Narrabri FC demolishes the defending champs by seven to stay on top of the table

Narrabri FC scored its fourth win of the 2023 Namoi Premier League first grade campaign on Saturday and this one was its biggest yet.

The club travelled to Inverell for its round five contest where it challenged its 2022 season grand final opponents Inverell FC, and the Narrabri men returned home with the three points after thrashing the hosts 7-0.

In-form striker Connor Hill scored the first goal of the contest about 15 minutes after the kick-off. He later added a second goal and his teammates Victor Matuku and Bailey Campbell also netted once each as the visitors went into the break ahead 4-0.

Hill added a third in the second stanza to finish the match with a hat-trick and at the top of the golden boot tally with seven goals, and Matuku scored a second to finish the match with a brace.

The Narrabri side’s other goal was scored by centre midfielder Cooper Brayshaw, who has now netted five times in as many matches.

Narrabri FC’s first grade coach Neil Brayshaw had put a challenge to his team after it had won unconvincingly against Moree Services FC in round four, stating that he wanted to see a 90-minute effort from the team.

He told The Courier that they indeed delivered.

“They definitely responded how I wanted them to,” he said.

“I had a good talk to them before the game and I reiterated that I wanted us to turn one good half into two good halves.

“It was our best performance of the year.

“I was pleased with our start too. We had been flat early in games all year, but from the word go we pressed as a team and put Inverell under pressure.

“We scored four goals in the first half and three in the second, and we also didn’t concede.

“The guys played as a team and we are finally starting to play well to our new structure.

“I couldn’t be happier.”

Brayshaw said he thought his side’s leading goal-scorer, Hill, was the standout player in a brilliant team performance.

Narrabri FC is first on the ladder with 12 competition points following four wins and a loss, and still leads second-placed Wee Waa United FC by two points after the Wee Waa men scored their third win of the year on Saturday when they downed Moree Services FC 6-0 on home soil at Cook Oval.

Narrabri FC and Wee Waa United will meet in a top-of-the-table clash this Saturday in the sixth round of the season in Wee Waa.

Meanwhile, Narrabri FC’s round five reserve grade game was played under lights at Hogan Oval on Thursday.

The ladder leaders scored their fifth straight clean sheet victory when they downed Narrabri Eleven FC 4-0.

The score was nil-all at half-time, but Narrabri FC overpowered the Elevens in the second half as Victor Matuku, Jorian Fleming, Tynan Williams and Cody Shepherdson all found the back of the net.