NPL Men’s Northern NSW Round 14 Review: Lake Macquarie City snap winless streak, Weston Bears go to the top of the table.

Match of the Round Lake Macquarie City 4-1 Adamstown Rosebud

Lake Macquarie City secured an impressive 4-1 victory over Adamstown Rosebud at Macquarie Field on Sunday.

Shukurani Sunzu opened the scoring for Lake Macquarie after 32 minutes with a fantastic strike into the top corner, followed by an acrobatic celebration.

The strategy employed by Lake Macquarie to press in numbers paid off handsomely, forcing Rosebud to clear their lines which allowed Lakes to regain possession and capitalise.

Ten minutes later, Sunzu doubled the lead after receiving a long kick from Lakes' goalkeeper Isaac Nyman. Sunzu dribbled down the left wing before providing a perfectly weighted pass to Nick Emanuel, who converted the one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper on the second attempt.

Just before halftime, Sunzu initiated another attack, which was finished by a well-directed header from Emanuel. The teams went into the half-time break with Lake Macquarie enjoying a commanding 3-0 lead.

Despite Murray Peart pulling a goal back for Adamstown Rosebud in the 64th minute, Lakes' goalkeeper Isaac Nyman was a brick wall, denying Adamstown on multiple occasions with top-draw saves.

With 15 minutes remaining on the clock, Jason Cowburn was substituted into the match for Lake Macquarie. In the dying minutes of the game, Cowburn hammered a free kick into the top left corner, sealing an impressive 4-1 victory for his team.

This victory marked Lake Macquarie's first win of the season, and it was a well-deserved triumph for the team, who now sit on four points in the league, trailing their opponents, Adamstown and New Lambton, by four points.

New Lambton 0-5 Lambton Jaffas

The Lambton Jaffas showcased their Premiership aspirations with a commanding 5-0 victory over local rivals New Lambton at Alder Park on Friday night.

Jaffas coach David Tanchevski breathed a sigh of relief when Charlie Kelly found the back of the net in the 43rd minute.

"We dominated early on and squandered numerous chances, which should have put us ahead 3-0 within the first 20 minutes. We also had six or seven corners that we couldn't convert," Tanchevski said.

The floodgates opened in the second-half with two goals from Kale Bradebery, one goal from Sakeel Balfour Brown and an own goal in the final minute of the game.

Tanchevski's tactical adjustment to move Kale Bradbery from the left to the centre, proved fruitful.

"We maintained around 80% possession throughout the game, facing a team content to play defensively with a 4-4-2 formation and counterattacks.

It was crucial to maintain quick ball movement and patience, and I thought the boys executed this exceptionally well. Playing Kale in a more central role has resulted in him scoring five goals in two games."

The three points earned are vital for the Jaffas, sitting in sixth position.

"Important game to win as the top six all play each other, it was important for confidence too, it was the same point in time now that we went on a bit of a roll in the first round, so hopefully we can keep the momentum going now," Tanchevski said.

"The only disappointing part of the game for me was we conceded a couple of chances on the counter from New Lambton in the first half."

Injuries have plagued the Jaffas' season, but the coach eagerly anticipates the return of key players, particularly as they face upcoming fixtures against teams in the title race.

"Pappas is returning to full fitness and had a great game as did Kaleb Cox. We are coming into a tough couple of games with Edgeworth and Magic and it's important we take something from these next two games," Tanchevski said.

"We have the FFA cup in between which will give us a chance to play some of our fringe players who have been doing exceptional off the bench in the last few games, including Bailey Newton who has come off the bench and set up a few goals for us on the last two games, he has been connecting with Kale very well."

Charlestown Azzurri 1-2 Maitland

Maitland continued their impressive run of form with their fifth consecutive victory, triumphing over league leaders Charlestown Azzurri 2-1 at Lisle Carr Oval.

The first half ended in disappointment for Maitland as Azzurri's Nigel Boogaard scored directly from a free kick in the 47th minute.

During the half-time team talk, Maitland coach Michael Bolch encouraged his players to stay positive despite the setback.

"We just spoke about staying positive after the disappointment of conceding on the stroke of half-time," Bolch said.

Ten minutes into the second-half, Sean Pratt was tripped in the box, resulting in a penalty for Maitland. Tyran Cousins calmly converted from the spot, leveling the score to 1-1.

In the 72nd minute, Bolch made three substitutions, bringing on Tyrell Paulson, Lachlan Webb, and Damon Green. The impact of these changes was immediate, altering the dynamics of the game.

