Opens teams set a new goal-scoring record on Sunday

The highest scoring round of Narrabri Dolphins Water Polo Club’s 2023/24 season senior comp was contested at Narrabri Aquatic Centre on Sunday as the four teams combined to pile on 44 goals in round nine.

Thirty-four of those were scored by the winning teams as Barwon beat Wilga 20-8 before Kurrajong downed Nandewar 14-2. Those two results saw the four teams set a new record for goals scored in a single round, breaking the previous record of 37 from round three.

Kurrajong’s win saw them leapfrog their opponents into second place. They are now on 17 points following three victories, two draws and four losses, one point clear of Nandewar who are now on 16 points following three wins, a draw and five losses. Trailing them are Wilga who are last on 11 points following no wins, three draws and six losses.

At the other end of the table, the league leaders Barwon went further clear at the top as they continued their undefeated run with their ninth consecutive victory to finish the day with a maximum 27 points. They went into the round searching for their 100th goal after hitting the back of the net 99 times across the first eight rounds, and they managed to find it and then pile on 19 more as they downed Wilga 20-8.

The score was 7-3 at quarter-time before Barwon outscored Wilga three goals to two in the second term to go into half-time with a 10-5 lead. The ladder leaders scored five goals to two in the third to enter the final break ahead 15-7, and they found the back of the net five more times in the fourth quarter while only conceding once to win 20-8.

Dean Clarke scored 11 goals in the 12-goal win, including six in the first quarter. Darcy Gleeson scored five of Barwon’s other nine goals, Alex Mison scored two and Emily Nott and Lucas Clark registered one each. Paul Bushby scored a hat-trick for Wilga, Ollie Ford bagged a double and Ella Tomlinson, Stewart Todd and Karla Carruthers found the back of the net once each.

The second opens division match of the day was a close contest at the first two breaks as Kurrajong led 1-0 at quarter-time and 3-1 at half-time. However, a dominant third quarter in which they outscored Nandewar seven goals to zero saw them enter the final break ahead 10-1, and they scored four goals to one in the final term to run away with a 14-2 victory.

Nick Brennan found the back of the net five times for Kurrajong, Stacey Dunn and Matilda Wallington both scoffed hat-tricks, and Louise Tout, Sienna Wallington and Rhys Bower all chipped in with one goal each. Nandewar’s goals were scored by Martha Barton and Andrea Fernance.

As usual, the under-14s junior game between Namoi and Kaputar got the day’s play underway, and it was Namoi that prevailed by a score of 9-6. They outscored Kaputar 3-1 in the first quarter and then went into half-time leading 5-3 after the two sides scored two goals each in the second. Namoi scored once and conceded twice in the third to take a narrow 6-5 lead into the final quarter, but they outscored Kaputar three goals to one to earn a 9-6 victory.

Maddison Connole scored a hat-trick for Namoi, Elsie Barton and Chelsea Clarke both bagged doubles and Ollie Ford and Lexie Fernance scored a goal each. For Kaputar, Elke Collins scored two of the six goals and the other four were shared between Ruby Irwin, Ruby Greentree, Elsie Bennett and Joe Brown.

This Sunday’s opens matches will see Barwon challenge Kurrajong in a top-of-the-table clash before Wilga and Nandewar go head-to-head. Kick-starting the day again will be the under-14s contest between Namoi and Kaputar.