A miraculous comeback wasn’t required this weekend from Hamilton Olympic in the ‘Match of the Round’ as they hit the front early and stayed there against Edgeworth in a gritty 1-0 victory at home.
Hamilton Olympic 1 (Goodchild (p) 28’) defeated Edgeworth Eagles 0 at Darling Street Oval.
Kane Goodchild scored the only goal of the match in the 28th minute and from there Olympic grounded their way to three crucial points, which would have felt like gold to coach Mick Bolch.
The match was tight and tense to start with, and both sides couldn’t find a way through.
Bolch made an interesting tactical move before the match, pushing Rhys Cooper up front to play alongside Kane Goodchild and moved Scott Smith back to the bench.
Cooper was a constant threat for the Edgeworth defence, as Hamilton gained the ascendancy midway through the half.
A free-kick won on the right edge was whipped in by new-signing Reece Papas, and was too heavy as it curled past the back post. But, in attempting to shadow the ball out, Eagles skipper Josh Evans got his arm in the way.
After a quick consultation with his assistant, James Cleal pointed to the spot and Goodchild finished his second penalty after he had to re-take the initial spot-kick after Cooper encroached on the area.
Edgeworth got themselves back in the arm-wrestle after going behind, but couldn’t find a way through Olympic’s stout defence led by the outstanding Kyle Hodges, who was imperious all afternoon.
Valentine Phoenix 2 (Pettit 38’, Brown 72’) drew with Maitland Magpies 2 (Thompson (p) 16’, Dutton-Black 58’) at Cahill Oval.
They were a man down, a goal down and staring down the barrel of defeat, but Valentine refused to go down as they produced a backs-to-the-wall display against Maitland on Saturday.
Level at 1-1 at halftime, the second half started terribly for the home side as Valentine’s Josh Carroll was sent off just seconds after the break, following a push in the back of Maitland skipper Carl Thornton.
Maitland took full advantage in the 58th minute when Ryan Clarke darted down the left edge of the box and squared a low ball to an unmarked Josh Dutton-Black at the back post for slotted his third goal in two weeks.
Matt Thompson then controlled the midfield with the Phoenix down to ten men and it seemed there would be only one result – a Maitland victory.
However, no one told Jalon Brown, who against the run of play scored a wonderful goal from distance to make it 2-2 in the 72nd minute.
Not much was happening for the Phoenix until Brown got on the ball and unleashed from 30 metres out on his left boot.
Both sides had some late chances, but neither could breakthrough as the match ended locked at 2-2.
Lambton Jaffas 2 (Brown 48’, Sullini (og) 56’) drew with Charlestown City Blues 2 (Ferguson 14’, Casciaroli 68’) at Arthur Edden Oval.
Lambton Jaffas spluttering late season form continued on Saturday against Charlestown in a controversial contest at Arthur Edden Oval.
The match threatened to boil over just after the interval when an incident involving Cameron Sullini and Pat Brown fired up the opposing sides.
The plucky Blues would not leave the star-studded Jaffas alone, as they fought tooth and nail for a share of the points. Rene Ferguson was the star for the Blues, netting his 10th goal of the season.
In a superb move which he started in Charlestown’s half, Rene Ferguson played a diagonal ball forward to Daniel Bartlett on the left edge.
Bartlett returned the favour, threading a pass through for Ferguson down the left edge, and as Jaffas keeper Brad Swancott approached quickly, Ferguson neatly swept home the opening goal.
Newcastle Jets Youth 1 (Jackson (og) 9’) defeated Weston Bears 0 at Rockwell Automation Park.
Jets Youth coach Lawrie McKinna felt his side deserved to win against Weston as the young Jets recorded their first victory under their new coach.
The victory took them five points clear of bottom-placed Weston and should all-but-assured that they avoid finishing bottom this season.
The Jets Youth only took nine minutes to open their account, in what was the only goal of the match.
Kaleb Cox played a neat one-two with Cameron Joice as the Jets played a short corner. Cox chipped a cross, over the face of goal, which Jets defender and skipper Pat Langlois got a head to.
The slight deflection of the head of Langlois took Bears defender Jordan Jackson by surprise, who couldn’t get out of the way of the ball, and in the end knocked the ball into his own net.
Broadmeadow Magic 3 (Bradbury 38’, 81’ Virgili 72’) defeated Adamstown Rosebud 0 at Adamstown Oval.
Broadmeadow recorded their eighth straight win and roared to within three points of the top of the table with a 3-0 victory over Adamstown Rosebud on Sunday afternoon.
A super strike from Kale Bradbury got the scoring started for Magic in the first-half and James Virgili along with Bradbury sealed the three points in the second half.
Adamstown kept Broadmeadow at bay for much of the first-half until Bradbury unleashed a rocket from the left edge of the penalty area.
Bradbury stepped past two defenders and onto his right, before unleashing from 45 degrees on the left – a shot which powered into the top right corner in a split-second.
Magic’s second came with less than 20 minutes left, as Mitch Oxborrow launched a long ball which Virgili raced onto the end of and finished wonderfully – in a carbon copy of the goal he scored last weekend against the Jaffas.
Bradbury's third goal in the 81st minute was the icing on the cake for Magic after a goal-mouth scramble. Shane Paul’s shot was saved into the post by Rosebud keeper Riley Hill and Bradbury tapped home the crumbs.
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