Paulson delivered a pinpoint pass to Webb, who found the back of the net, putting Maitland ahead 2-1.

"I thought the game was a very even affair, and I thought our bench was very good for us in the last 20 minutes. It's a massive 3 points for us and keeps us in touch with the top of the table," Bolch said.

With this victory, Maitland have consolidated their position among the front-runners.

Azzurri have been at the top of the league since week one, but now fall behind Weston Bears on goal difference. This has thrown the title race wide open as we start to approach the business end of the season.

Edgeworth 1-2 Weston Bears

Weston Bears claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Edgeworth at Jack McLaughlin Oval on Sunday, thanks to goals from Cooper Buswell and Connor Heydon.

With this win, the Bears soar up to the top of the league, edging ahead of Charlestown Azzurri on goal difference.

After a 3-3 draw against the Lambton Jaffas last week, and a 2-2 draw against Broadmeadow Magic in round 12, the Weston Bears have regained their momentum in this fiercely contested title race.

Broadmeadow Magic 3-1 Newcastle Olympic

Three second-half goals from Broadmeadow Magic secured a 3-1 victory over Newcastle Olympic at Magic Park.

Olympic were feeling confident heading into the sheds at half-time after goal scoring machine Lachlan Griffiths fired Olympic 1-0 ahead just before the break.

It was a gutsy second-half comeback from Magic with Goals from Riley Smith, James Cresnar and Sam Donellan that sealed the three points and ascended them up the table.

After a mid-season lull, Magic have now hit form winning their last three matches which has catapulted them into third position on 27 points, just one point behind Weston Bears and Charlestown Azzurri.

Valentine 3-2 Cooks Hill United

A late goal for Valentine secures a thrilling 3-2 victory over Cooks Hill United at Hunter Sports Centre.

Valentine was able to snatch the game away from Cooks Hill in 88th-minute with a goal by Thomas Duggan.

The match proved to be a rollercoaster ride for Duggan, who initially gave Valentine the lead in the 6th minute by lobbing the advancing goalkeeper from the edge of the penalty area. However, a second yellow card in the 95th minute prevented him from celebrating the final whistle on the pitch.

With this victory, Valentine maintains their 8th place position in the league standings, currently on 18 points. The win also created a five-point gap between Valentine and their opponents Cooks Hill United, who sit in 9th place.

Football Australia's Game Changer Program has given eight Northern NSW Football clubs the opportunity to take on the role as Flag Bearers at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 this July and August. Thirty two clubs applied for the opportunity and entered the draw with eight clu

The results are in following Northern NSW Football's quarter one survey. NNSWF aims to provide great participation experiences across the region and conducted the survey in March to get a better understanding of the opinions and needs of its football community.

Northern NSW Football are delighted to partner with CALM Inc. to deliver Mental Health Round this Friday 2 June to Sunday 4 June. We understand the importance of raising awareness, promoting education and supporting mental health in the football community.

Match of the Round Charlestown Azzurri 1-1 Broadmeadow Magic FC Azzurri and Broadmeadow had to share the points in a 1-1 draw after an entertaining top-of-the-table match-up at Lisle Carr Oval.

Match of the Round Toronto Awaba 2-1 Kahibah Two goals either side of half-time for Toronto sealed a crucial 2-1 win over title rivals Kahibah at Lyall Peacock on Saturday. Kahibah opened the scoring after 12 minutes through Tyson Masters. Ethan Wilson struck bac

Match of the RoundLake Macquarie City v Adamstown Rosebud Macquarie Field, Sunday 2:30pmBoth teams will view this match as an excellent opportunity to secure three points, as 10th-placed Adamstown Rosebud faces off against 12th-placed Lake Macquarie City.

Match of the RoundCharlestown Azzurri v Broadmeadow Magic FC Lisle Carr Oval, Saturday 4pm Both Charlestown Azzurri and Broadmeadow Magic will be missing key players as they battle it out in a top of the table clash on Saturday.

Match of the RoundToronto Awaba v Kahibah Lyall Peacock, Saturday 4 June 2:30pm Toronto will be looking to extend their lead at the top when they take on Kahibah.

Football Australia's Game Changer Program has given eight Northern NSW Football clubs the opportunity to take on the role as Flag Bearers at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 this July and August. Thirty two clubs applied for the opportunity and entered the draw with eight clu