Maitland welcome back Georgia Amess to give them a full-strength side for their top-of-the-table round 18 NPL women's clash with Newcastle Olympic on Saturday at Cooks Square Park.
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The Magpies, chasing their first NPLW premiership, are level with Olympic on 36 points and plus 72 goals difference but lead them by two on goals for. Maitland also have a game in hand, away against Charlestown on Tuesday night, making the next few days crucial in the title fight.
Coach Keelan Hamilton said right winger Amess would be back after she missed the 12-0 rout of Warners Bay on July 7 with an ankle injury. The Magpies then rested several players at last weekend's State Cup. Olympic, who won their maiden State Cup on Sunday, have keeper Isabella Whitton (finger) and Evie Horgan (knee) out.
Also at 4pm on Saturday, Charlestown (29 points) host Warners Bay (6). Mid Coast (3) and New Lambton (16), who played on Friday night, clash again on Sunday, at Taree. Broadmeadow (30) hosted Adamstown (18) on Friday night.
Maitland have won all three clashes with Olympic this year but Hamilton said they have been tight encounters.
"Our next few days, we've got a couple of tough games, but we're looking forward to it and we've got everyone available, which is really good," Hamilton said.
"We've been in pretty solid form and the games against Olympic are always pretty tightly contested so we know we've got a difficult match that can go either way. We know we've got to be at our best to win it.
"We've been on a good run and have got ourselves in a good position, and with seven games to go, if we can sustain what we're doing, we'll give ourselves a good chance.
"Olympic have been in great form. I think their last loss was the last time we played them. They will be pretty much at full strength and we will be, so it should be a good game."
