New Namoi Premier League campaign begins with trio of Hogan Oval clashes

The 2023 Namoi Premier League campaign got underway with three matches at Hogan Oval on Saturday as Narrabri FC and Wee Waa United FC enjoyed a winning start to the season.

Narrabri FC hosted Moree Services FC in both grades and the home club prevailed 1-0 in reserve grade before scoring a thumping 6-0 victory in first grade.

Narrabri Eleven FC then took on Wee Waa United in a reserve grade clash and the visitors won 2-0.

The other first grade contest saw Wee Waa forfeit an away clash against Inverell FC.

There are four teams in both grades this season. Inverell only has a first grade team and the Elevens only have a reserve grade team, and when a team plays away from home against Inverell in first grade, it plays away against the Elevens in reserve grade.

Wee Waa was down several players due to work commitments across the weekend, and with no reserve grade team there to provide extra numbers for the first grade team, the club chose to forfeit the longer trip.

Club officials said they would line up in both grades this Saturday when they travel to take on Moree Services FC in round two.

In the first grade fixture at Hogan Oval on Saturday, Narrabri FC kicked off its 2023 campaign in style as it kept a clean sheet and piled on six goals at the other end of the pitch.

Midfielder and co-captain Cooper Brayshaw opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a powerful strike from just outside the 18-yard box that flew into the bottom left corner, and he set up the team’s second goal 10 minutes later when he got in behind the Moree defence and cut a pass back to Connor Hill who marked his return to Narrabri FC with a goal.

The hosts took that 2-0 lead into the break, and then Brayshaw tripled his side’s advantage just five minutes into the second stanza when he netted from halfway after the Moree Services goalkeeper was caught out of position following a clearance upfield.

Brayshaw then had a hand in the fourth goal just six minutes later when he whipped in a corner that centre-back Adam Pryor headed home.

Hill scored again in the 74th minute of the match to make the score 5-0, and then Brayshaw set up the sixth and final goal with 10 minutes left on the clock when he put the ball on a platter for Bailey Campbell to score on debut after they got through for a two-on-one with Moree’s goalkeeper.

Narrabri FC’s first grade coach Neil Brayshaw was pleased with his side’s opening-round performance, but he challenged the team to play better for longer.

“It was a great first hitout,” Brayshaw said.

“We played really well in patches, but I really want us to start playing full halves. We have good 15-20-minute bursts and then go away from our plan for a patch of the game. I’d like to see us start sticking to the plan for the whole game.

“There were a lot of good things there, especially in the first half.

“It was tight and very physical in the first 20 minutes of the game. Moree have definitely improved this year.

“But when we went to how I wanted us to play and used the width, that’s when we started to make inroads.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with our defensive line. They really held their line and didn’t commit too high. There was great talk from the back from Zaac (goalkeeper, Zaac Brayshaw) too and we started using him a lot more in the second half, which was good.”

In reserve grade, the score was locked at nil-all at the half-time break and was broken midway through the second half when Rhys Bower scored the winner on his debut.

That was the only goal of the contest as the hosts got off to a winning start to the season.

Narrabri Elevens’ round one reserve grade clash against Wee Waa United FC was then played under lights at Hogan Oval.

Goals to Brock Radburn and Ben Gilliland were the difference as the Wee Waa team kept a clean sheet in its 2-0 victory.

Radburn scored midway through the first half when he intercepted a pass from the Elevens’ goalkeeper just outside the 18-yard box and then found the back of the net.

Gilliland, who played the first half as goalkeeper and then went out on the field in the second stanza, scored his side’s second when he ran onto a through ball and went around the keeper and scored into an empty net.

Narrabri Elevens worked tirelessly during the off-season to ensure it had enough players to be able to field a team in 2023, and senior player Chris Simmonds said it was great to get out on the field on Saturday and start the season with a close contest.

“It was a surprise,” he said of getting a team together.

“There were times there that we were looking like we weren’t going to get a side together at all.

“A few people came in at the last minute to save the day.

“We actually had four missing on the weekend.

“It was great to get out there and play, and I think we played really good considering work commitments have meant we’ve had limited training.

“I ran out of legs about 10 minutes in, but everyone else on the team just kept going.

“For a new side, we moved the ball around pretty well.”

Round two will see Wee Waa United FC travel to challenge Moree in both grades this Saturday. Narrabri FC travels to Inverell in first grade for its round two clash, but the club’s reserve grade game against the Elevens will be played on Thursday night under lights at Hogan Oval.