Narrabri Elevens FC has put the rest of the Namoi Soccer League on notice after scoring not only its first goal of the season on Saturday, but also its first win.
In its round three fixture the Elevens defeated Wee Waa United FC 2-1 after leading 1-0 at the half-time break.
The Elevens travelled to Cook Oval to take on the defending champions where one of the side’s newest faces Ibrahim Sultani proved too hot to handle for Wee Waa.
Sultani was a standout on the day and netted both of his sides goals, the first of which was about 25 minutes into the first half when he beat a defender just inside the 18-yard box before firing a strike into the bottom right hand corner.
Wee Waa’s Alex Lucero equalised early in the second half but Sultani restored the lead with a goal just after the hour mark.
The match was Sultani’s second for the Elevens. He missed the round two loss against Moree after picking up an injury in the side’s round one Narrabri derby loss.
Elevens coach Chris Simmonds said that Sultani was a great addition to the team.
“At first we only thought he was a defender,” Simmonds said.
“He did a great job at the back before he went off hurt in round one and usually at training he likes to defend.
“On the weekend he was still carrying the injury from the first game. He said he could still play at the back but couldn’t give 100 per cent but he said if he played up front he’d probably be able to play all game.
“So we put him up front to see how he’d go and he was great up there. He’s great with the ball and he’s got good vision, he seems to be everywhere you think he should be.
“He also gets back and helps in defence.
“To be honest it would be a different team if we didn’t have him, he’s been a good find for us this year.”
Simmonds, who plays as well as coaches, watched the win from the sideline due to an injury and said that he was impressed with his side’s first half energy and late game defence.
“The first half was like all of our first halves this year, we’ve played off the field,” Simmonds said.
“In the second half we lose our legs a bit and that happened again.
“After Ibrahim got his second goal with about half an hour left to put us back in front Wee Waa kept drilling us but our backs all did their job.
“Our late defence was good, we held our line very well.
“James Albert was right back and Jacob Nichols was left back, and Tim Gale and Brady Jenkins were in the middle.
“With about 20 minutes to go Brady had to leave because he was working night shift so we had to switch things up and we moved Dylan Thompson to centre back and Cody Shepherdson into left back.
“All those guys did a really good job and worked well together.
“Conroy (goalkeeper Matt Conroy) made some really good saves too.
“Apart from Ibrahim, Conroy and Brady were real standouts for us, they organised the backs and the midfield really well.
“We could tell when Brady was missing from the backs at the end.”
Simmons said that the Elevens had assembled a squad that could push for the team’s first grand final spot in four seasons.
“[Making the grand final] is always the aim,” Simmonds said.
“At the moment the other Narrabri team is the benchmark.
“When we get a full side together I think we can be competitive against the other three teams in the first half but fitness is the thing we are really struggling with at the moment.
“If we can get a full squad at training that would help.
“We get good numbers but it’s not always the same people too so when we get out on the field its hard to put together tactics that we worked on at training.
“But we have got a good side and I’d like to think that we can get to the grand final this year.”
In the other round three game on Saturday Narrabri Sporties FC was also on the road. It took on Moree Services FC in Moree and the two sides played out a 2-all draw.
Narrabri FC entered half-time leading 1-0 after a Blake Jarrett one-on-one strike late in the opening half beat a rushing Moree goalkeeper and found the bottom left hand corner.
The visitors conceded an own goal from a corner early in the second half, then on the hour mark Moree’s Brad McLane struck a powerful shot from just outside the 18-yard box into the bottom left corner past an outstretched Zaac Brayshaw to put his side ahead 2-1.
Sporties FC then bombarded the Moree goal with shots and the visitors had all the field possession for the next 20 minutes but they could not find an equaliser.
But just when it looked like Moree would hold on to claim its first win against Sporties FC since 2018, some Colby Williams brilliance helped tie the game at 2-all.
Williams ran onto a through ball on the right edge and skilfully beat the Moree left back before whipping in a cross to Jarrett in the middle who volleyed home from close range.
Both sides pushed hard in the final minutes to find a winner but when the full time whistle sounded the score remained 2-all.
After three rounds all four teams have now played all of their opponents once. Sporties FC is first on seven points following two wins and a draw, Moree is second on four points after a win, a draw and a loss, and Wee Waa and Elevens FC are third and fourth, both on three points, following one win and two losses each.
This weekend Sporties FC and Elevens FC will go head-to-head in a local derby, and Wee Waa will travel to take on Moree in the other match.
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