.

South Cardiff were missing several game changers of their own, with Lee Ashton still suffering from an injury he picked up in the State Cup Quarter Final, Jamie Byrnes suspended, and Nick Russell and Brad Watters still sidelined with injury. The Gunners began the round in eight spot.

In just the second minute South Cardiff keeper Mick Stafford was forced into action. Beau McDonald instigated a quick counter attack for the Jets, carrying the ball 30 metres, then threaded a through ball into the path of Mike Finlayson, whose shot was parried out for a corner by Stafford.

In the sixth minute South Cardiff’s Ash Balcomb had a shot on target blocked that was travelling into an empty net after Jets keeper Jessie Cook was caught outside his box.

The Jets opened the scoring in the twelfth minute. McDonald beat the offside trap of the pressing Gunners defence and rounded Stafford to knock the ball into an empty net. 

Immediately after the goal Jets made their first substitution, as Cook made way for reserve keeper John Solari due to a thigh injury.

Jets nearly doubled their lead five minutes later as Radovan Pavicevic teed up Charlie Horsley whose volleyed effort was brilliantly saved by a diving Stafford.

On the 20 minute mark Matt Whilesmith gave away possession just in front of his 18 yard box. Horsley immediately played a ball into the path of Pavicevic, who made no mistake from eight yards driving the ball into the back of the net under Stafford.

Chris Gazzard nearly opened the Gunners’ account in the 25th minute driving a venomous free kick over the ball towards goal, however it was well saved by Solari.

Pavicevic almost doubled his total five minutes before the half time break as he met a Nick Cowburn cross from the right hand side, but his shot just evaded the right upright.

Three minutes later Cowburn whipped in another dangerous cross. This time it found Finlayson whose flicked attempt was dragged across goal, just beating the left post.

The sides went into the half time break with the Newcastle Jets Youth leading the Gunners 2-0. Both sides created plenty of chances in the first half. With an increased level of defensive composure in the second stanza the Gunners were certainly capable of getting a result. If the Jets continued to dominate as they did in the first half then a massive score line could have been on the cards.

Three minutes after the break a Stafford error nearly saw the Gunners concede their third as he parried a weak Pavicevic shot almost into his own goal.

Another defensive error, this time by Ash Balcomb, saw Pavicevic one-on-one with Stafford. Stafford stood strong against the shot and held the ball, and the score remained 2-0.

On the hour mark the Jets suffered a huge loss. Just after South Cardiff won a free kick in their own half Pavicevic went crashing off Matt Darr into the sideline fence. The prolific striker stayed down in quite some pain and an ambulance was called with fears he had broken his arm later confirmed. It was an unfortunate accident that had both the crowd and the players quite upset.

In the 67th minute Dean Kelley burst past two Jets defenders and saw the goals in front of him. His strike was on target, but had nowhere near enough power to trouble Solari.

Mike Finlayson nearly tripled the Jets’ lead in the 72nd minute. He drove a shot from outside the 18 yard box that Stafford could get nowhere near, however it struck the cross bar and came crashing back out, and was then cleared for a corner.

Seven minutes before full time Chris Gazzard whipped in a quality corner from the right hand side, and Mitch Wallace met it with a powerful header that agonisingly flew over the crossbar.

Deep into stoppage time Balcomb made a positive run down the left hand side and found Gazzard with a low cross. Gazzard controlled the ball and shot at goal, however the strike was weak and again it didn’t trouble Solari.

That was the final attacking play of the match, the Jets winning 2-0 thanks to McDonald and Pavicevic’s first half strikes.

The win sees the Jets remain six points clear of second placed Edgeworth. South Cardiff dropped to ninth after Adamstown drew with Lake Macquarie.

Next week the Jets Youth travel to Lisle Carr Oval to verse Charlestown on Saturday, whilst the Gunners host Broadmeadow on the Sunday.

 

 

Adamstown Rosebud FC 1 drew Charlestown City Blues FC 1

The third game of Round 13 witnessed Adamstown take on Charlestown City Blues at Adamstown Oval.

Adamstown have not been as successful as they would have hoped this year, and began Round 13 in ninth spot with just eight points. They were aware however that a single point would take them above South Cardiff to fifth.

Charlestown had risen to fifth after a run of good form that had seen them concede just one goal in three matches.

Charlestown entered the half time break with a 1-0 lead after Troy Hearfield put them in front in the opening forty-five minutes.

