Maitland Magpies set up final round clash with Jaffas for NPLM premiership title

The win sets up a final round must-win clash away to Lambton Jaffas on Sunday with the winner to take the NPLM NNSW 2022 premiership trophy.

Maitland sit on top of the ladder on 39 points with Broadmeadow Magic and Lambton equal on 38 points.

"It's all to play for, especially after last year when the comp was cut short and we were one point behind (Jaffas). This year it's in our hands and if we're good enough to go to Jaffas and win then we win the comp and if we're not, we don't," Maitland coach Mick Bolch.

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Magic, who beat Cooks Hill 1-0 on Saturday, are away to bottom of the ladder Lake Macaquarie City and are likely to collect maximum points in the final round meaning Maitland must win to ensure they collect their second premiers trophy after claiming the title in 2019.

Magpies coach Mick Bolch said his front four of Jimmy Thompson, Braedyn Crowley, Joey Melmouth and Flynn Goodman looked like scoring every time the ball went forward on Saturday.

"It was one of our better performances from over the last four or five weeks, it was up there with the win against Magic," he said.

"I thought we were very good, we created a lot of chances as well as the three goals in the first half.

"The second half was a bit of an arm-wrestle we missed probably three good chances in the first half and then missed three one-on-ones in the second half."

Flynn Goodman opened the scoring at the 10 minute mark when he won the ball from a turnover and drove the goal home from 30 metres out.

The second goal on 18 minutes involved excellent lead up work from Melmouth and Thompson before Crowley scored his 24^th goal of the season burying the ball into the top corner after Thompson drew three defenders and laid the ball off for him at the top of the 18-yard box.

Edgeworth got one back in the 35^th minute when Jeremy Brockie headed in a goal from a Josh Rose cross.

Maitland's third was also all class. Thompson beat two defenders and got to the byline and cut the ball back to Melmouth who ran into the box and put into the top corner from about 10 metres out.

Bolch said the Magpies were good across the park, but the front four of Thompson, Crowley, Melmouth and Goodman and midfield Jake Bailey were Maitland's best.

He said the front four combination worked well and Goodman in particular looked like he could be an X-factor working with Thompson and Crowley up front.

"Flynn has come really good, he missed a good chunk of the preseason with an ankle injury and then came back through reserve grade," Bolch said.

"He has only really cemented that spot in the last three or four weeks, even against Magic he came off the bench and did really well in the last half hour."

Maitland Magpies v Lambton Jaffas at Arthur Edden Oval, kick off is at 2.30pm on Sunday, September 4.