In wet and gloomy conditions, Joel Wood put Maitland ahead in the 23^rd minute after a clever nod-on from Ryan Clarke. Alex Read extended the advantage when he bundled over Wood's cross in the 42^nd minute.

Liam Wilson put the Bears back in the hunt with a strike through traffic from a clearance at a corner in the 71^st minute but Maitland clinched the win in the 92^nd when Tom Duggan showed composure to score his first top-grade goal.

The round 14 result kept Weston on 25 points, just one in front of Broadmeadow, who were washed out on Saturday against Hamilton, and two clear of Maitland and Edgeworth.

The Magpies, though, have played two games less than Weston and Edgeworth and are on a four-game winning stretch in the NPL, as well as earning a first round of 32 FFA Cup berth.

They have done all that without former Socceroo Matt Thompson (calf) and with star recruit Nick Cowburn yet to play.

The pair are set make an impact in two weeks as Maitland push their claims for silverware.

"We've got a tough run, our next four games are Jaffas, Magic, Charlestown and Edgy, and if we are going to challenge for the title, this is the period," Bolch said.

"The boys are playing well and we get Matty Thompson back in the next two weeks, and Cowburn comes in the week before the Magic game.

"But we've won six on the trot, so as a coach it's hard to change a winning side. It's up to those boys to knock them out of a spot. Competition just improves us."

Bolch praised a match-turning save from Matt Trott early in the second half and the effort of Ryan Broadley, who returned from a month out with a broken wrist to replace Tom Davies after he went off in the 38^th minute with concussion.

At Jack McLaughlan Oval, Daniel McBreen starred in his first NPL start of the year as the Eagles beat the Newcastle Jets Youth 2-1.

Edgeworth trailed in the 30^th minute but McBreen equalised in the 43^rd off a cross from Aden Gardner.

A minute later, the Jets were awarded a goal before officials conferred and ruled it out for offside.

McBreen then crossed for Oliver Smith to head home the winner in the 65^th minute.

Charlestown and Lake Macquarie were 1-1 at Macquarie Field when their rain-affected match was abandoned in the 53^rd minute.

Blues striker Kane Goodchild went off with a hamstring injury in the 52^nd minute and match officials, who had inspected the pitch closely at half-time, then called the game off because of the state of the surface.

Lake Macquarie led in the 34^th minute when Campbell Ross finished a knocked-on cross at the back post. Charlestown equalised in the 44^th via a strike from Jamie Byrnes off a corner.

On Saturday at Adamstown Oval, Lambton Jaffas went to 21 points when they defeated Rosebud 1-0 thanks to a strike from Luke Remington off Braedyn Crowley's cross in the 42^nd minute.