Magpies edge Weston, Magic and Azzurri produce big wins in NPL NNSW

IN FORM: Jacob Dowse scored twice to set up Broadmeadow's 6-0 win over Adamstown at Magic Park on Sunday. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Assistant coach Gavin Wolfe said Maitland must treat the ball with more care but was overall pleased to take three points from another outing as rival teams remained helplessly sidelined by continued wet weather in National Premier Leagues Northern NSW.

Maitland's 2-1 win over Weston at Weston Park on Saturday was one of only three games to go ahead in round six over the weekend.

Broadmeadow routed Adamstown 6-0 at Magic Park on Sunday and Charlestown Azzurri beat Edgeworth 6-2 at Allen Davis Field.

But Lake Macquarie's round-six fixture with Lambton at Macquarie Field and Valentine's clash with Newcastle Olympic at CB Complex, both scheduled for Sunday, were washed out.

The weekend's results left Maitland and Azzurri tied on 10 points atop the points table with the Magpies holding first place on goal difference.

They can seize the outright lead with a win over Phoenix in a rescheduled game at Cooks Square Park on Wednesday night. But Wolfe said the Magpies will need to be better to continue their unbeaten start.

"We need to be a little bit tighter in the middle of the park and treat the ball with a little bit more care," Wolfe said. "They are the two key things that we took away.

"But we were fortunate to get a game in. There's a few teams now with them backing up, which is never good."

Braedyn Crowley, pictured in action in 2020, scored and set up a second for teammate Sean Pratt in Maitland's 2-1 win over Weston on Saturday.

Braedyn Crowley opened the scoring for the Magpies in the 32^nd minute then provided the assist over Weston's backline for Sean Pratt in the 53^rd. Both goals started from goal kicks.

The hosts struck back when Maitland's Paul Bitz scuffed a goal kick in the 66^th and Moustafa Mohammad cut inside two defenders to score into the top left corner.

At Magic Park on Sunday, the hosts led 1-0 at the break after Jacob Dowse scored with a glancing header from a corner in the 19^th minute. Dowse made it 2-0 with a free kick in the 47^th before Bailey Wells (48th), Jeremy Wilson (57th), Keanu Moore (61st) then Chris Berlin (84th) all scored.

Charlestown led 3-1 at the break on Sunday after trailing 1-0 after 10 minutes. Azzurri goalkeeper Nathan Archbold denied Jeremy Brockie from the penalty spot in the 51^st before Edgeworth scored in the 58^th.

But Azzurri hit straight back and were never headed. The Eagles finished the game with 10 men after Liam Wilson was red carded in the 69^th for a perceived swinging arm.

Points: Maitland 10, Azzurri 10, Broadmeadow 9, Lake Macquarie 4, Weston 3, Valentine 3, Lambton 3, Olympic 3, Edgeworth 3, Cooks Hill 1, Adamstown 0.