Wave of momentum and good form takes Maitland Magpies to one win from grand final

However, he wasn't expecting problems at the back. The Magpies normally frugal defence was leaking goals and paying dearly for lapses, particularly on set plays in the middle of the season.

That was until round 11 and the 6-0 smashing of Adamstown has seen the Magpies' form, both forward and up back, transformed with five straight wins and three clean sheets to propel them into Sunday's preliminary final against Broadmeadow Magic.

The round 11 win saw Braedyn Crowley score a hat-trick and Jimmy Thompson, Ryan Clarke and Joel Wood all find the back of the net. Crowley now has nine goals from the past five games including a double in Sunday's 4-0 hammering of Newcastle Olympic to advance to the preliminary final.

"We have looked a far more dangerous side with Jimmy and Clarkey out wide feeding the ball in for Crowls and Woodsy," Bolch said.

"In attack and defence we have been a different team. We are working well together and we needed to as we've been playing sudden-death footy for the past five weeks."

Momentum and form is building as the Magpies push for a place in their second straight grand final against Edgeworth and look to reverse last year's 2-0 loss.

After their gutsiest win of the season when injury-riddled they scraped through on penalties in the first sudden-death semi-final against Charlestown, the Magpies defied the odds and expectations and delivered their best performance of the season looking full of running in a dominant 4-0 dismantling of Olympic.

It had a ring of round 11, Crowley scored a double, Clarke and Thompson got goals, Wood went close to scoring several times and the Magpies defence, led by skipper Carl Thornton, smothered everything Olympic tried to do.

"We have been doing really well defensively as a unit and only conceded two goals in our last five games," Bolch said.

This week Thornton plays his 100^th game for the Magpies, joining his younger brother Liam and goalkeeper Matt Trott in the 100 club after the pair played their milestone game in last week's win.

The Magpies will be without defender Tom Davies, who will miss the final because of exams, but they have an ideal replacement in Joey O'Connor who has been outstand when filling in in defence or in the midfield.

Maitland will again call on a ton of work by midfield pairing Matt Swan and Sean Pratt who were among the Magpies' best in last week's win, harassing the opposition and linking well with Clarke and Thompson out wide.

"Sunday was our best performance of the season, all the elements came together and we believe we can carry that momentum forward," Bolch said.

"We have been creating plenty of opportunities and working well in defence across the park.

"Sudden death games hold no fears . . . we've been playing them for the last five weeks and now we're just one win from the grand final. I am sure the boys are up for it."

The Magpies reserve grade dropped out of the finals race with a 5-0 loss to Broadmeadow last Sunday.

Kick-off in Sunday's first grade preliminary final at Magic Park is 3pm.