Sean Pratt had a hand in both goals providing the set-up pass for the first by Braedyn Crowley and then finishing off an excellent Nick Cowburn cross across the front of the box at the hour mark.

Pratt played Crowley through with a smart pass on the right edge of the penalty area. Crowley took the ball and coolly angled his shot past Jaffas' keeper Ben Kennedy and a diving Lambton defender at the 25-minute mark.

On the hour Cowburn capped off a fine performance when he crossed the ball from the right edge to find Pratt streaming into the box and connecting for goal. It was silver-platter service and a warning sign to rivals that he is starting to hit his best form

Pratt, who started in the absence of Joel Wood who was not available, was outstanding providing plenty of energy and working well with Crowley up front.

Matt Comerford, the other member of the forward third, played 70 minutes in a performance which gladdened the heart of the Maitland faithful anxious to see him return to the type of form a knee injury denied them of appreciating for the past two years.

"It was a very pleasing performance, it's starting to come together better each week," Magpies coach Mick Bolch said.

"To be honest we probably looked like defending premiers for the first time this year.

"We went into it a bit underdone with Jimmy (Thompson) suspended and Woodsy (Joel Wood) unavailable for the day. We threw Pratty and Cummo up there to start and they did really well.

"Pratty set up a goal and then got one himself and put himself about really well.

"We said from the beginning of the season that it was going to improve each week with match fitness.

"I thought today we were really good, even towards the end of the day with young Joey O'Connor, Webby (Sam Webb) and Tommy (Tom Duggan) coming on in the last 15 minutes and giving us that energy we needed.

"The Swans played their butts off winning every ball in the middle of the park.

"We played Crowley in the No.10 today to try and free him up a little bit more. It worked well with that first goal and he nearly got a second only for the ball to go over the keepers' head.

"For me the best aspect was the first clean sheet of the year.

"The defence was excellent against a team with quality all over the field. We not only kept a clean sheet, but we suffocated them they didn't create much at all against our back four which was really great to see.

"I couldn't be happier."

Maitland climbed to third on the ladder with nine points, nine behind undefeated leaders Edgeworth and six adrift of Broadmeadow Magic. They are two points ahead of Jaffas (fourth) and Weston (fifth)

The Magpies have a critical run of games in terms of their goal of making the top three starting with Broadmeadow Magic at Cooks Square Park next Saturday followed by a Wednesday night game against Newcastle Olympic.

In other games, the Weston Bears had a 1-0 to unbeaten competition leaders Edgeworth, Valentine defeated Charlestown Azzurri 1-0 and Magic defeated Lake Macquarie City 2-1.

Adamstown Rosebud and Newcastle Olympic's game has been postponed until Tuesday night.