Charlestown and Broadmeadow steal a gap on NNSW NPL rivals

Unbeaten leaders Charlestown, without marquee man Nigel Boogaard (sick), went to 17 points from seven games with a 3-2 win at Weston (nine points).

Ryan Frame scored a double for Azzurri, including the 78^th minute winner, in a goal-for-goal battle.

Regan Lundy had Azzurri up in the 23^rd minute with a deflected strike but Weston equalised in the 30^th via an own goal.

Frame scored with a glancing header at a corner in the 60^th minute but Jakeb Brownlow levelled for the Bears with a shot through traffic in the 71^st. Charlestown's winner came when Frame got his foot to a fumbled cross. Azzurri lost Zac Lloyd to a second booking in the 88^th minute but they hung on late.

Azzurri coach Graham Law was proud of the fighting effort ahead of a midweek catch-up with Cooks Hill and the round 10 clash with second-placed Magic (15 points). Maitland are third on 11 points.

"Great credit to the boys to keep coming back," Law said. "Weston are a very, very handy team this year, so we're really pleased. That's a big win."

Broadmeadow downed Valentine (six) 4-1 at Magic Park. Jacob Dowse scored twice, including a fifth-minute tap-in after a mix-up in defence left an open goal.

Dowse crossed for Sam Donnellan to finish in the 10^th minute but the visitors hit back through Tyrone Mulder (15^th minute). Dowse made it 3-1 in the 59^th minute with a well-placed strike and Bailey Wells knocked in a rebounded shot in the 74^th.

Late Sunday, Edgeworth (nine) beat Olympic (seven) 2-0 at Jack McLaughlan Oval.

On Saturday, Lake Macquarie came back from a goalkeeping howler to win 2-1 at Adamstown Oval. Blair Ryan gifted Adamstown a goal in the third minute when his attempted clearance sliced off his foot and into goal.

Daniel Minors equalised for Lakes in the 32^nd minute with a long-range strike and veteran John Majurovski put them ahead in the 70^th. Adamstown's Kyle Munns put a penalty wide late to leave his side without a point after seven games. Lakes went to seven from five matches.

Also Saturday, Lambton Jaffas (10 points) edged Cooks Hill (one) 1-0 with a 28^th minute goal from Mitch Rooke.