A goal to Nick Bale on the hour mark saw the score tied up at 1-1.

It stayed this way until the final whistle, and the two sides were forced to share the points after a game full of chances.

Adamstown coach Anthony Richards was pleased with his side’s performance and suggested that there was nothing between the sides right throughout the match.

‘The match was fairly even and there wasn’t much between us and the Blues,’ he said.

‘Both sides created a number of chances and in the end I think the draw was a fair result. We expected a physical game and that’s what we got.’

Richards went on to commend both keepers, suggesting Scott Carter and Charlestown’s Andrew Goldman were both in form between the sticks.

He commended the performances of youngster George Bland, and players’ player Daniel Yaxley.

The point was valuable to Adamstown who advance to eighth on the table. The result wasn’t as handy for Charlestown however, with the Blues being overtaken by Hamilton, but remaining in fifth.

In Round 14 action Adamstown will again play at home, this time in the match of the Round against Lake Macquarie. Charlestown face a tougher assignment, hosting the league leaders Newcastle Jets Youth at Lisle Carr Oval.

 

 

Hamilton Olympic FC 3 def. Weston Workers FC 0

In one of the most anticipated matches of Round 13 Hamilton hosted Weston at Darling Street Oval.

Third placed Weston were aware that a loss could see them drop to as low as sixth. Their five wins this season had propelled them into the competition’s top five, however a fourth loss could see them drop out.

Olympic on the other hand were motivated by winning their first game in four matches as well as the chance to finish the round as high as third.

The sides went into the break locked at 0-0. It was obvious that the side who came out and clinically took their chances would finish the match with the three points.

In the 54th minute Olympic took the advantage as Cody Lucas struck from outside the eighteen after the ball rebounded to him following a Hamilton corner kick.

Weston’s Robbie Turnbull then made way for Mick Ryan. Bears coach Steve Piggott was hoping that Ryan would have better success getting in behind then the rest of the side were having in the opening hour.

Ten minutes later Olympic doubled their lead as Matthew Swan brilliantly found the net from a free kick, a goal that Piggott believed really sunk his side.

With about eight minutes to go Pat Brown sealed the win for Hamilton, scoring his side’s third goal with a well hit strike.

That was the final scoring play of the game, Hamilton winning three goals to nil.

Piggott conceded that the better side won on the day, but suggested it wasn’t all one way traffic.

‘The match was fairly even for the first hour,’ he said.

‘There were not many chances created, and not a lot of attractive football to be honest.’

The win takes Hamilton to fourth after the Jaffas defeated Broadmeadow and moved to third. Charlestown picking up a point at Adamstown meant that Weston drop out of the top five into sixth, three points ahead of fourth placed Broadmeadow.

Next week Hamilton have a perfect chance to continue their climb up the ladder as they travel to Edden Oval to take on the Lambton Jaffas on Saturday, whereas Weston return to Rockwell Automation Park to host second placed Edgeworth on Sunday.

 

 

Edgeworth FC 1 def. Lake Macquarie City FC 0

Lake Macquarie travelled to Edgeworth in the final game of Round 13 hoping to continue their good run of form after defeating Hamilton 5-1 the week before.

They began the round still last but had the chance to move within two points of second last South Cardiff who lost to the Youth Jets 24 hours earlier.

After five wins, five draws and just two losses Edgeworth sat comfortably in second.

A first half Brodie Taylor goal sent Edgeworth into the break leading 1-0, giving them confidence that they could go on to win the match. Lake Macquarie would refuse to give up however, just as they didn’t against Olympic in the 5-1 win when they were down 1-0.

In the second half Lake Macquarie had a huge shout for a penalty however it was not given.

Neither side troubled the scorers in the second stanza, with Edgeworth winning the match 1-0.

Lake Macquarie coach Gary Rowe was optimistic about his side’s performance.

‘We didn’t manage to back up our performance of last week, but we deserved a point,’ he said.

He also suggested that Ash Illfield was outstanding for the Roosters.

The win takes Edgeworth back to within six points of the first placed Jets, and leaves Lake Macquarie five points adrift of South Cardiff at the bottom of the ladder.

In Round 14 action both sides are away. Edgeworth travel to Rockwell Automation Park for a tricky assignment taking on the Bears, and Lake Macquarie will contest the Match of the Round with Adamstown Rosebud.