All three were red carded in the 2-0 loss to Broadmeadow and missed the 3-2 defeat to Cooks Hill on Sunday.

Thompson, who copped back-to-back yellow cards for dissent, escaped with the automatic one-game ban. Martinelli got a straight red then a two-match penalty for pushing, while Cowburn was booked twice after full-time for dissent. Like Thompson, Cowburn faced one game out, but he earned a second because of an earlier red card this year.

Offences against match officials carry much heavier penalties when earning a straight red card.

Seventh-placed Valentine (25 points) remain two points off the top five with three games to go. The Bears (23) will also be desperate to keep their hopes alive.

** Jaffas coach Shane Pryce believed a lack of match fitness in his squad proved pivotal in the 1-1 draw with Edgeworth on Sunday.

Both sides were down to 10 men in the 21^st minute when Ben Hay and Sascha Montefiore were sent off. Jaffas went ahead but Edgeworth finished the stronger, equalising in the 75^th and going close to the winner.

"The send offs opened it up, before that it was cat and mouse," said Pryce, who brought Andrew Pawiak and Mitch Rooke off the bench in their return from hamstring injuries.

"With where our squad is at, we couldn't really go and press. Edgy sort of controlled the ball and we sat back and said, come and break us down."

"Then it's a through ball in the centre of defence that they score off, so we've got work to do there."

Edgeworth coach Peter McGuinness lamented his side's missed chances late. They sit sixth, a point out of the five, with this week off. They then finish against Cooks Hill, Maitland and Valentine.

"I think we have to win all our games, and if we do that, we'll give ourselves a real good chance of making it," McGuinness said.

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