There are now just two rounds left to play in the Namoi Soccer League’s 2021 regular season and all catch-up games have been completed after Hogan Oval recently hosted six matches in three days.
The preliminary finalists have been locked in for both grades, with the minor premiers and wooden spoon recipients all decided.
Wee Waa United will compete in both preliminary finals and its first grade side is currently locked in a battle with Moree Services FC to decide which club will host both the first and reserve grade knockout games before Hogan Oval stages the 2021 grand final day on Saturday, August 28.
Wee Waa is currently second on the first grade ladder, just two points clear of third-placed Moree.
Those two sides will meet at Wee Waa’s Cook Oval this Saturday in the 14th round of the 15-round season where a win would see Wee Waa secure second spot and would also lock in Cook Oval as the preliminary final venue.
Should Wee Waa draw or lose that match, the race for second place would come down to the final round on Saturday, August 14.
Last Thursday, Wee Waa travelled to Narrabri where it challenged Eleven FC in round nine catch-up games.
The visitors returned home with six points after prevailing in both grades.
Wee Waa scored a 6-1 victory in the main game to move more than a win clear of third-placed Moree on the first grade ladder.
The visitors entered the half-time break leading 1-0 in that match, with Nathan Hamblin’s 40th-minute strike separating the sides.
His brother Matt Hamblin doubled Wee Waa’s advantage eight minutes into the second stanza before Alex Lucero struck on the hour-mark to make the score 3-0.
The Elevens hit back two minutes later when Bailey Campbell won and converted a penalty, but Wee Waa was too strong for the hosts.
The visitors restored their three-goal advantage with 11 minutes remaining when Matt Hamblin bagged his second of the match, then Jay Hall and Axel Currey both netted in the final 10 minutes as Wee Waa ran away with a 6-1 victory.
It was the side’s sixth win of the season which saw it finish the night on 18 points, five ahead of Moree.
Earlier in the evening, Wee Waa secured a spot in the Namoi Soccer League’s reserve grade finals series when it wrapped up third place with a 2-0 victory against the Elevens.
Axel Currey and Brock Radburn scored for the visitors in that match.
It was a win that saw Wee Waa move 10 points clear of last-placed Elevens, making it mathematically impossible for the Narrabri side to make a late-season surge into the top three.
The Elevens’ first grade team then dropped out of finals contention when it lost its round 13 match at Hogan Oval on Saturday night against Moree.
To sneak into third, the Elevens needed to win their final three matches and required Moree to lose all of its games.
However, the Moree men outscored the Elevens 3-1 to book a spot in the 2021 finals series.
They also closed the gap between themselves and Wee Waa to two points after the second-placed side lost a top-of-the-table battle against ladder leaders Narrabri FC at the same venue earlier in the day.
Narrabri FC won that match 2-0 to move to a maximum 39 points having claimed victory in all 13 of its games in 2021.
A strong wind blew during that match which Wee Waa ran into during the opening 45 minutes. The side defended well against the ladder leaders and when Narrabri FC did create chances, Wee Waa’s goalkeeper Steve Phelps was up to the challenge.
The two sides went into the half-time break locked at nil-all which was the way the score remained with 15 minutes to go.
However, in the 77th minute, Brayshaw brothers Cooper and Jake combined to give Narrabri FC the lead. The youngest of the two whipped in a curling corner from the left and Jake rose highest to head a powerful shot goal-bound. The ball rebounded out off the left post but struck Wee Waa defender Chris Johnson and rolled into the back of the net to make the score 1-0.
Jake Brayshaw would claim a goal of his own five minutes later when he fired a strike into the bottom right corner from just inside the 18-yard box. That goal was assisted by central midfielder Zac Stait who picked up the ball on the halfway line and beat four defenders during a dazzling run before passing to an unmarked Brayshaw who made no mistake.
That made the score 2-0 which was the way it remained when the full-time whistle sounded.
In the other first grade game which was played on Saturday night, Moree came out firing and scored two goals in the opening five minutes and took a 2-0 lead into the break.
The Elevens responded with a goal in the 58th minute which was scored by Bailey Campbell who converted his second penalty kick in as many matches, but any hopes of an Elevens comeback were dashed with three minutes left to play when the visitors scored their third to secure a 3-1 victory.
Saturday’s round 13 reserve grade games were won by Wee Waa and Moree.
For the first time in five attempts during the 2021 season, Wee Waa defeated Narrabri FC in a reserve grade match.
An Axel Currey goal separated the sides as Wee Waa claimed a 1-0 victory.
The side has consistently improved since the start of the season and has found form at the right time of the year, winning its past three matches after winning just two of its first 10 games.
Meanwhile, Moree won its 10th match in a row in round 13 on Saturday. A week after wrapping up the minor premiership, Moree won its 12th game from 13 attempts in 2021 when it outscored the Elevens 10-1.
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