Narrabri FC through to major semi-finals following derby victories

Inverell FC has ended Narrabri FC’s five-year Namoi Soccer League first grade minor premiership reign by claiming top spot in its debut season in the competition.

The Inverell club’s reserve grade side had already secured the reserve grade minor premiership four weeks earlier, but the club’s first grade side entered Saturday’s 15th and final round aware that they would more than likely need a win away from home at Cook Oval against Wee Waa United to get them over the line.

They got the job done with a 5-1 win against their third-placed opponents, which meant that despite a dominant 8-0 derby win, Narrabri FC was forced to settle for second.

Narrabri FC and Narrabri Eleven FC met at Hogan Oval in the final round of the campaign on Saturday.

While Narrabri FC was fighting for its minor premiership hopes and the Elevens were battling for their first win of the year, they were playing for something far more important. That was the David Jenkins Memorial Cup, played in memory of the late Jenkins, who was once a driving force behind the sport in Narrabri.

Narrabri FC took the lead in the 23rd minute when the club’s leading goal-scorer Colby Williams netted his 17th goal of the campaign as he ran onto a Cooper Brayshaw pass and drove a powerful strike into the top right corner from just outside the 18-yard box.

Brayshaw then scored himself 14 minutes later to make the score 2-0, which was the way it remained at half-time.

It took Narrabri FC four minutes to find the opening goal of the second stanza when a curling Rhys Hayne cross from the right edge was guided into the bottom left corner from close range by Jess O’Neill.

Cooper Brayshaw made the score 4-0 in the 58th minute when he ran onto a Blake Jarrett through ball and buried a one-on-one strike into the bottom left corner from just outside the box.

Jarrett then found that same corner with a strike from much closer range following a defensive error in the 66th minute, before those two goal-scorers combined in the 75th to release Jake Brayshaw, who scored a one-on-one strike to make the score 6-0.

The left winger backed up that goal with two classy assists for Jarrett in the 79th and 83rd minutes of the contest as the striker finished the match with a hat-trick, and Narrabri FC finished with eight goals and its fifth clean sheet of the season.

The other first grade match was not played after Gunnedah FC forfeited against Moree Services FC.

In the reserve grade competition, Narrabri FC finished second on the ladder after leapfrogging Wee Waa on the final day.

Narrabri FC scored a 2-0 win against the Elevens as Matt Edmonds and Danny Laws netted in the second stanza after the score was locked at nil-all at half-time.

Wee Waa United lost its round 15 match 2-0 against Inverell on home soil, while Gunnedah FC forfeited its match against Moree.

The major and minor semi-finals will be contested this Saturday. Inverell FC will host Narrabri FC in the first and reserve grade major semi-finals, while Wee Waa United hosts Gunnedah FC in both minor semi-finals.

The winners of the two major semi-finals will advance to the September 10 grand finals, which will be played at the home ground of the first grade major semi-final winner.

The losers of the major semi-finals will play against the winners of the minor semi-finals in the September 3 preliminary finals.