The 2022 Namoi Soccer League grand finals will be held at Inverell Sporting Complex after Inverell FC scored two major semi-final victories on home soil against Narrabri FC on Saturday.
The competition’s top-ranked clubs produced two entertaining matches that were both separated by just one goal, as the minor premiers prevailed 2-1 in first grade and 1-0 in reserve grade.
Narrabri FC hosted the past four grand finals at Hogan Oval from 2017 to 2020 and was determined to extend that streak to five in 2022.
However, a disjointed first half in the first grade game on Saturday saw the visiting side concede twice on the counter attack following defensive errors, and Inverell went into the break with a 2-0 advantage. The first grade golden boot winner Andrew Saru netted for his side in that first half, as did teammate Junior Padokana.
While chances were few and far between for Narrabri FC in that opening 45 minutes, the side regrouped after the half-time break and mounted a push for a comeback.
A sensational Jake Brayshaw strike with 25 minutes to go in the match reduced Narrabri FC’s deficit to one after the striker received a cross from his brother Cooper and drove a shot across the goalkeeper and into the top right corner to make the score 2-1.
Inverell’s advantage looked set to be doubled when, with six minutes left on the clock, Cameron Stewart fired a cracking shot from 25 metres out that flew over Narrabri FC goalkeeper Zaac Brayshaw and looked certain to fly into the back of the net. However, the ball cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and then bounced back out into the field of play before the danger was cleared by the visitors.
Narrabri FC pushed hard for an equaliser either side of that shot but was kept out by the hosts, who held on to win by one goal.
Earlier in the day, Inverell claimed a 1-0 victory in the reserve grade game to continue its undefeated run in the 2022 campaign and book a spot in the grand final.
Narrabri FC almost took the lead on the 10-minute mark, however, the same crossbar that denied Stewart also denied Darcy Gleeson, whose brilliant dipping strike from 20 metres out beat the Inverell keeper but was denied by the woodwork.
The score was locked nil-all at half-time, and with about 10 minutes to go the hosts finally broke the deadlock when Don Kiri drove into the box and fired a shot into the bottom left corner.
Narrabri FC has now aimed its focus at Saturday’s preliminary final games, which it will play against Wee Waa United FC in both grades.
Wee Waa scored a 2-0 win at Cook Oval on Saturday in the reserve grade minor semi-final against Gunnedah FC, and it then demolished Gunnedah 9-0 in first grade.
An Axel Currey goal sent Wee Waa into half-time with a 1-0 lead in the reserve grade match before Nicholas Kable doubled the side’s advantage in the second stanza.
In first grade, David Avery opened the scoring in the fifth minute and the player-coach scored again just three minutes later.
A Matt Hamblin strike midway through the half put the hosts ahead 3-0, which was the way it remained at half-time.
Avery and teammates Alex Lucero and Jacob Hopman all scored two goals each in the second half as Wee Waa ran away to win the game by nine unanswered goals.
The preliminary finals will be played at Hogan Oval, and the winners of those two games will travel to Inverell on Saturday, September 10, to take on Inverell FC in the deciders.
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