Sporties FC wins Narrabri derby thriller against improving Elevens

The third of four calendar year regular season Narrabri derbies was contested on Saturday at Hogan Oval in round seven of the Namoi Soccer League season and it was Sporties FC which earned the win against local rivals Elevens FC.

The competition’s top-ranked side Sporties FC led 2-1 at half-time before outscoring the Elevens 5-2 in the second stanza to claim a 7-3 victory.

Both sides were forced to battle slippery and muddy conditions but delivered one of the best and by far the most competitive Narrabri derbies in the past four seasons.

The Elevens went into the game having lost their past two matches against Sporties FC this season 6-0 and 12-1, but it was the Elevens which took an early lead when Cody Shepherdson capitalised on a misplaced pass from Jess O’Neil, intercepting the ball just outside the 18-yard box and smashing it into the bottom right hand corner to make the score 1-0 in the 11th minute. Sporties FC goalkeeper Zaac Brayshaw got a hand to the shot but could only force it into the side netting just inside the right post.

The trailing side hit back just three minutes later when Blake Jarrett ran onto a perfectly placed Cooper Brayshaw cross from the right edge and headed the ball into the bottom right corner. Rhys Hayne created the attack with a brilliant sliding tackle to win the ball seconds before the cross.

The sides went back and forth trying to gain the lead but late in the half it looked as though the score would remain level at half-time.

However, in the 38th minute Sporties FC’s left fullback and former Narabri Blues first grade forward O’Neil found himself high upfield with the ball rolling towards him in a goal-scoring position. He ran onto a loose ball just outside the 18-yard box following an attempted Elevens clearance and drove a shot into the bottom left hand corner for his first goal in senior soccer.

That made the score 2-1 at the break which became 3-1 early in the second stanza when Sporties FC’s leading goal scorer Cooper Brayshaw netted his 11th goal in seven games.

Brayshaw released Jason Foxe down the right edge who then cut a cross back to Brayshaw just outside the 18-yard box.

The centre midfielder made no mistake as he placed a first time strike into the bottom right corner.

Midway through the half the Elevens hit back with their second goal when former Blue Boars rugby union first grade winger James Albert netted his first goal for the club just after heavy rain had begun to fall at Hogan Oval.

At the near stick, Albert ran onto a Brady Jenkins pass from a right edge free kick and curled a shot into the bottom left hand corner.

Less than five minutes later Sporties FC regained its two-goal advantage when Jarrett volleyed a shot into the back of the net after running onto a Cooper Brayshaw corner kick, from the right, at the back stick.

Brayshaw then became the second Sporties FC player to bag a double on the day when he converted from the penalty spot after winning a spot kick himself when he was taken down after receiving a throw in and beating four Elevens FC defenders.

The game looked done and dusted at that point but the Elevens refused to give up and with 15 minutes remaining Matt Conroy scored a well-struck volley from close range to make the score 5-3.

Sporties FC then won a penalty which Colby Williams stepped up to take, and the winger drove a shot low to the right but Elevens goalkeeper Jakeb Nipperess went the right way and made the save.

The Elevens rushed in to congratulate their goalkeeper who gave them added hope for the remainder of the game.

However any chance of a potential Elevens come from behind win or even a draw was quashed in the 85th minute when gun centre back Nathan Trindall set up Sporties FC’s sixth.

Trindall made a crucial tackle deep into his own half and ran the ball forward away from danger.

Just before he reached halfway, he threaded a perfectly placed through ball to Williams who found himself one on one with Nipperess.

The Elevens keeper denied Williams a goal, but the ball rebounded to Jason Foxe who scored into an empty net.

In the 89th minute Williams added Sporties FC’s seventh when he ran onto a Jarrett through ball and rounded Nipperess to score into an empty net and make the final score 7-3.

In the other round seven match Wee Waa United FC hosted Moree Services FC at Cook Oval, Wee Waa, and won 4-1.

Wee Waa went into half-time with a 1-0 lead thanks to a Shane Soutter first half strike, but Moree levelled early in the second stanza.

Goals to David Avery, Alex Lucero and Matt Hamblin saw Wee Waa claim its second consecutive win after it defeated Elevens FC 9-0 in round six.

Those results meant that Wee Waa leapfrogged Moree into second on the ladder.

Wee Waa is on nine points, 10 behind ladder leaders Sporties FC which has earned 19 of a possible 21 points in 2020.

Sporties FC and Wee Waa United will meet in a top-of-the-table clash at Hogan Oval this Friday night in round eight, and on the same night the Elevens will travel to take on Moree.

The following day all four teams will back up to play round nine games when Wee Waa hosts the Elevens, and Sporties FC travels to take on Moree.