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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Renee Valentine

Rested Magic target win after first loss of season

Broadmeadow centre-back Kirstyn Antoni hurt her ankle against Newcastle Olympic on Sunday but is likely to play on Friday night. Picture: Marina Neil

Broadmeadow coach Jake Curley expects to have close to a full complement when Magic look to bounce back from their first loss of the season against top-four hopefuls Charlestown Azzurri on Friday night.

The match at Magic Park kicks off round 10 of Newcastle Herald Women's Premier League and comes five days after Broadmeadow's eight-game unbeaten run was brought to an end by Newcastle Olympic in the shape of a 1-0 defeat at Darling Street Oval last Sunday.

Curley gave his squad the week off training with several players nursing niggles.

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Experienced centre-back Kirstyn Antoni was forced from the field on Sunday with a foot injury and attacking player Chelsea Lucas missed the match with an ankle complaint but Curley told the Herald both were likely to play.

He hoped to be able to give striker Lucy Kell some minutes as well. Kell signed with Magic this year but has only made one appearance due to injury.

Magic slipped to second spot on 22 points while Olympic improved to 24 points to seize the competition lead.

Charlestown dropped out of the top four with a 3-1 loss to Maitland last weekend that left both teams with 12 points and in sixth and fifth positions respectively on goal difference. They are one point behind fourth-placed Adamstown, who host Maitland at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday night.

Azzurri will still be without Tamara Nash, who is recovering from having wisdom teeth removed last week, and Olivia Tannock is in doubt due to work commitments. Both play key roles in midfield.

Inconsistency has been costing Charlestown and coach Niko Papaspiropoulos said the key to success would be staying composed and limiting errors.

"It's about us making sure we stay in the game and limit mistakes and be much more efficient and effective with the ball, and not turn it over as cheaply as what we did last week," Papaspiropolous said.

"We weren't really giving ourselves a chance to set up or to have a lot of good spells of possession. So, if we can secure it a bit better and give ourselves time to take the sting out of the game in patches where we might be under the pump, that will help us keep in the game."

Azzurri held a 1-0 half-time lead when the two sides met at Lisle Carr Oval in round three before being over-run 4-1 by Magic.

"Up top we're always a chance to score," Papaspiropoulos said. "We've taken the lead in the five games I've had the team for. Even before I took over, we've given away a fair few leads this year.

"So, it's not that we can't take the lead against any team really, it's just can we keep it? Can we last the full 90? It's just making sure we're composed and we don't give any cheap goals away or give their quality players moments where they can punish us easily, which is what happened to us last time we played them."

The match kicks off at 8pm.

On Sunday, Warners Bay are at home to Mid Coast and Olympic host New Lambton.

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