Broadmeadow held off a fast-finishing Warners Bay to win their highly anticipated National Premier Leagues Women Northern NSW clash 3-2 over the weekend and Maitland also continued their unbeaten season start.
Magic and Warners Bay are expected to be pushing for premiership honours but Maitland are fast proving to be another contender in the mix after four rounds of play.
Warners Bay unleashed their Jets signings Cassidy Davis, Tara Andrews and Lauren Allan for the first time this campaign at John Street Oval on Saturday night. Davis and Allan started and Andrews came on at half-time.
But it was Magic who controlled the game early, taking a 2-0 lead into the break after Jordan Evans scored with the outside of her foot in a 26th minute goalmouth scramble then Lucy Jerram added another from just inside the area in the 37th minute.
Chelsea Lucas extended Magic's lead to 3-0 in the 49th when she scored from close range after the Panthers had turned over the ball in the middle of the park. But Lucas was forced from the field with a knee injury sustained scoring the goal.
Allan hit the near post in the 56th minute as Warners Bay began to take control and they finally pegged one back through Adriana Konjarski in the 65th. Davis, pushing into a more advanced role, cut the ball into the centre of the box for Konjarski to finish with a chipped shot from in front.
Davis closed the gap to one goal in the 84th when she brought the ball down from a corner and finished into the left corner.
Warners Bay attacks were relentless as the game went nine minutes into injury time but the hosts could not find an equaliser.
Magic coach Jake Curley credited the efforts of centre-back pairing Kirstyn Antoni and Kalista Hunter and goalkeeper Alison Logue for holding them out.
"We controlled things well in the first half, it really was just about us having to make changes through injuries," Curley said.
"We had to take off Chelsea because she got injured, Lucy Jerram had to come off and Jordan came off, which meant we didn't have any outlets. In the second half, Warners Bay created pressure but we defended well and I thought that was our experience."
Warners Bay coach Craig Atkins, who was in COVID isolation and watched the game through BarTV, described the Panthers' first-half performance as "way below where we need to be".
"Our ability to get first to the ball and show intensity and urgency just wasn't there in the first half, and giving the opposition two very cheap goals as well doesn't help the cause," Atkins said.
"But to the girls' credit, the second half was better and we possibly could've snuck an equaliser at the end. But you've got to come out of the blocks. They're big games. The game was lost in the first 45 minutes unfortunately.
"It was quite obvious that there are new players who have come in and there's plenty of work to do regarding combinations. But one game is not going to cost us the season."
On Sunday, Maitland beat Charlestown 3-2 at Cooks Square Park. Sophie Jones gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute when she scored with a free kick from just outside the area.
Azzurri equalised in the 23rd through Courtney Anderson, who finished from close range after Jess Gentle had crossed into the box.
Bronte Peel (56th) and Mercedes McNabb (57th) added two goals in quick succession for Maitland before Azzurri's Jenna Kingsley scored in the 81st.
The goals were shared around as Newcastle Olympic thrashed New Lambton 16-1 at Alder Park on Sunday. Among the scorers was Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Libby Copus-Brown, in her first appearance for Olympic.
Adamstown were playing Mid Coast at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Sunday evening.
Points: Maitland 9, Broadmeadow 9, Warners Bay 6, Azzurri 6, Olympic 3, Adamstown 3, Mid Coast 0, New Lambton 0.
