Lambton Jaffas, Edgeworth repeat the dose in NPL draw

Backing up from their extra-time Australia Cup clash a week earlier, the sides finished in a stalemate on Saturday in almost identical circumstances.

The Eagles, who won 3-1 in extra-time at Jack McLaughlan Oval in the cup, again scored a late equaliser in regulation time after failing minutes earlier from the penalty spot.

Like last week, Kale Bradbery had put Jaffas ahead late, this time with a penalty in the 71^st minute after he was fouled.

In the cup game, Edgeworth missed a double chance from the spot before a stoppage-time own goal took the game into extra-time.

On Saturday, Eagles striker Sascha Montefiore's penalty in the 82^nd minute was denied by Ben Kennedy and the post before he nodded home a close-range free header in the 90^th off a Josh Rose cross.

The result left Edgeworth and Jaffas on 25 points but the Eagles hold fifth spot by a goal. Edgeworth coach Peter McGuinness lamented their first-half misses as the race for silverware intensifies.

"We should have won it in the first half," McGuinness said. "I thought we were very dominant but just the final pass wasn't there. Second half was a bit closer.

"We've got to start getting three points out of all these other games now."

In the only game on Sunday, Charlestown retained top spot with a 4-0 win over bottom side Lake Macquarie at Lisle Carr Oval.

Regan Lundy (35^th and 53^rd minutes) and Rene Ferguson (13^th and 82^nd) scored braces as Azzurri rose to 34 points.

On Saturday, Weston stayed second, moving to 31, with a 3-0 win over seventh-placed Newcastle Olympic (24 points) at Darling Street Oval. Aaron Niyonkuru scored a hat-trick with strikes in the 31^st, 43^rd and 46^th minutes.

Maitland (27 points) held off eighth-placed Valentine (18) to win 2-1 at Hunter Sports Centre and stay fourth.

Braedyn Crowley scored in the 26^th minute off a ball from Flynn Goodman and Charlie Cox made it 2-0 with a strike in the 42^nd. Nicholas Martinelli gave Valentine a chance in the 58^th minute when he knocked in a loose ball off a blocked shot.

Broadmeadow kept third place, rising to 30, with a 3-1 away victory over Cooks Hill. Magic's Sam Donnellan finished at the back-post in the 30^th minute, Riley Smith pounced on a deflected pass for 2-0 in the 49^th and Bailey Wells iced the win in the 88^th. Campbell Ross jumped on a mistake in the 90^th to score for Cooks Hill.

In the other game, Adamstown (11 points) beat New Lambton (eight) 3-0 at Alder Park with goals from Murray Peart (13^th minute), Austin Howard (73rd) and Oliver Rich (81st).

In the NPL women's, Lauren Allan scored four goals as New Lambton beat Mid Coast 8-2 on Saturday.

On Sunday, Broadmeadow thumped Warners Bay 11-1, Adamstown fell to Maitland 1-0 and Olympic downed Charlestown 3-1.