Jess Gentle produced a second-half hat-trick as Charlestown beat Adamstown 5-2 at Allen Davis Field on Saturday in a National Premier Leagues Women Northern NSW match that was halted for 40 minutes because of injury.
In her first appearance of the season, the lightning-quick Gentle scored all three goals after the game had to be stopped when Charlestown teammate Carolina Cacic was injured.
Cacic was taken to hospital by ambulance due to a suspected neck injury after falling awkwardly in a tackle with Adamstown's Tanya Jones. The Azzurri defender was later cleared of any serious damage.
The hosts held a 2-1 advantage when the game was stopped 12 minutes into the second half.
Lori Depczynski had scored from the penalty spot in the 16th minute after Gentle was felled in the box by Adamstown shot-stopper Olivia Sneddon.
Azzurri extended the lead to 2-0 three minutes later when American Summer Taube won the ball just past halfway and scored with a clever long-range shot over the head of Sneddon, who was standing on the edge of her penalty area.
Rosebud hit back in the 21st when Jenna Doyle scored with a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box.
Adamstown levelled within one minute of the game resuming following the injury break when Mia Bales, at the back post, got her body to a free kick.
But it was one-way traffic from there as Gentle proved unstoppable.
Depczynski set up her teammate's first goal when she put Gentle in space to finish with a left-footed shot past Sneddon in the game's 60th minute.
Gentle scored again two minutes later, this time with a shot from a tight angle that hit the far post and went in.
Her match treble was completed 12 minutes later when Gentle again proved too quick for the Rosebud defence and Sneddon, who was caught high, and she easily finished into an open goal from the left.
Azzurri coach Niko Papaspiropoulos said Charlestown were driven to get a result for Cacic.
"It dampened the mood, but I said to the girls, 'Since we have to play, since the call is made by the ref, you've got one job. The very least you can do is go back on and put in a shift for her'," Papaspiropoulos said.
"The girls came out and did what they should've done in the first half, because the scoreline could've been a lot bigger. We gifted them two goals.
"They didn't really deserve anything out of the game and I'm glad we put them to the sword because I definitely thought we created most of the good moments."
Azzurri were still missing striker Jenna Kingsley due to injury. Adamstown had Leia Puxty (Australian under-20 camp) and Jemma Lawson (injury) out and other defender Brianna Trappett (work) only played half a game.
All other round-three games were washed out.
Points: Warners Bay 6, Maitland 6, Magic 6, Charlestown 6, Adamstown 3, Olympic 0, Mid Coast 0, New Lambton 0.
