Narrabri Sporties FC secures the Namoi Soccer League’s 2020 minor premiership

The Namoi Soccer League’s three Narrabri Shire teams were all victorious on Friday or Saturday and all three finished round nine above Moree on the competition ladder as the race to the finals continues

On Friday night Wee Waa United FC downed Narrabri Sporties FC 4-2 at Hogan Oval in a round eight match, then the following day in round nine games Narrabri Elevens FC defeated Wee Waa 4-2 at Cook Oval while Sporties FC beat Moree 4-3 in Moree to secure the side’s fourth consecutive minor premiership as well as a fourth straight home grand final.

The other match scheduled to be played, which was a round eight fixture between Elevens and Moree in Moree on Friday night, was rescheduled.

Friday night’s game between Wee Waa and Sporties FC was one of the most memorable contests between the two teams.

The home side led 2-0 after 10 minutes after hitting the back of the net twice early in the match.

In the third minute Blake Jarrett ran onto a Rhys Hayne cross from the left edge and struck the ball into the bottom right corner with a first time strike.

Seven minutes later Hayne curled a shot from just outside the 18-yard box into the top right corner after running onto a bouncing Cooper Brayshaw through ball and striking the ball first time.

Sporties FC was well and truly in the driver’s seat at that point but from then on until half-time Wee Waa produced an attacking and defensive master class, outplaying the home side in all areas of the park.

David Avery pulled one back for the visiting side with a goal from the penalty spot before making the score 2-2 after 25 minutes.

Matt Hamblin then scored the goal of the game with a shot from 25 metres which flew out into the top right corner to put Wee Waa ahead 3-2.

Before the break Avery scored his third to give Wee Waa a two-goal advantage.

In the second half both teams had plenty of chances to hit the back of the net but neither did as the score remained 4-2 at full time.

The following day Wee Waa entered round nine determined to win its fourth straight game but it was the Elevens which were victorious at Cook Oval for the second time in the 2020 season.

The Elevens took the lead in the fifth minute when Bailey Campbell ran onto a through ball and buried a strike into the bottom right corner from just inside the 18-yard box.

The next two goals were set up by Jacob Nichols, both from corner kicks, as Riley Jenkins scored a 10th-minute goal from just outside the box before Ayden Hunter blasted a volley into the back of the net on the 15-minute mark to make the score 3-0.

Wee Waa’s Dave Avery got the ball rolling for the hosts with a goal which made the score 3-1 at half-time.

Early in the second stanza Jenkins scored his second to put the visitors ahead 4-1.

Ryan O’Neill then pulled one back for Wee Waa with a goal from 40 metres out to make the score 4-2.

That was the final goal of the game but there was almost one more with five minutes remaining when Nathan Hamblin was denied what may have been the goal of the season by the crossbar from a free kick from halfway.

In Moree the hosts opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark, but Sporties FC went into half-time leading 2-1 following a 36th-minute Rhys Hayne tap in from a Brenton Cochrane corner and a 44th-minute Cochrane chip from just outside the 18-yard box after the winger beat two Moree defenders.

Seven minutes into the second half Sporties FC went ahead 3-1 when Colby Williams, who hit the post twice in the opening 45 minutes, found the back of the net after the Moree keeper saved a Cochrane shot but could do nothing to deny Williams’ follow up strike.

Ten minutes later Moree pulled one back to make the score 3-2, but Williams restored the visitors’ two-goal advantage moments later with his second of the game.

But as quickly as Sporties FC responded to Moree’s second goal the hosts added its third to make the score 4-3.

After an action-packed opening 20 minutes in the second stanza which delivered four goals, none were scored in the final 25 minutes as the visitors held on to win the match 4-3.

The victory, combined with Wee Waa’s loss, meant that Sporties FC finished round nine on 22 points.

Wee Waa is second on 12 points with three games left meaning it can finish on a maximum 21 points.

Elevens FC is third on nine points with four games remaining, meaning it too can finish on a maximum 21 points.

Moree is last on seven points with four games left which means it can finish on a maximum 19 points.

This Saturday in round 10 the two Narrabri teams will go head-to-head in the Jenkins Cup memorial match at Hogan Oval, while Wee Waa travels to take on Moree.