Newcastle Olympic coach Paul DeVitis says his players will need to control their frustrations better after they proved costly in the 2-1 loss to Broadmeadow.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Star recruit Jason Hoffman was sent off for a second booking in the 80th minute with his side up 1-0 courtesy of his 22nd-minute goal at Darling Street Oval on Sunday in the NPL catch-up game. Josh Benson then scored in the 82nd and 94th minutes to put Magic top of the league on 48 points and leave Olympic fourth on 30.
Hoffman was suspended one match, while teammates Louis Townsend (nose, hamstring) and Lachlan Griffiths (toe) were casualties out of an intense game, which spilled over into verbal clashes and pushing on and off the pitch after full-time.
DeVitis felt Hoffman's frustrations got the better of him in fouls on Ben Diamond (38th minute) and Tom Beecham.
"We were not getting many free kicks and obviously it got a bit much for Hoffy at one point," DeVitis said.
"Both of his yellows were yellows, I've got no issue with that, but they both came out of frustration really because there wasn't much protection for him. But he's going to have to learn to deal with that kind of stuff.
"It was a really good game, it had good drama at the end, it was just disappointing we were on the wrong end of it. But I said to the boys that a week ago we beat Jaffas in the 90th and now we lose in the 90th plus, and that happens in a season.
"But we'd done enough to win that game and at a minimum we should have got a draw, and the boys were gutted at the end, but that's football and we move on."
He said Archie Finn, Nathan Toby, Jack Read-Jones, Blake Green and potentially Jed Hornery and Kane Treble would return for Saturday's match with New Lambton.
Meanwhile, Northern NSW Football said it had reviewed the referee's report and broadcast footage from the Sunday and there would be no investigation into the post-match incidents.
