The Maitland Magpies hopes of making the NPL finals took a serious blow with a disappointing 1-0 loss to Newcastle Olympic at Cooks Square Park on Sunday.
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The Magpies will need to win their final three games and rely on results in other games to fall their way to sneak into the top five.
Olympic have all but secured third spot on the table with the win which left them three points of a chasing pack of Lambton, Charlestown Azzurri and Weston Workers on 14 points, with Maitland a further point back in seventh.
Maitland controlled play for large patches of the game but never looked like penetrating the Olympic defence.
The Magpies defensive frailties off set plays again came back to haunt them when Jared Muller found himself unmarked and calmly headed the ball into the back of the net for the winner.
The Weston Bears fell to sixth after a 4-2 loss to Broadmeadow Magic at Magic Park on Saturday.
The Bears trailed 3-0 at half-time and when James Virgili scored in the 71st minute they face the prospect of a 4-0 hammering. However, with goal difference likely to play a role Weston managed to claw back to late goals.
Lambton and Azzurri played out a 0-all draw and minor premiers Edgeworth defeated Valentine 2-0 in the other games.
Maitland travel to take on Adamstown on Sunday, while Weston host Lambton in a crucial twilight game on Saturday.
