Photo: Sproule Sports Focus

Match of the Round

Hamilton Olympic 3 defeated Edgeworth Eagles 1

2.30pm, Sunday 17th July at Darling Street Oval

Kane Goodchild scored twice and played a part in Hamilton's other goal as they defeated Edgeworth 3-1 in the PlayStation ® 4 National Premier League Northern NSW Match of the Round to take over at the top of the ladder on Sunday at Darling Street Oval.

The win brought Olympic level with the Eagles on 34 points but they lead the defending major and minor premiers by five goals on for and against with four rounds remaining.

Hamilton took the lead in the 44th minute when Matt Swan was rewarded for a long run into the box. Swan got a foot to the ball off a one-two passing move with Goodchild and the touch beat Edgeworth goalkeeper Jim Fogarty.

Dylan Holz was off target with a free header for Edgeworth, Leo Bertos hit the crossbar with a free kick for Hamilton and Daniel McBreen was wide twice with strikes for the Eagles in an action-packed second-half.

Bertos blasted a penalty over the crossbar in the 79th minute after Daniel Bird was fouled by Josh Evans but Goodchild made no mistake four minutes later when earning a sight on goal. The powerful striker headed a ball on for himself then pounced on a miscommunication at the back to get his foot to the ball and score.

Edgeworth were back in the contest a minute later when Keigo Moriyasu's corner was nodded on by Ayden Brice for Aden Gardner to hit a close-range header in.

The Eagles pushed forward for an equaliser without success and Goodchild put the result beyond doubt three minutes into injury time when he took the ball on halfway, beat two defenders, then the keeper to score and cap an exceptional individual performance.

The win was the second this year for unbeaten Hamilton over Edgeworth, following a 3-2 victory, and was only the second loss this season for the Eagles.

Hamilton coach Michael Bolch was thrilled with the effort of his side to match the up-tempo style of the Eagles and finish the stronger.

"I was really happy with how we went, the boys were up for the game," Bolch said.

"In the first game [goalkeeper] Danny [Ireland] saved us, but there wasn't many for him to stop today.”

"We spoke all week about intensity and maintaining that, and there was a lot made of how they score a lot of goals in the last 15 minutes of games, so it was nice to score two on them in the last 15.”

"I thought we just shaded them today and definitely deserved the win."

Bolch said Goodchild and skipper and centre-back Kyle Hodges were standouts for his side.

"Kane puts in and does everything you could ask for from a No.9," he said.

"He gets about and worked hard today. He lays off the ball for Swanny's goal as well as scoring two himself. Everyone played well but he and Kyle Hodges was great for us."

Eagles coach Damian Zane said his side had their chances but Hamilton deserved the win.

"The goal just before halftime hurt because I thought 0-0 would have probably been fair," Zane said.

"In the second half though we were off the pace.”

"It's a tough ground to play on, small and compact, and they play it well.”

"I think the difference today was there was a team who didn't win the comp last year and one who did.”

"They have that hunger, and I could feel it in that first game. They deserved to win it, they were hungrier," Zane concluded.

 

Broadmeadow Magic 10 defeated Newcastle Jets Youth 2

2.30pm, Saturday 16th July at Magic Park

Broadmeadow bounced back from a 2-0 loss to Edgeworth with a record 10-2 win over the Newcastle Jets Youth at Magic Park on Saturday.

Kale Bradbery exposed an understrength Jets defence with a remarkable four goals in the opening 17 minutes before Peter Haynes and James Virgili scored three each.

After Bradbery's goals in the sixth, 12th, 13th and 17th minutes, Virgili made it 5-0 in the 20th. The Jets Youth hit back through goals from Kristian Brymora in the 23rd minute and an own goal which went in off Ben Higgins from a cross on the 39th.

Haynes put Broadmeadow five clear again with goals in the 48th and 50th minutes, the first a tap-in and the second a long-range strike. Haynes scored again in the 68th minute before Virgili struck in the 72nd and 89th minutes. Virgili moved back to the top of the PlatStation 4 NPL NNSW goalscorers list with 16, one ahead of Goodchild.

Magic's total and the winning margin of eight goals were both new PlatStation 4 NPL NNSW records. The previous records were 7-0 victories for Hamilton over the Jets Youth last year and Edgeworth over Charlestown in 2014.

Broadmeadow co-coach Robert Virgili was pleased his side were able to bounce back after a flat performance in the loss to Edgeworth the week before.

"After last week, we said to the boys that we were starting from a clean slate again," Virgili said.

"We had a game plan in place for the Jets and the players carried it out perfectly.”

"Kale got us off to a flyer and capitalised on their mistakes at the back. We worked hard and our finishing was clinical. I think Kale had four chances and took them all, which is very pleasing. Haynesy scored some goals too, which was great to see."

The Jets Youth were without senior defenders Caio De Godoy and Ryan Ensor as well as Cameron Joice, Antonee Burke and Cameron Holzheimer.

Coach Clayton Zane said the last-minute withdrawal of central defender De Godoy, who was taken to hospital battling a virus, was a major blow for his side.

Zane said that he was forced to start a 16-year-old, one of five under-17 players in his squad, in central defence in place of De Godoy amid an already tough period for the team.

"I had to take off a 16-year-old boy from the under-18s game and put him straight out in first grade, which is not the right thing to do, but we didn't have any other options," Zane said.

"It's been a really challenging couple of weeks for us. All our older boys have been asked by Scott Miller to do pre-season training with the first team, which is a great opportunity for them, but out of the eight boys training with them, three couldn't backup.”

"It really was the perfect storm of illness and injury, and Broadmeadow, along with Edgeworth, are probably the worst team to play in that situation because they are really quick in attack."

