Big result lifts New Lambton, now they must keep winning

But whether they can get there is the question looming large.

The much-needed win, inspired by their experienced A-League quartet of Cassidy Davis, Lauren Allan, Tara Andrews and Tessa Tamplin, elevated the Eagles into fifth place and 16 points.

But, with eight games to play, they are nine points adrift of fourth-placed Charlestown (25 points) and 13 behind third-placed Magic (29).

"We needed a result, definitely," Eagles coach Aaron Stedman said.

"I think every game we're going to need a result. It was important to get a win but the biggest thing was to play good football and get things right, and it was a massive improvement."

The result came after New Lambton had knocked off Maitland (30) 3-2 but succumbed 6-4 to Azzurri.

"To have a clean sheet and score goals is a big key," Stedman said.

"If you score four goals, you're probably meant to win games, but if you concede six, you're never going to win games ... Each week until the end of the year, it's 90 minutes for us."

New Lambton led 4-0 by half-time after Davis, scoring in the seventh then 36^th minutes, bagged a brace, and Allan and Tamplin also found the back of the net. Andrews added two more in the second half, one from the penalty spot.

Newcastle Olympic seized the outright lead on 33 points after a hard-fought 3-2 win over Adamstown (13) in rainy conditions at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday night.

The Azzurri-Maitland fixture set down for Lisle Carr Oval on Saturday was washed out.

Warners Bay (six) won 6-1 against Mid Coast (three) in Taree on Sunday.