Azzurri take aim at grounded Magpies, New Lambton overpower Panthers

Azzurri beat Adamstown 4-1 in round-two action at Lisle Carr Oval on Saturday afternoon and will back up against the Magpies, who lost 2-1 to Broadmeadow at Magic Park on Friday night, in their rescheduled opening-round exchange.

Charlestown took a 3-0 lead into the break after a clinical but not dominant first half and were already 4-0 up before Tori Johnson broke through in the 85th minute for Adamstown's first goal of the season.

Jess Gentle scored in the fifth and 65th minutes for a match brace and new recruit Sienna Fraser-Kelly (26th, 33rd) also bagged a double with goals in quick succession.

"We definitely tried to execute our style of play, it just didn't work for us all that well in the first half and that was just through player misunderstanding of Adamstown's structure and set-up," Whyte, who has taken the first-grade reins this year, said.

"We allowed Adamstown to have way too much possession in that first half but we took our chances. We had to wrestle the game back off them in the second half but then I thought we dominated possession quite well. I'm generally happy with that as a first hit-out. It's a nice base to build from.

"I'm expecting a tough hit-out on Tuesday night. If we can execute our style of play, we'll be more than competitive, and we're managing the fatigue so we're preparing as best we can in a very short space of time."

Versatile Lori Depczynski missed the match through suspension carried over from last season and is unavailable through work commitments on Tuesday night.

Strike weapon Sarah Halvorsen was out due to a back complaint but could be back in action against Maitland.

The Magpies will be missing captain Sophie Stapleford, who did not play Friday night after straining her quadriceps in the warm-up. The former Newcastle Jets forward is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks.

But midfielder Paige Kingston-Hogg, who was forced from the field midway through the second half against Broadmeadow due to a head knock, is expected to play.

Maitland coach Keelan Hamilton said the move to bring the former Jets midfielder off was precautionary.

The Magpies beat Magic 4-2 in the Charity Shield two weeks earlier but were on the back foot early on Friday night when Adriana Konjarski scored from close range in the opening minute after goalkeeper Annabella Thornton had blocked Chelsea Lucas' initial shot.

Maddy Howard equalised one minute before half-time with a good finish from directly in front after a well-timed run into the box to meet Georgia Amess' cross into the goalmouth.

But Magic midfielder Keziah White delivered the killer blow in the 66^th minute after turning Maitland's Sophia Laurie then finishing at the near post from a tight angle.

On Sunday, New Lambton posted their first points of the season with a 6-2 win over Warners Bay at John Street Oval.

Golden Eagles fullback Finley Woodforth opened the scoring in the 10^th minute before Emily Diaz equalised in the 24^th minute but Tara Andrews ensured the visitors took a 2-1 lead into the break after scoring in the 45^th minute.

Jess Terry produced a match brace, scoring in the 56^th and 58^th minutes, before Nyah Bradley made it two goals in two games in the 84^th minute. Diaz added a goal for the hosts in the 86^th minute before New Lambton centre-back Hannah Bourke scored with a glancing header off a corner in the third minute of stoppage time.

Also on Sunday, Newcastle Olympic backed up an opening round 9-0 win over Adamstown by routing Mid Coast 12-0 at Darling Street Oval. Marion Dunbabin and Elodie Dagg both produced hat-tricks, Jemma House and Sophie Walmsley bagged match doubles while Sophie McDonald and Alannah Russell also found the back of the net.