Broadmeadow, who had Shane Paul and Jon Griffiths suspended and Paul Sichalwe out injured, went to 28 points in third place, six points off top spot and six clear of fourth. The Jets Youth are on 14 points.

 

Valentine Phoenix 2 drew with Weston Workers Bears 2

3pm Saturday 16th July at Blacksmiths Oval

Weston's Pat Wand scored with a free kick on debut to give the Bears a share of the points against Valentine in a 2-2 draw at Blacksmiths Oval on Saturday.

The last-placed Bears led with a penalty goal from Nathan Morris on the half hour after Jake Barner was brought down.

Valentine, though, were in the lead 16 minutes into the second half after two goals from Matt Paul. His first came from a curling kick from close to the by-line which beat everyone in the 48th minute and his second was a long-range strike in the 61st.

With Morris battling a thigh injury, Wand stepped up to take a free-kick for Weston in the 75th minute and knocked home the equaliser.

It was a third draw of the year for Weston and coach Trevor Morris was disappointed his side did not get a first win.

"They came out firing in the first 15 minutes of the second half but apart from that, I thought we were the better team," Morris said.

"But considering all the players we had out injured and suspended, it was a great effort.”

"The boys can hold their heads high. We are playing for a bit of respect now, that's what it's all about for us."

Morris said Weston had Jordan Jackson and Trent Partridge suspended, while Dylan Murphy and Brazilian Rurik Pereira had returned overseas.

Valentine coach Darren Sills, whose side rose to 15 points in sixth, thought his team should have done better.

"It was disappointing again because we seem to start slowly every week," Sills said.

"We did that again and then gave away a penalty.”

"But both sides had chances, we both hit the post, and we had one scrambled off the line. Our boys thought we should have had a penalty for handball and that was when we were 2-1 up.”

"It was one of those days. We were up against a desperate team looking for their first win, and it was a scrappy affair really.”

"Our finally delivery into the box has been poor and it was poor again, and that cost us."

The draw came at a cost for Valentine, who lost defender Darren Cooper to a suspected broken toe 20 minutes into the match.

 

Charlestown City Blues 0 drew with Lambton Jaffas 0

2.30pm Sunday 17th July at Lisle Carr Oval

Charlestown's hopes of securing a finals spot suffered a blow as they had a scoreless draw with Lambton Jaffas at Lisle Carr Oval on Sunday.

The fifth-placed Blues went to 18 points with the draw, leaving them four points behind fourth-placed Maitland. Lambton went to 13 points in eighth.

The Jaffas were without Jobe Wheelhouse (calf tear), Michael Sessions and Kevin Davison (both suspended) for the match and were playing for the first time since Peter McPherson declared he was finished for the season because of injury problems and family commitments.

Jaffas coach James Pascoe was disappointed Joel Wood was not awarded a penalty when brought down early in the second half but otherwise thought a draw reflected an even contest.

"It was a good performance considering the patched-up nature of our side," Pascoe said.

"We had a couple of chances and a stone-cold penalty call not given.”

"But they had a couple of chances as well, so it was probably a fair result.”

"It was a good quality game considering the conditions. It was a tough, physical game but played in good spirit."

Charlestown coach Shane Pryce believed his side also should have had a penalty.

"In the wash-up, it was a pretty even contest," Pryce said.

"Both teams turned up and competed well.”

"I was proud of the effort even though I was disappointed with the result.”

"We thought we had a definite call for handball turned down, but both sides had chances.”

"This makes it harder for us now in trying to make the semis. Unless other teams lose, we won't make it, but we've just got to keep turning up and compete and win some games," Pryce concluded.

 

Maitland Magpies 4 defeated Adamstown Rosebud 2

2.30pm Sunday 17th July at Cooks Square Park

Maitland came from a goal down against a 10-man Adamstown to win 4-2 and move four points clear of the chasers in the race for a top-four finals place at Cooks Square Park on Sunday.

Ryan Clarke scored twice for the Magpies in the win, which came just five days after the club parted ways with head coach Steve Piggott.

Clarke opened the scoring in the fourth minute when he made the most of a mistake at the back. Adamstown, though, led 2-1 at half-time after Alex Read converted from the spot following a foul tackle in the box and Mason Palmieri scored with a free-kick in the last minutes before the break.

The match swung back Maitland's way in the 60th minute when Owen Littlewood gave away a penalty for a tackle on Ryan Broadley and was then sent off for touching the referee on the shoulder.

Matt Thompson converted the penalty and Clarke scored from a corner in the 69th minute to put the Magpies ahead. Liam Thornton made it 4-2 with a header from a corner in the 77th minute.

The victory lifted Maitland, who have a match in hand against the Newcastle Jets Youth, to 22 points. Adamstown are ninth on 11 points.

Maitland assistant coach Reece Thompson said it was a relief to get the points after being 2-1 down.

"The first half we kept the ball well but we didn't create any clear-cut chances apart from the goal," Thompson said.

"The disappointing part was that we gave away six free kicks in their final third.”

"At half-time, we spoke about getting more bodies in the box in attack and we thought if we did that, we'd overrun them, and we did."

Thompson said Liam Thornton and Jye McKellar were standouts for the Magpies.

The result was another frustrating one for Adamstown and coach Graham Law, who has regularly had players sent off this season.

"It's the same old story," Law said.

"We were in complete control at 2-1 up then the referee blows a penalty and a player puts his hand on the ref's shoulder.”

"We've put the word discipline on the whiteboard in the bullet points, we've spoken about it.”

"It's hard to win games when you have someone sent off pretty much every single week," Law concluded.