Coach Anthony Richards was thankful for the chance arrival of Mitch Rooke after the former Manly player starred for the second week in a row in a Broadmeadow win.
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Rooke scored with a stunning free kick in a 3-1 win over a 10-man Charlestown on Sunday at Magic Park, a week after a goal and an assist in the 5-0 victory over Valentine to start the NNSW NPL season.
Together with Sam Walker, Rooke has helped the Magic attack remain one of the league's best despite the exit of Mitch Oxborrow, Kale Bradbery and Kristian Brymora.
"Mitch has been a fantastic addition and he only turned up by chance," Richards said. "His younger brother started in our 20s and he asked if his brother could trial.
"That's two weeks he's done fantastic. He's enjoying himself, he's got a good relationship with the other players, a good workrate and just that something about him."
Magic led in the 14th minute when Walker capitalised on tentative defence before laying the ball off for James Virgili to convert.
Charlestown, without injured leaders Scott Smith, Kane Goodchild and Matt Tull, had a chance to equalise in the 36th minute when Ryan Ensor fouled Daniel Bird. However, Riley Smith blazed his penalty shot over the crossbar.
Rooke made it 2-0 with his free kick in the 54th minute and Bird was sent off in the 72nd after a second yellow card for a foul on Jacob Dowse while they were on the ground.
Walker scored his first goal for the club, volleying a cross from Jarred Baker in the 88th. Dean Pettit gave Charlestown a 90th-minute goal with a quality free kick.
Azzurri coach Graham Law was happy with the effort but frustrated by the early errors from his mostly young squad.
"We've not cleared our line for the first goal, then we miss two good chances and a penalty," Law said. "We had good structure today, and even at 2-0 with 11 on the field, I thought we were in the game."
Also Sunday, Brymora scored a hat-trick as Edgeworth beat Adamstown 3-1 and Maitland conceded a first-minute goal against Lake Macquarie but won 4-1 with braces to Braedyn Crowley and Joel Wood.
On Saturday, Weston beat Lambton Jaffas 3-2 and a 10-man Olympic drew 2-2 with a stoppage-time penalty against Valentine.
Connor Heydon scored in the 89th minute to give Weston the win before Jaffa Luke Remington was sent off for striking Zac Sneddon in retaliation to a challenge.
At Hamilton, Olympic were down 2-0 when Kyle Hodges was red carded for dissent in the 39th minute. The hosts levelled through penalties in the 58th minute and stoppage time. The equaliser - the last kick of the game - came after keeper Danny Ireland was penalised for contact with an Olympic player while punching a high ball clear.