NPL: Charlestown keen to soldier on through illness and Taylor Regan ban

Predicted rain threatens to wash out NPL men's NNSW round 14 matches this weekend, which include third-placed Azzurri (28 points) travelling to Macquarie Field to take on second-last City (3) at 4pm.

Charlestown are set to play their third game in six days and are coming off a comeback, 10-man 2-all draw with Maitland on Wednesday night at Cooks Square Park.

Regan was given a straight red card for an elbow to the face of Magpies striker Braedyn Crowley in the 83rd minute of the catch-up game. The former Jets centre-back was handed a three-match suspension - two games for serious foul play and an extra week for violent conduct in an ensuing scuffle with Maitland's Zach Thomas, who copped a yellow card.

Azzurri were down 2-1 at the time off but levelled in the 90^th minute with a back-post volley from teenager Reece McManus off a Dean Pettit free kick. McManus also scored for 1-1 in the 70th minute, just after coming off the bench. Former Charlestown player Regan Lundy scored for Maitland in the 44^th and 82^nd minutes.

Charlestown coach James Pascoe was pleased to get away with a point. It left Azzurri nine behind leaders Lambton Jaffas (37), who dropped their first points of the year in a 1-1 draw with 10th-placed New Lambton (5) on Tuesday night.

"Midweek games, 8 o'clock kick offs, they are never easy, so to come from behind twice and the second time with 10 men just exemplifies the character of the boys again," Pascoe said.

"They are going OK, and again we had a bit of sickness go through the squad. Luke Callen wasn't available, Cameron Joice was sick as well and there were a couple of others on the bench coming back.

"We used the full bench again. Reece McManus did a super job and got both goals. We were a bit short on numbers, so Reece had to play the first half of reserve grade as well, and got a double in that as well."

He said Dylan Newbold (groin) and Callen were out and Joice would likely be sidelined again. He was also going to check on veterans Nigel Boogaard and Rene Ferguson to see if they could back up.

Despite the toll, Pascoe said he wanted Saturday's match to go ahead.

"If it's playable, we want to play," he said.

Maitland coach Michael Bolch said Crowley had a fat lip but was otherwise fine and would play against New Lambton at Cooks Square Park on Saturday (5.30pm). Matt Hoole returns from suspension and Dylan Walker is out for the Magpies, who are eighth on 15 points from 11 games.

Also on Saturday, Edgeworth, fresh from a 7-0 drubbing of Adamstown on Wednesday night, play Jaffas at Edden Oval at 2.30pm. The fourth-placed Eagles rose to 23 points in 12 games with a seventh consecutive win. Seth Clark scored a hat-trick and fellow Kiwi Ryan Feutz a double.

Valentine (19) host Adamstown (2) at CB Complex from 5pm in Saturday's other match.

On Sunday, Newcastle Olympic (17) welcome Weston (16) to Darling Street Oval at 2.30pm.

Broadmeadow beat Cooks Hill 5-2 at Magic Park on Friday night to go to 33 points. Bailey Wells scored twice for Magic and Brock Beveridge got a brace for Cooks Hill, who levelled at 2-2 in the 68^th minute. Sam Donnellan, Wells and Riley Smith then scored to put the hosts clear. Cooks Hill stayed on nine points.