Cooks Hill overcome red card to join final four in Northern NSW division of Australia Cup

NPL clubs Olympic, Cooks Hill, Broadmeadow and Maitland won through on Saturday to the last four in Northern NSW. The winners of the next games, likely to be played on June 22, progress to the national round of 32.

Smart was shown a straight red card early in the second half at Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field after a foul that denied a goal-scoring opportunity. Cooks Hill play Broadmeadow in the league next week before the cup game, meaning Smart will be back if he gets the likely ban of only one match.

Cooks Hill led 3-0 at halftime after goals from Jacob Pepper, Josh Benson and Daniel Yaxley. Coach David Tanchevski then looked to rest players, making four changes by the time Smart was marched. With 10 men, Cooks Hill still added to their lead via Lachlan Pasquale.

They next host Olympic, who beat Lake Macquarie 2-0 at Darling Street Oval with goals from Jarrod Dodds and Jared Muller.

Maitland will host Broadmeadow in the other match after downing Weston 5-1 at Cooks Square Park. Weston led early with a Cooper Buswell header but Maitland equalised before halftime with a penalty from James Thompson. The Magpies kicked clear after the break with goals from Joel Clissold, Sean Pratt and a double to Braedyn Crowley.

Magic beat Coffs City on the road 3-1 with a hat-trick from Jayden Stewardson.

On Sunday in the NPL, a 10-man Valentine fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with last-placed Adamstown at CB Complex.

Valentine's chances looked over when Nick Cowburn was sent off on 45 minutes for an off-the-ball clash and Rosebud, eyeing their first win, scored twice early in the second half.

Phoenix, though, responded with two goals in as many minutes. Ryan Clarke scored in the 66^th minute before Harry Lane beat the keeper and found an open net. Lane hit the woodwork a few minutes later but the hosts took only a point, rising to 10 in eight games.

Injured player-coach Adam Hughes was frustrated with the decision to send off Cowburn but proud of the fight back from his team.

"We were unlucky at the end there to not get a third, but I thought we put them under a lot of pressure in the second half, even though we were down to 10," Hughes said. "But it was a sign of the character and the want of the players to win."

On Saturday, Lambton Jaffas downed a 10-man Edgeworth 3-0 in their catch-up game at Edden Oval to push clear of them in fourth spot. Jaffas went to 17 points in eight games, four points ahead of the Eagles, who have played 10.

James Virgili scored a penalty in the 12^th minute after Mitch Rooke was fouled. Kale Bradbury made it 2-0 in the 26th minute after knocking in off Rooke's blocked shot.

The Eagles' hopes of a comeback dived in the 63^rd minute when Liam Wilson was shown a straight red card for a lunging tackle on Matt Hoole. Virgili then set up Bradbery's second in the 76^th minute.

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