Jenna Doyle produced a spectacular long-range goal in injury time to secure what Adamstown coach Ryan Campbell described as a "massive" 3-2 win over Charlestown at Lisle Carr Oval on Sunday as Newcastle Herald Women's Premier League reached its midpoint.
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The result elevated fifth-placed Adamstown to 16 points and kept them in touch with the top four while also widening the gap on sixth-placed Azzurri (12 points) to four points.
The come-from-behind win came a day after Maitland retained fourth position with an important victory of their own by beating third-placed Warners Bay 2-0 at Cooks Square Park.
After 11 rounds of 21, the Magpies have 18 points, one less than Warners Bay (19), who have a game in hand against seventh-placed Mid Coast (4).
"We said before the game that obviously our season is not over but it's one of those ones where it could be a very different end to the year if you lose this today and they win," Campbell said post-match.
"This win means we're still only two points behind Maitland and we've done well against the top teams, so it gives us a bit of confidence going into next week against Magic."
Azzurri took an early lead when left winger Jess Gentle sped past the Adamstown defence, cut into the 18-yard box then calmly slotted past advancing Rosebud shot-stopper Olivia Sneddon in the 12th minute.
Ella Spicer equalised in the 27th from directly in front after Belle Hewitt crossed the ball into the box.
But in a carbon copy of her first goal, Gentle scored again in the 30th to have the hosts ahead 2-1 at the break. The 24-year-old spent four years playing college football in the United States before returning to Australia and joining Azzurri this year.
She caused constant headaches for the Rosebud defence on Sunday with her lightning quick pace and nearly bagged a hat-trick when her long-range shot on the counter-attack around the 80-minute mark was tipped up into the crossbar by Sneddon then bounced down into the goalmouth before being cleared off the line.
Kiarra Lewis put the teams back on level terms when she scored into the bottom left corner from the penalty spot after she was deemed to have been felled in the box by Azzurri's Monique Collin in the 85th.
Doyle sealed the win in the 91st by dispossessing Azzurri left-back Ellie Withers then burying the ball into the top left corner of the net from outside the box.
"First half I thought we played quite well but we conceded two identical goals," Campbell said.
"[Gentle] is so quick and at half-time we spoke about how to cover in behind and take away her chance to run with the ball in those spaces to take away a bit of their attack.
"So I was happy the girls reacted from half-time and did what we asked them to do from a defensive point of view. Then we just had to take our chances. It was what we didn't do against Maitland where we were in a similar boat last week."
It was a hard result to take for Azzurri coach Niko Papaspiropoulos.
"We didn't deserve to lose that," Papaspiropolous said. "We worked hard. We absorbed pressure. We had the moments to kill the game and when you don't it can punish you.
"Two calls go against us quite harshly and they get lucky with a bit of a long-range speculator. It stings. But we had some good moments."
Jade Mcatamney and Jemma House both produced match braces and Laura Hall also scored as league leaders Newcastle Olympic (30) beat Mid Coast in Taree on Sunday.
Kaitlin Radstaak scored in the first half and Bronte Peel in the second as Maitland beat Warners Bay on Saturday.
Second-placed Broadmeadow (28) were 4-1 winners over New Lambton (0) at Magic Park on Friday night. Ash Brodigan bagged a match double for Magic and Kirstyn Antoni and Kobie Ferguson also scored while Adriana Jones got on the scoresheet for the Eagles.
Round 11 results:
Adamstown 3 (Ella Spicer, Kiarra Lewis, Jenna Doyle) beat Charlestown 2 (Jess Gentle 2) at Lisle Carr Oval on Sunday. Half-time: Azzurri led 2-1.
Newcastle Olympic 5 (Jade Mcatamney 2, Jemma House 2, Laura Hall) beat Mid Coast at Taree Zone Fields on Sunday. Half-time: Olympic led 1-0.
Maitland 2 (Kaitlin Radstaak, Bronte Peel) beat Warners Bay 0 at Cooks Square Park on Saturday.
Broadmeadow 4 (Ash Brodigan 2, Kirsty Antoni, Kobie Ferguson) beat New Lambton 1 (Adriana Jones) at Arthur Edden Oval. Half-time: Magic led 2-0.
Points: Olympic 30, Magic 28, Warners Bay 19, Maitland 18, Adamstown 16, Charlestown 12, Mid Coast 4, New Lambton 0.
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Renee Valentine
Renee Valentine is a sports journalist with more than 20 years of experience in Newcastle. She is passionate about increasing the visibility of sportswomen in the media. Got a sports story, email Renee at r.valentine@newcastleherald.com.au
Renee Valentine is a sports journalist with more than 20 years of experience in Newcastle. She is passionate about increasing the visibility of sportswomen in the media. Got a sports story, email Renee at r.valentine@newcastleherald.com.au
