Maitland Magpies down Broadmeadow Magic, Charlestown Azzurri stay top and Mid Coast seal first win in round 5 of NPLW NNSW 2023

The win propelled the Magpies to nine points and fourth position, just one point behind third-placed Magic after five rounds of NPL Women Northern NSW.

Chelsea Greguric proved the star of the show, producing a four-goal haul before Sophia Laurie completed the rout with a close-range tap-in after a free kick in the 74^th minute.

Two of Greguric's goals were from the penalty spot - the first in the 36^th minute after Maddy Howard was contacted by Magic centre-back Kalista Hunter in the 18-yard box.

That strike cancelled out Kiarra Lewis' left-footed wonder goal in the 24^th minute to have the score 2-2 at the break.

Greguric had also equalised in the 20^th minute after Adriana Konjarski, who was red-carded for a second yellow card offence at the conclusion of the match, opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a volley from directly in front of Maitland's goals.

The Maitland striker then converted from the spot again in the 52^nd minute to put the hosts in front for the first time before finding the back of the net again three minutes later.

Magic goalkeeper Ruby Jones, who returned to playing last season after a horrific head injury, was forced from the field late in the first half after hitting her head on the ground while trying to save the first penalty. She was replaced by reserve-grade shot-stopper Stella Morgan.

The big result and performance came as seventh-placed Mid Coast recorded their first points of the season with an 8-1 win over last-placed Warners Bay in Taree on Sunday.

Jonnie-Bree Gore and Sophie Gallagher both produced match doubles while Emma Stanbury, Zora Boskovski, Claire Downie and Marissa Masterantonio also got on the scoresheet before Warners Bay's Callie Thomas found the back of the net in stoppage time.

The round-five match between Newcastle Olympic and New Lambton set down for Alder Park on Sunday was rescheduled to June 11 due to rye grass delays.

Charlestown Azzurri continued their winning start to the season when they came from 2-0 down to defeat Adamstown 5-2 at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday night.

Azzurri rose to 15 points after their fifth straight victory but face a test of their premiership hopes in their next two competition outings against league big guns Broadmeadow then Newcastle Olympic.

"We know what games we've got coming up and we just focus one at a time but it obviously is going to be important to keep picking up points, picking up good results and setting a standard for what's to come next," Azzurri coach Niko Papaspiropoulos said.

Emily Diaz took her season tally to 16 goals with another five-goal haul.

Courtney Anderson struck for Adamstown in the 21^st minute then Ash Vetter gave the hosts a 2-0 advantage in the 42^nd.

But Diaz continued her unstoppable run in NPLW with a goal just before half-time then four in the second half.

There are no competition games over Easter with the first round of the League Cup being staged instead.

Azzurri host Warners Bay at Allen Davis Field on Tuesday night in their League Cup clash. Maitland travel to Taree to play Mid Coast on Good Friday while Olympic and Adamstown meet on Easter Monday. A date for the New Lambton-Magic match is yet to be confirmed.

Points: Azzurri 15, Olympic 10, Magic 10, Maitland 9, Adamstown 7, Mid Coast 3, New Lambton 1, Warners Bay 0.

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