Wee Waa United FC defeats Narrabri Elevens FC in a Friday night goalfest

Namoi Soccer League side Wee Waa United FC travelled to Narrabri on Friday night for a round six encounter with Narrabri Elevens FC at Hogan Oval.

Wee Waa scored a dominant 9-1 victory in cold and wet conditions to move off the bottom of the four-team ladder and leapfrog the Elevens into third spot.

Both teams are on six points, but Wee Waa’s goal difference of zero is better than the Elevens’ -27.

Wee Waa’s win was its second of the season and snapped a four-game losing streak which spanned from rounds two to five after the side won its first round clash 1-0 against Moree Services FC.

The victory saw Wee Waa climb to within a point of Moree which lost its round six game 7-1 against top-ranked Narrabri Sporties FC.

Wee Waa can climb above Moree into second if Wee Waa wins when the two teams meet at Cook Oval this Saturday in round seven.

In Wee Waa’s round six contest it dominated from start to finish.

Brothers Nathan and Dean Hamblin both netted hat-tricks, Alex Lucero bagged a classy double and David Avery scored the goal of the night with a long range effort which flew into the top right corner.

Captain and goalkeeper Steve Phelps was pleased with his side’s well-rounded performance which included solid defence and clinical attack.

“We’ve been waiting for a performance like that for a while,” Phelps said.

“This season, like the last couple of seasons, has been the same, we always start off slow and then kind of get into a bit of a groove about halfway through and towards the end of the season.

“We’ve been working on things at training like passing to feet, opening up into space and getting blokes marching the players around and it hadn’t really come off in games, communication hadn’t quite been there and fitness hadn’t quite been there and it’s all broken down.

“But on Friday night it all clicked.

“It was the kind of performance we know we can produce week in week out, but we know we’ll have to work for it every game going forward.

“It was good to see it finally happen and to put in a performance all the way through to the 90-minute mark.

“It’s our second win of the season but hopefully it’s going to be a bit of a springboard for us pressing on towards the rest of the season.”

Phelps said that it was pleasing to see his side’s attacking four of Lucero, Avery and Nathan and Dean Hamblin really click together in the big win.

“Adding Alex to the team was absolutely huge,” Phelps said.

“He’s the first one to say at the end of a game that he could have done better which is good to see, it means he takes a bit of pride in what he does and he’s always striving to do a bit better.

“What he’s done so far this season has been phenomenal, even if he hasn’t had the flashest game by his standards he still helps so much, space just opens up for us by just having another person who has that composure and ability up front rather than just relying on Nathan Hamblin or David Avery or Dean Hamblin.

“In the past we’ve primarily been built around defence and counter attacking, but having a solid and consistent front four is really helping and changing how we play.”

Phelps also commended his side’s defence after Wee Waa kept a second clean sheet in Friday night’s win against an Elevens team with some fast, young attackers.

“I think our defensive effort was a bit understated on Friday night because of how well our forward pack went,” Phelps said.

“I think I only had to make about five saves, well five decent efforts, to keep the ball out.

“When you look at the Elevens’ attack and what they did to us a few weeks ago I feel our defensive line really did well.

“Jayden (Hamblin) was doing a lot of talking and a lot of ordering around which was really good to see.

“Rhys (Organ) and Crispy (Chris Johnson) were solid and Hayden Shearin actually has been amazing all year.

“Hayden’s made the step up from juniors because he wanted to have a crack at seniors and he has slotted into the backline well.

“He’s unreal, he’ll go all day no hesitation. It’s really good to see a junior make a step up like that.”

In Friday’s game Wee Waa almost took the lead in the fifth minute when Nathan Hamblin broke the defence on the left edge and squared a pass up to Avery but he fired a shot over the crossbar from close range.

In the 12th minute the Elevens were centimetres away from going ahead when Brady Jenkins launched a free kick from halfway over Phelps who was well off his line but the shot just missed to the left of the left post.

A minute later Wee Waa hit the lead when Nathan Hamblin ran onto a through ball and rounded Elevens goalkeeper Jakeb Nipperess before slotting the ball into an empty net and then the floodgates opened.

Just two minutes later Dean Hamblin doubled the side’s lead and by the 19th minute the score was 3-0 when Lucero smashed a shot from just outside the 18-yard box into the top right corner.

Lucero managed to score an even better goal late in the half to make the score 4-0.

With 10 minutes left to play in the first half, Wee Waa won a free kick 20 metres out from goal and Lucero stepped up to take it. He drove a powerful strike over the wall which dipped and hit the under side of the crossbar, bounced off the ground then up into the roof of the net

Wee Waa took its 4-0 lead into half-time and then just five minutes into the second half Nathan Hamblin scored from close range into an empty net to make the score 5-0. He then set up another two minutes later when he whipped a cross in from the left which his brother Dean headed into the back of the net.

In the 65th minute Nathan Hamblin completed his hat trick when he ran onto a bouncing through ball and volleyed a one-on-one shot into the back of the net to make the score 7-0.

That became 8-0 in the 70th minute when Avery scored the goal of the game, running onto a pass on the left edge then cutting in and firing a strike from 25 metres out into the top right corner.

In the 79th minute Wee Waa scored its ninth and final goal when Dean Hamblin added his third from the penalty spot.