Broadmeadow and Charlestown moved further clear of their rivals and set up a mouth-watering clash next week with victories on Sunday in the Northern NSW NPL.
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Unbeaten leaders Charlestown, without marquee man Nigel Boogaard (sick), went to 17 points from seven games with a 3-2 win at Weston (nine points).
Ryan Frame scored a double for Azzurri, including the 78th minute winner, in a goal-for-goal battle.
Regan Lundy had Azzurri up in the 23rd minute with a deflected strike but Weston equalised in the 30th via an own goal.
Frame scored with a glancing header at a corner in the 60th minute but Jakeb Brownlow levelled for the Bears with a shot through traffic in the 71st. Charlestown's winner came when Frame got his foot to a fumbled cross. Azzurri lost Zac Lloyd to a second booking in the 88th minute but they hung on late.
Azzurri coach Graham Law was proud of the fighting effort ahead of a midweek catch-up with Cooks Hill and the round 10 clash with second-placed Magic (15 points). Maitland are third on 11 points.
"Great credit to the boys to keep coming back," Law said. "Weston are a very, very handy team this year, so we're really pleased. That's a big win."
Broadmeadow downed Valentine (six) 4-1 at Magic Park. Jacob Dowse scored twice, including a fifth-minute tap-in after a mix-up in defence left an open goal.
Dowse crossed for Sam Donnellan to finish in the 10th minute but the visitors hit back through Tyrone Mulder (15th minute). Dowse made it 3-1 in the 59th minute with a well-placed strike and Bailey Wells knocked in a rebounded shot in the 74th.
Late Sunday, Edgeworth (nine) beat Olympic (seven) 2-0 at Jack McLaughlan Oval.
On Saturday, Lake Macquarie came back from a goalkeeping howler to win 2-1 at Adamstown Oval. Blair Ryan gifted Adamstown a goal in the third minute when his attempted clearance sliced off his foot and into goal.
Daniel Minors equalised for Lakes in the 32nd minute with a long-range strike and veteran John Majurovski put them ahead in the 70th. Adamstown's Kyle Munns put a penalty wide late to leave his side without a point after seven games. Lakes went to seven from five matches.
Also Saturday, Lambton Jaffas (10 points) edged Cooks Hill (one) 1-0 with a 28th minute goal from Mitch Rooke.