Narrabri and Wee Waa ready for grand final

The Namoi Soccer League grand final will be played on Saturday with two local sides battling for the right to be named the Namoi Soccer League champions.

Narrabri FC and Wee Waa United FC will face off in the grand final at Hogan Oval but it is a tale of two complete opposites.

For Narrabri FC this match will be the side’s third consecutive Namoi Soccer League grand final.

Narrabri has had an impeccable season, finishing first by winning 16 out of a possible 16 matches, conceding the least amount of goals throughout the season and scoring the most goals in the regular competition.

FC has run through every team in the competition this year and will look to complete an undefeated season by beating Wee Waa on Saturday.

However Narrabri has never won a Namoi Soccer League grand final despite being firm favourites in each match.

The side has also lost three of its most crucial players this season due to send-off offences suffered in its 4-3 thriller against Moree One in the qualifying final.

FC will play without consistent defender Nathan Trindall, top scorer Blake Jarrett and tireless midfielder Zach Lauritsen.

Wee Waa however is on the other end of the spectrum.

The side has never competed in the Namoi Soccer League grand final despite making the finals series in two consecutive years.

However United has been on an incredible run of form as of late and has not been beaten in three consecutive games.

The side has not conceded a goal since round 19, keeping a clean sheet in three consecutive matches.

Wee Waa defeated Moree Two 3-nil in the elimination final, and Moree One 2-nil in the preliminary final to qualify for the 2019 grand final.

Narrabri FC coach Neil Brayshaw has seen the past two grand finals slip through his side’s fingers but said that his team is more than ready for the big game.

“The boys are pretty pumped and ready to go,” he said.

“They are all just looking forward to the weekend.

“We’ve got to move ahead from those three suspensions and think about our game.”

Brayshaw said that Narrabri has the depth in positions to cover the three suspended players.

“It’s three positions, one up top, one in the middle and one in the back,” he said.

“We have the people to cover the boys.

“They’ve been at training all week talking with the team and the boys coming in are pretty confident that we can get the job done.

“And I really think we can get it done.”

Brayshaw said a grand final win to earn an ‘invincibles’ season would cap off a terrific season but it will all depend on how his side plays.

“It would really top off a great year,” said Brayshaw.

“We’ve been beaten in the last two grand finals.

“The boys aren’t cocky at all, we’ve got a game plan and a structure.

“We just have to back what has worked for us this year.

“We just have to be more composed.”

Brayshaw said that this year’s grand final opponents have a similar style of play to the previous year’s opponents.

“The last two years have been against Moree and this year is going to be a new challenge” he said.

“I think they are very similar sides.

“They’re a good side, they have a really good keeper in [Steve] Phelps at the back.

“They have a lot of speed with the Hamblin boys and [AJ] Swansbra through the middle.

“So they’re really going to be tough.”

Brayshaw told The Courier that FC must be more determined than ever if his side wants to win.

“We just have to be more hungry for the ball,” said Brayshaw.

“Which I’ve told the boys since the qualifying final.

“In that second half we just let Moree run at us and just sat back and let them dominate possession.

“We can’t let Wee Waa do the same.

“The boys have to be hungry and determined to win the ball.”

Wee Waa captain Steve Phelps was picked out by Brayshaw as one of Wee Waa’s most influential players but Phelps said United’s defence is the side’s key to success.

“It is one of the things we have prided ourselves on in the past season and a bit,” said Phelps.

“That is a big part of our game, that solid wall of defence.

“We’ve had a few different formations but for the most part it has been the same people there,” Phelps continued.

“It is usually Les Bonnie, Jayden Hamblin, Rhys Morgan and Mark Roger.

“They work really well together, it’s been a pretty good feature of our game for a while now.”

The two sides will clash at Hogan Oval on Saturday at 3pm.