In New South Wales, especially in the Hunter region, the Valentine club, known as Valentine FC or Valentine Phoenix, stands out. Founded in 1971 in the suburb of Valentine near Lake Macquarie, the club has grown from a small community into one of the largest teams in Northern New England.
With over 900 registered players and 1,500 supporters, the club combines youth programmes with participation in the Northern New South Wales National Premier League (NPL Northern NSW). Home matches are played at the renovated Crowdas Bay complex, which underwent a major refurbishment in 2022–2023. It was Valentine's unexpected results that led to big betting wins at Morospin, where fans took a chance on the underdogs.
Match against Edgeworth Eagles: 15 May 2024
The match took place at Edgeworth Stadium, where the hosts, who were leading the table, expected an easy victory. Valentine, on the other hand, was on a losing streak and was considered an underdog with odds of around 5.00 for a draw or a win.
The game started tensely: in the first 20 minutes, Edgeworth dominated, with seven shots on goal, but Valentine goalkeeper Brendan Kane saved all the threats, including a dangerous free kick from the home team's captain. In the 28th minute, the breakthrough came: Valentine midfielder James Harris intercepted the ball in midfield, beat two defenders and passed to the wing, where striker Liam McCarthy scored with a header from a corner — 0:1. Edgworth responded immediately: in the 32nd minute, their forward Matt Conrad equalised with a long-range shot from 25 metres, the ball ricocheting off the post and into the net — 1:1.
The second half was a real commotion: Valentine increased the pressure, and in the 55th minute, McCarthy scored a double, taking advantage of a defender's mistake on a set piece — 1:2. The hosts threw everything into attack, and in the 67th minute, Conrad scored his second goal after a solo run — 2:2. The climax came in the 82nd minute: Edgworth took the lead when midfielder Oliver Rose hammered the ball into the top corner from a corner — 3:2. Valentine did not give up: in added time, in the 93rd minute, Harris broke through on the left flank, beat the goalkeeper and equalised — 3:3.
The match ended in a draw, but for betting purposes, it was a golden opportunity. Several fans who bet on a total of more than 4.5 goals (odds of 3.80) with a stake of $200 each received payouts of up to $760.
The game against Singleton Strikers: 10 May 2025
Singleton, mid-table, played at home in a small town where the atmosphere was electric. Valentine arrived weakened by injuries to two key defenders, and the odds on them winning were as high as 4.20. The game started slowly: for the first 15 minutes, the teams exchanged passes without any dangerous moments, and possession was equal — 48% for the visitors. In the 22nd minute, Singleton made a breakthrough: their striker Jack Thompson ran down the right flank and crossed, but Kane saved the shot. Valentine responded in the 35th minute: McCarthy received a long pass from Harris, beat the centre-back and shot into the far corner — 0:1.
Singleton started the second half aggressively, with 12 shots, and in the 52nd minute, Thompson equalised with a header from a corner — 1:1. Valentine reorganised his defence, but in the 68th minute Harris intercepted the ball in midfield and passed it to the wing, from where McCarthy scored his second goal with a precise shot into the bottom corner — 1:2. In the final minutes, the hosts laid siege to the goal, but Kane made a save even while falling, blocking a penalty in the 85th minute. The final whistle recorded a 0-2 victory for Valentine.
This victory brought the points that were needed to escape the relegation zone. In betting, luck smiled on those who believed in the visitors: a bet on a clean victory for Valentine (odds of 4.20) of $300 by one of the fans from Lake Macquarie turned into $1,260.
Battle with New Lambton: 12 April 2025
The early spring match against New Lambton in the fourth round of the NPL Northern NSW took place on the opponent's field and turned out to be a real thriller for betting. New Lambton, a league newcomer from the suburbs of Newcastle, was fighting for its first points, while Valentine needed points to stabilise. The odds favoured the hosts — 2.10 for their victory and 3.50 for the visitors. The match began with New Lambton dominating: in the 10th minute, their forward Ryan Foster missed a one-on-one opportunity, shooting wide.
Valentine counterattacked in the 18th minute: Harris passed to McCarthy, who elegantly chipped the ball onto the crossbar, but the follow-up was unsuccessful. In the 29th minute, Foster opened the scoring, finishing off a cross from the wing — 1-0. The visitors did not lose heart: in the 42nd minute, after a corner, defender Thomas Wilson equalised with a header — 1-1. The second half exploded: New Lambton took the lead in the 50th minute with a long-range shot from midfielder Kevin Lee — 2:1. Valentine responded in the 62nd minute: McCarthy scored the team's third goal, taking advantage of a rebound — 2:2.
In the 78th minute, the hosts took a 3-2 lead after a penalty from Foster. But the drama reached its peak in the 89th minute: Harris broke through the defence and hammered the ball into the net to make it 3-3. The draw saved both teams.
