Edgeworth coach Damian Zane believes Valentine will have an advantage on Wednesday night in their shot at a round-of-32 berth after contrasting FFA Cup wins on Saturday.
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Zane, though, is confident his Eagles have the depth this year to mount a challenge in the nationwide knockout and the NPL.
Valentine beat second-tier Kahibah 8-1 in the first of four final-eight matches at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility, Speers Point, on Saturday. Fellow NPL clubs Maitland and Hamilton then had big wins over northern conference sides Boambee and Bangalow 7-2 and 10-1 respectively.
Edgeworth then defeated Broadmeadow 4-0 in a clash of the region's most successful FFA Cup performers. Both clubs have been to the round of 16 but it was the Eagles who backed up best from their scoreless draw in the NPL the previous Sunday.
Aden Gardner scored with a deflected strike off the head of Magic defender Josh Piddington in the 41st minute and Keanu Moore nodded in a free header at a Tyson Jackson free kick in the 59th.
Oliver Smith bagged a late brace, finishing counter-attacking plays in the 86th minute and in injury time.
The remaining sides now play-off for two NNSW spots in the main Cup draw. Maitland drew Hamilton and play at Cooks Square Park on Tuesday night. The Eagles then drew away to Valentine, who play Wednesday night at LMRFF because of poor lighting at CB Complex.
Zane believed Valentine would have an advantage given the Eagles had a tougher game on Saturday, but he said his side had come through unscathed.
"A couple of goals at the end blew it out, but our defensive effort, I just can't remember them having a clear-cut great opportunity," Zane said of the clash against Magic, who featured the likes of James Virgili, Andrew Hoole, Kale Bradbery and Mitch Oxborrow in attack.
"It just wasn't our back four, it was the work from the whole team defensively that was a good sign for us."
The Eagles will chase a fourth round-of-32 appearance after missing out last year. They will also juggle ambitions of a fifth consecutive premiership in the NPL, where they sit third after 12 rounds, two points off first.
"We're winners, and we want to win everything," Zane said. "We missed the Cup last year but I also think that probably helped us with the premiership.
"But that's why we build a squad, so we can be successful on all fronts, and this year we definitely have a deeper squad. We couldn't have done it last year."
Valentine, who had doubles from Matt Paul and Tom Motherway, came through their match without injury.
Rhys Cooper and Kent Harrison scored four each for Hamilton, who had no injuries. Maitland, though, have some concerns.
Coach Michael Bolch said Carl Thornton (illness) should return but Matt Thompson (calf) and Ryan Broadley (broken hand) were still out and Sean Pratt (overseas) would be missing. Liam Thornton, who had six stitches in his eyelid from a clash on Saturday, was 50-50.
"They were actually pretty good," Bolch said of Boambee.
"They were good for 30 minutes. They lifted and it took us a while to get a foothold in the game. We were good second half but it was a really good, competitive first half."
Bolch said Boambee were also unlucky not to be ahead 2-1 after a Brady Parker effort was denied by officials despite appearing to cross the goalline.