Narrabri Sporties FC scores a big derby win against the Elevens

Narrabri Sporties FC broke two team records on Saturday with a 12-1 derby victory against Narrabri Elevens FC at Hogan Oval in round four of the 2020 Namoi Soccer League season.

The 11-goal win was the team’s first by a double digit margin, and it was also the first time the side has scored 10 or more goals in a single game.

Sporties FC led the contest 6-0 at half-time before piling on six more goals in the second stanza.

Cooper Brayshaw netted four times for the victorious side and his brother Jake Brayshaw scored a hat-trick.

Teammate Colby Williams bagged a double and Daniel Hall, Jacob Sunderland and Brenton Cochrane all scored a goal each in the big win.

The Elevens’ goal was scored by Jacob Nichols late in the contest as the former Blue Boars back scored his first senior soccer goal after joining the Elevens three weeks ago.

Contributing to Sporties FC’s dominance in the midfield and its free flowing attack was as a change in formation implemented by coach Neil Brayshaw following a 2-all draw in round three against Moree Services FC.

Brayshaw said that he had never seen his side play better in four seasons of soccer than it did in the round four derby.

The side’s first goal was scored after just four minutes when Jake Brayshaw ran onto a through ball from Cooper Brayshaw from a quickly-taken free kick about 30 metres out from goal.

The older of the two brothers took two touches to steady himself and calmly slotted a one-on-one shot past the approaching Elevens goalkeeper Matt Conroy to open the scoring.

Three minutes later Sporties FC doubled its lead when Brayshaw scored his second from another one-on-one opportunity when he ran onto a through ball from left back Matt Dunn.

A quickfire double to Cooper Brayshaw just before and after the half hour mark made the score 4-0, then in the 33rd minute Williams added Sporties FC’s fifth when he ran onto a Blake Jarrett through ball and calmly slotted a one-on-one strike into the back of the net.

Ten minutes later Jarrett and Cooper Brayshaw combined down the middle in their attacking third which led to the side’s sixth goal. Brayshaw let a pass roll through his legs then Jarrett and Brayshaw bypassed a defender with a one-two before Jarrett threaded a through ball in behind the Elevens defence. Brayshaw ran onto the pass and netted his third of the contest to make the half-time score 6-0.

It took Sporties FC just four minutes to find the back of the net in the second half when Williams scored from inside the six-yard box after pouncing on a loose ball when Conroy fumbled a Cooper Brayshaw corner.

Three minutes after the hour mark Jake Brayshaw completed his hat-trick when he fired a powerful strike from just inside the 18-yard box into the bottom right hand corner.

That made the score 8-0 which became 9-0 just five minutes later when Jacob Sunderland netted his second senior goal. Sunderland tapped a Jarrett cross into an almost empty net after Jarrett ran onto a Jake Brayshaw through ball on the right edge before squaring up the ball from just inside the 18-yard box.

In the 75th minute Elevens FC produced one of the highlights of the game when it found the back of the net through Nichols.

Nichols and the entire Elevens team worked hard all game and played some brilliant soccer in patches for little reward. But those efforts paid off with a classy goal which brought both Elevens FC and Sporties FC fans to their feet in celebration.

Riley Jenkins, who was the Elevens’ standout player on the day, started the play with a brilliant through ball from inside his own half which Bailey Campbell ran onto about 25 metres from goal. Campbell spotted a brilliant run from Nichols and squared the ball to his teammate. Nichols, who covered about 40 metres to create the space for himself in front of goal, took one touch and slotted the ball into the back of the net to make the score 9-1.

In the 79th minute Sporties FC netted its 10th goal when former Narrabri Blues rugby league club first grade captain-coach Brenton Cochrane stepped up for a penalty shot which was awarded when Jake Brayshaw was taken down inside the 18-yard box.
Cochrane has been one of Sporties FC’s standouts in the first four rounds during a remarkable code transition and has threatened time and time again on the left wing.

While he could not find the back of the net in the first three rounds it was only a matter of time before he opened his Narrabri FC account and he did just that when he calmly sent Conroy the wrong way from the spot to make the score 10-1.

In the 83rd minute Daniel Hall gave Sporties FC a 10-goal lead when he hit a powerful strike from outside the box which flew off the right post and into the back of the net.

Then with three minutes remaining Cooper Brayshaw netted the team’s 12th of the day and his eighth of the season when he caught the Elevens FC defence napping following a short corner from the left. He ran into the box and beat Conroy at the near stick to score the game’s 13th and final goal which made the score 12-1.

The other round three game was played on Friday night at Moree as Moree Services FC hosted Wee Waa United FC. The hosts won that match 3-1 as Alex Lucero scored for a third consecutive game for Wee Waa.

This weekend Elevens FC will play at home at Hogan Oval again when it takes on Moree, while Sporties FC will travel to Cook Oval to challenge Wee Waa.