Narrabri FC wins the 2021 Jenkins Cup memorial match

Narrabri FC celebrated a fifth consecutive David Jenkins Memorial Cup victory as well as its biggest win of the 2021 Namoi Soccer League first grade season on Saturday when it downed Elevens FC 9-1 in their final encounter of the campaign at Hogan Oval.

It was the 14th win from as many attempts this season for the ladder leaders as they moved to 42 points at the top of the table.

If the side wins its 15th and final regular season match away from home against Moree this Saturday, it will have amassed a maximum 45 points across an undefeated campaign.

In round 14, Narrabri FC endured another slow start as the Elevens came out with more desire and hunger to get to the ball first.

But Colby Williams broke the deadlock midway through the first half when the Narrabri FC frontman volleyed home from close range after getting onto the end of a Cooper Brayshaw cross from the left.

The Elevens then thought they had found an equaliser twice in the space of three minutes but both attempts were ruled out.

The first saw Bailey Campbell judged to have been offside after Matt Conroy headed on a long pass from goalkeeper Jakeb Nipperess into Campbell’s path and the speedy striker raced away from the retreating Narrabri FC defenders and found the bottom left hand corner with a one-on-one strike against opposition goalkeeper Zaac Brayshaw.

Just after that was ruled out for the infringement, Wes Rood-England got onto the end of a curling Josh Boyd corner and struck a powerful header goal-bound. It crashed off the underside of the bar and looked to have crossed the line before bouncing back out, but it was ruled no goal.

Those two chances saw Narrabri FC refocus and regroup, and by half-time the defending champs led 4-0.

Williams scored two more goals either side of a Jake Brayshaw strike to finish the first half with a hat-trick.

Brayshaw then scored his second less than two minutes into the second stanza to make the score 5-0 before the Elevens hit back with a goal through Leon Ryman to get on the scoresheet.

But Brayshaw restored his side’s five-goal advantage minutes later when he scored his third to become the second player to celebrate a hat-trick in the game.

That made the score 6-1, which became 8-1 with 15 minutes left to play after captain Cooper Brayshaw scored two classy goals into the bottom left corner from outside the 18-yard-box within six minutes of one another.

With four minutes to go, Jake Brayshaw received a pass on the right edge and rounded an Elevens defender before racing 20 metres and scoring his fourth goal of the game to make the final score 9-1.

Narrabri FC’s first grade coach Neil Brayshaw told The Courier that he was pleased with how clinical his side was in front of goal, but challenged his men to start their remaining two matches much better.

“I’m definitely pleased with the majority of the game, just our start was too slow again,” he said.

“I couldn’t be happier with the clinical finishes and the build-up work, I’m really pleased with that aspect of our game but we’ve really got to work on our starts.

“We went back to the structure that works for our formation. I told the boys in the sheds that they have to go back before they can go forward and we did that a lot more, we got the keeper and the backs involved a lot more and it looked good and paid off.”

Brayshaw said that he and his men were honoured to once again play in memory of the late David Jenkins.

“We are certainly happy to win the cup again,” he said.

“It’s a big day for our club and the Elevens.

“He’s a great loss to the community, Dave, as was Graeme Sunderland who we also played in memory of.

“It’s a great day for both clubs and it’s great to have that trophy back in our cabinet for another 12 months.”

Brayshaw expects Tom Holland and Rhys Hayne, who missed Saturday’s match through injury, to return for this Saturday’s final round match against Moree. He said that he would have a full side to choose from with the exception of Callum McPhee who is struggling with a hamstring injury and will be rested this weekend.

Meanwhile, after combining for six goals in Saturday’s big win, Brayshaw brothers Jake and Cooper finished locked on 13 apiece at the top of the Namoi Soccer League’s first grade golden boot tally.

One behind them on 12 is fellow round 14 goal-scorer Colby Williams.

In sixth is Wee Waa United’s leading scorer David Avery who now has seven goals after scoring a brilliant volley in his side’s 3-0 win against Moree Services FC on Saturday at Cook Oval.

Avery found the top left corner with his strike after teammates Nathan Hamblin and Alex Lucero scored in the first half to send their side into the break ahead 2-0.

That win was one that secured a second-place finish for Wee Waa and earned it the right to host the August 21 preliminary finals.

Meanwhile, in reserve grade on Saturday, Narrabri FC defeated the Elevens 4-0 and Moree Services FC downed Wee Waa United 2-0.

At Hogan Oval, Matt Dunn scored two goals in the first half to send his side into the break ahead 2-0. Usually a central defender but pushed up to striker for the round 14 match, Dunn almost had a hat-trick but just before the half-time whistle when he had a thunderous strike from outside the 18-yard box come crashing out off the crossbar.

Second-half goals to Danny Anderson and George Bennett saw Narrabri FC run away with a 4-0 win.