The stadium and playing surface were superb, the Magpies tenacious and increasingly daring and confident as the game went on and the crowd simply awesome.

The famed Magic of the Cup was at play as 2500 fans braved the cold and the threat of rain at Maitland Sportsground to cheer on their local heroes on the national stage against an A-League team.

No other competition nor sport can deliver the scenario of a team of part-timers taking on a fully-professional sporting team.

No other local sporting team has delivered a bigger crowd at the new sportsground and that includes last year's Coalfields rugby league semi-final between the Maitland Pickers and Kurri Kurri Bulldogs.

After a nervous start in which they conceded two goals in the opening 15 minutes, the boys from Maitland stood tall and, urged on by a sea of fans in the city's colours of black and white, came close several times to scoring.

The Magpies fell short of their dream of knocking off an A-League opponent, but to play in front of so many people in their home city is something the players will all remember.

For the next generation of Magpies players to watch from the sideline and, in the case of the under-13s, to serve as ball boys and then go behind the scenes and soak up the atmosphere in the change rooms, it will fuel dreams of achieving the same.

Football arrived in Maitland on Wednesday night and congratulations to all the hard working committee members, volunteers and players who were worked so hard to bring the moment to fruition.

Maitland has a team which can compete on the national stage and a venue which, soon enough with planned lighting and other features, can meet the most exacting standards.

Well done fans, well done the grounds staff for the pitch, well done council and security staff on the night and well done Magpies.