Charlestown coach Niko Papaspiropoulos praised his team's ability to "dig in" as they surged back into the top four with maximum points from a weekend double-header against Mid Coast in Newcastle Herald Women's Premier League.
The results pushed Azzurri into fourth place on 12 points ahead of an important clash with Maitland, who have nine points and slipped two places to sixth after losing 4-0 to league leaders Broadmeadow.
"It was huge one for on the table but mentally as well," Papaspiropoulos said.
"It was just a grinding weekend. It required a lot of effort and the girls had to dig in. That's the most important thing if anything. That's the standard we set ourselves now in terms of how we dig in mentally and how we fight."
Tamara Nash again proved pivotal. The Azzurri midfielder had a foot in all three goals in a 3-1 win on Saturday. She scored a free kick, delivered another that was nodded on by Lori Depczynski and finished at the back post by Ellie Withers then sealed the win with a close-range effort. Azzurri then won 2-0 on Sunday.
Young guns
Azzurri 17s goalkeeper Bella van Vegchel made her first-grade debut over the weekend. Van Vegchel played back-to-back games for Charlestown in their weekend double-header with Mid Coast and did not look out of place. She was a last-minute replacement for fellow teenage shot-stopper Mia McLachlan, who was ill.
Molly Salvador, 15, scored her first goal in first grade as one of six different scorers in Adamstown's 6-0 win over New Lambton on Saturday night.
Magic showdown
It should be standing room only at Darling Street Oval on Sunday afternoon as defending champions Newcastle Olympic take on unbeaten leaders Magic.
Only one point separates the two sides at the top of the table and the 2-0 loss to Magic (22 points) remains the only one Olympic (21) have sustained this season.
Olympic will have leading striker Jemma House back from suspension but new recruit Elise Mamanu-Gray is out after being red-carded in a 2-1 win over Warners Bay on Sunday.
Magic central midfielder Kobie Ferguson is expected to back after sitting out round eight with an ankle injury.
State Cup returns
The Northern NSW Women's State Cup is back after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus global pandemic. It will be held from July 2 to 4 and is open to member clubs of premier and zone competitions.
Indigenous round
Northern NSW Football's inaugural Indigenous Round will be held this weekend from May 28 to 30.
Emerging talent
Young gun Milan Hammond, who is in camp with the Young Matildas this week, produced a sensational strike to open the scoring for the Emerging Jets at Cromer Park on Sunday before they were overrun 4-1 by defending champions Manly in NSW National Premier League Women's.
The Emerging Jets are away to Sydney University this Sunday and still chasing their first win.
Ten Emerging Jets players were part of a 13-strong Hunter team who won the NSW Combined High Schools girls tournament in Bankstown last week. They beat South Coast 1-0 in the final. Lambton High School's Chloe Smith, who is in the Emerging Jets 20s side, was named player of the tournament.
Adamstown's Leia Puxty was also in the Hunter CHS team and is in Young Matildas camp this week too.
Emerging Jets 20s midfielder Te Reremoana Walker, who plays in the New Zealand under-17 side, has been invited into a two-week senior camp with the Silver Ferns from June 7.
