Narrabri FC returns home from Wee Waa with all six points

Narrabri FC continued its undefeated start to the 2021 Namoi Soccer League season in both first and reserve grade on Saturday when its two teams scored their fourth consecutive victories.

The Narrabri club travelled to Cook Oval for its round four matches where it was victorious 3-2 in first grade and 6-1 in reserve grade against Wee Waa United.

Narrabri FC’s reserve grade team’s leading goal-scorer George Bennett scored his side’s first hat-trick of the season and teammates Tom Ryan, Danny Anderson and Taylor Gordon all got on the scoresheet in the five-goal win, while Wee Waa’s Brock Radburn scored his team’s lone goal.

In the main game, Narrabri FC’s first grade side entered the fixture having not conceded at all across the first three rounds of the season but found itself behind 1-0 when Wee Waa’s Bailey Organ opened the scoring in the 10th minute.

The visitors hit back with goals in the 14th and 19th minutes netted by Blake Jarrett and Cooper Brayshaw respectively which saw them take the lead before a 35th-minute goal scored by Colby Williams gave them a two-goal advantage.

Organ scored Wee Waa’s second goal with 21 minutes remaining but the visitors held on to win 3-2.

Narrabri FC coach Neil Brayshaw told The Courier that although his side conceded its first two goals of the season, he was impressed with his
backline and goalkeeper who combined to produce a resilient defensive display.

“I reckon our defence was best, even though we conceded twice,” he said.

“We turned the ball over a lot and I was pleased with how well the defence coped and kept holding Wee Waa out.

“Zaac (goalkeeper Zaac Brayshaw) was good too, he made some good saves and he’s growing to adapt to how I want him to play when he has possession of the ball.

“In patches our attack looked good too, there was some good passing on what was a heavy and bumpy field.”

Brayshaw also commended his side’s response after conceding the early goal.

“I thought it was a great effort, going down to 1-0 but getting back to 2-1 almost straight away then 3-1 at half-time,” he said.

“We hadn’t been behind this year and the boys didn’t panic, it was just business as usual and the goal actually made us decide to switch on.

“We used to panic after getting scored against but not anymore.”

In the other first grade game, Moree Services FC earned its first competition point of the four-week-old season when it drew 2-all with Elevens FC.

The Narrabri club hosted the match at Hogan Oval and established a 1-0 lead when Bailey Campbell netted to break the deadlock.

But it was the visitors which went into the break ahead 2-1 after Adam Ha and Matt Urquhart both scored first half goals.

Campbell then equalised with 25 minutes remaining when he scored his second goal of the game and his fourth in four matches to make the score 2-all which is the way it remained at full time.

Elevens FC went down 2-0 in the reserve grade game earlier in the afternoon.

At Cook Oval, Wee Waa United swiftly turned defence into attack in the 10th minute of the first grade contest when a wayward Narrabri FC pass deep in Wee Waa territory was intercepted by Jayden Hamblin and turned into a fast counter-attack. Organ then found himself one-on-one with Narrabri FC goalkeeper Zaac Brayshaw and the striker found the back of the net to put his side on the front foot.

The visitors didn’t trail for long, equalising just four minutes later when Jarrett scored from close range after a Callum McPhee headed shot was parried by Wee Waa goalkeeper Steve Phelps into the path of the unmarked striker.

Narrabri FC hit the lead five minutes later when Cooper Brayshaw fired a powerful strike from just inside the 18-yard box into the bottom left corner after playing a one-two with Jarrett just outside the penalty area to cut through Wee Waa’s midfield and defensive lines.

The visitors celebrated again when Williams found the back of the net in the 35th minute. Williams scored his fourth goal in as many matches when he ran onto a Jarrett through ball and pounced on a loose ball before finding the net with a second effort strike after his initial shot was spilled by Phelps.

Organ struck again in the 69th minute when he chased down an under-hit back pass and charged down a Zaac Brayshaw clearance then slotted the loose ball into an empty net.

The visitors pushed hard for an equaliser but could not crack Narrabri FC’s desperate late-game defence as the visitors secured all three points with a 3-2 victory.

Narrabri FC has now created a six-point gap between itself and second-placed Wee Waa United at the top of the Namoi Soccer League ladder following Saturday’s win.

After claiming a maximum six points during its two-game road trip in rounds three and four, it returns to Hogan Oval in round five this Saturday for its first of four consecutive home games when it takes on Elevens FC.

Wee Waa will travel to Moree in the other match.