The Maitland Magpies host Broadmeadow Magic under lights on Wednesday night in the first of two catch-up games between the two teams in six days.
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The Magic will host Magpies on Monday afternoon at Magic Park with both teams needing points to restore themselves to the top of the table.
"Both sides had a nice little gap at the top of the table but that has diminished. There's quite a bit riding on both games," Maitland coach David Walker said this week.
In other news:
"Neither team has much in the way of luck or results over the past month. It is a bit of changing landscape in the competition at the moment."
Maitland goes into the game after a 1-all draw against Charlestown Azzurri courtesy of a Chelsea Greguric equaliser in the 61st minute after Azzurri scored the opening in the 30th minute.
Magic lost 1-0 to Warners Bay who jumped to the top of the table with 22 points from 10 games.
Maitland are fourth with 16 points from eight games, while Broadmeadow are second on 19 from nine games.
Azzurri are third on 17 from 10 games with Newcastle Olympic pressing hard on 15 points with wins over Warners Bay and Maitland in the past three rounds and a 17-0 thumping of New Lambton.
Walker said he was satisfied with the draw against Azzurri considering they were missing eight players from their combined first and reserve grade squads.
"It was an improvement on where we have been. We haven't had a lot of consistency on the pitch and that has affected us. Only a couple of weeks ago we were at a pretty full-strength with squad of 29 but the weekend just gone had eight players unavailable," he said.
"We were down to 21 for two teams. All factors considered and playing on a pitch which was tough for the players to be able to execute their best football on it was good to get a point."
The Magpies have long-term injuries to key defender Toria Campbell and Ainsley Childs and fringe players Izzy Winter and Taylah Bryde.
"Toria had made that central defence position her own. She was performing really well after recovering from injury a couple of years ago. It was really devastating to see her have to take a step back again.
"It's very similar for Ainsley as well, she was really coming to the fore and being a very dominant player in the squad and for her to have an injury set back is disappointing.
"It has a flow on effect to the rest of the squad with changes and the lack of stability up back."
The team, however, has been boosted with the recruitment of defender Hannah Bourke who is originally from Kurri Kurri but playing in Sydney.
The 20-year-old suffered a slight niggle in the weekend's game and will miss Wednesday night but possibility to play on Monday.
"Hannah came through the Hunter Valley Football Academy and had a stint with Jets Academy before going off to play in Sydney over the last few year," Walker said.
"She has fitted in well with all the girls and was familiar with a lot of them from her earlier days."
Kick off on Wednesday at Cooks Square Park is at 8pm.
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