Charlestown and Newcastle Olympic sealed top-four positions and the premiership looks well and truly in Warners Bay's grasp after the penultimate round of NPLW Northern NSW over the weekend.
Azzurri overpowered New Lambton 14-1 at Allen Davis Field on Saturday afternoon before the Panthers were 5-1 winners over Maitland at John Street Oval that night.
The Panthers improved to 52 points and retained a three-point buffer over second-placed Broadmeadow (49), who were 7-0 winners over Mid Coast (10) in Taree on Sunday, with one game each to play.
Warners Bay have a far superior goal difference at plus-96 compared to Magic's plus-61, but coach Craig Atkins said they would wait until it was official before celebrating the premiership.
"It looks like it could be all done and dusted but you've still got to look at the remaining results," Atkins said.
"But we knew it was an important game if that is something we wanted to strive for and I thought the girls put in a really good performance."
Tara Andrews opened the scoring in the sixth minute with the first of her match brace against Maitland (28), who will finish fifth. Lauren Allan carried the ball to the byline then cut it back to an unmarked Andrews to finish into the bottom left corner.
The Newcastle Jets' all-time leading scorer then produced some individual brilliance to beat two players and finish into the bottom right corner in the 75th to well and truly seal the three points.
The Panthers took a 2-0 lead into the break after the second goal came through a goalmouth scramble off a corner in 37th.
Maitland made it interesting early in the second half when Kiarra Lewis headed into the net off Sophie Stapleford's free kick in the 47th.
But the two-goal buffer was shortly resurrected when Cassidy Davis volleyed into the net off a corner in the 49th and Elodie Dagg scored in the 59th after some good build-up play through Andrews and Davis.
Warners Bay are one of six teams who have next weekend off. It is a catch-up round and Charlestown are set to play Olympic in a game that could determine third place.
Azzurri improved to 35 points and third place with their rout of last-placed New Lambton (0) while Olympic slipped to fourth position on 34 points after conceding a two-goal lead over sixth-placed Adamstown to draw 3-3 at Darling Street Oval on Sunday.
Rosebud took a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute after Josie Morley scored into the bottom right corner with a free kick from the top of the box. But Jemma House levelled with a chip into the top left corner in the 12th.
Olympic went 3-1 up after Jade McAtamney scored with a corner in the 53rd then Laura Hall with a left-footed strike from the top of the 18-yard box in the 62nd. But Olympic conceded an own goal in the 69th then Kimmy Trappett continued her sensational season by sealing a draw in the 87th minute with a thunderbolt from the left edge of the penalty area.
Lori Depczynski scored five times for Charlestown on Saturday, Summer Taube bagged four goals and Indianna Asimus two. Tamara Nash and Katerina Papaspiropoulos also got on the scoresheet and there was an early own goal. Azzurri led 10-0 before Eagles found a goal through Phoebe Collyer.
Magic held a 5-0 advantage going to the break in Taree after Lucy Jerram scored a first half-trick and Chelsea Lucas plus Lucy Kell also found the back of the net.
Jerram made it four for the match, and 24 for the season, midway through the second half before Jordan Evans also scored.
Points: Warners Bay 52, Magic 49, Azzurri 35, Olympic 34, Maitland 28, Adamstown 24, Mid Coast 10, New Lambton 0.
