A point each from a 1-1 draw helped Maitland and Edgeworth in their respective battles on Sunday, but the Magpies couldn’t help but feel it was one that got away.
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Fourth-placed Maitland scored a penalty, had another saved, and conceded an equaliser in the 85th minute to the Northern NSW NPL leaders at Jack McLaughlan Oval in round 19.
“I was happy with the effort, but you get two penalties, you want to be going away winning,” Magpies coach Michael Bolch said. “But it is what it is. Edgy keep going. You know they are going to be dangerous in those last 10 minutes. But I thought we played well and gave a good account of ourselves.”
Still without injured forwards Ryan Clarke and Matt Comerford, and with marquee Matt Thompson coming on late on Sunday, Bolch said Maitland’s “young blokes stepped up again.”
The result put Maitland (27 points) a point clear of Hamilton (26), who beat Lake Macquarie 3-2 on Saturday, and two in front of Charlestown (25) after their 4-1 victory over Adamstown on Sunday. They appear in a three-way battle for the last finals spot behind the Eagles (37), Lambton Jaffas (33) and Broadmeadow (32).
Maitland, though, rued their chance to break clear.
Edgeworth keeper Josh Low brought down Mat Swan in the 61st minute but saved the penalty from Alex Read. Aaron Oppedisano gave Maitland another chance when he fouled Tom Duggan in the 73rd and Sean Pratt made no mistake.
The Eagles, though, had threatened most in the arm-wrestle and got their reward when Tyson Jackson chested down Dylan Holz’s cross and hit a half-volleyed strike into the top corner.
“He was superb today,” Edgeworth coach Damian Zane said of Jackson. “He deserved that goal, he was our best today by far.”
The point keeps Edgeworth on track for a fourth consecutive premiership.
“The draw probably suited both teams and it definitely suited us to get one in the 85th,” Zane said. “I think the wind played havoc on the game and we didn’t adapt really well. But I think second half, I can’t remember them having a chance other than getting in behind us for the penalties.
“We normally defend better than that, but that’s credit to their attack as well.
“It was probably a fair result. They won every second ball and we just didn’t match them in that facet. But looking at the chances, we had some decent ones.”
At Weston, Joel Wood bagged a hat-trick as last-placed Valentine (11) beat Weston (19) 3-1 for their second win of the season. Nathan Morris scored for Weston
