Tired Maitland and Newcastle Olympic line-ups fought back to score important 3-2 victories in the Northern NSW NPL on Sunday.
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Backing up from midweek Australia Cup matches, Maitland downed a 10-man Valentine at CB Complex to join Broadmeadow and Charlestown at the top on 26 points, while Olympic beat Lake Macquarie on the road to rise to 15 points - just one behind fifth-placed Edgeworth.
At Macquarie Field, Lakes were up 2-0 inside 14 minutes when Cooper Verstegen scored with a volleyed strike off a corner in the 12th minute then John Majurovski knocked in a loose ball after a shot was blocked.
Olympic, who beat Cooks Hill 3-0 on Wednesday night to make the cup's round of 32, hit back for 2-2 at the break.
Joey Langlois scored with a header off Rhys Cooper's free kick in the 44th minute. The equaliser was an own goal off Michael Bru from a Jared Muller cross in first-half injury time. Langlois hit the winner off Muller's cross in the 76th minute.
Olympic assistant Glen Chapman was relieved to see his side survive the "hangover from Wednesday night".
"I thought in the first 15 minutes or so we seemed to be very flat," Chapman said. "We weren't first to the ball and Lakes took their opportunities well.
"After that we seemed to build some momentum, get on the ball a bit, play and look dangerous and we got those two goals.
"At halftime, I said we can't afford to start the second half like that. Then Lakes come out full guns blazing and have an opportunity for 3-2. Only a good stop Adam Pearce saved us. It was a tough encounter out there."
At CB Complex, Valentine's Harry Lane scored in the ninth minute and James Thompson equalised in the 34th.
The hosts were gifted the lead back with an own goal moments later when Alex Read's back pass eluded Paul Bitz. Valentine, though, returned the favour in the 39th when Brodie Volkienne dropped a corner and Read tapped in.
Thompson bagged the winner in the 68th minute with a thumping strike. Valentine's Carl Thornton was sent off a minute later for bringing down a runaway Braedyn Crowley.
Maitland, who lost 2-1 to two late Broadmeadow goals in the cup on Wednesday night, are third in the NPL on goal difference but have a game in hand on the top two.
Also on Sunday, Weston downed Adamstown 3-1 at home to go to 14 points. The Bears' Jakeb Brownlow scored with a header in the eighth minute but Rosebud equalised in the 16th when Nathan Toby pounced on a mishit clearance at a corner.
However, strikes from Cooper Buswell (28th minute) and Moustafa Mohammad (65th) ensured the hosts prevailed.
On Saturday at Jack McLaughlan Oval, Broadmeadow went top on goal difference with a 2-1 win over Edgeworth. At Lisle Carr Oval, Charlestown dropped to second on goals with a 1-1 draw against Cooks Hill.
Jayden Stewardson put Magic ahead in the 22nd minute off a chipped pass from Damon Green. Tom Beecham made it 2-0 with a back-post header from Bailey Wells' cross in the 29th.
Josh Rose gave the Eagles hope with a shot from a tight angle off a Jeremy Brockie pass in the 58th minute.
Charlestown led in the 58th minute when Jackson Frendo hit a strike in off a mishit corner. Sam Webb levelled in the 65th with side-foot finish off a ball over the top from Bailey Newton.
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