Narrabri FC and Wee Waa United FC impress at 2023 Johnson Cup tournament in Tamworth

Narrabri FC reached the final four of the 2023 Johnson Cup tournament on Saturday but went down in the semi-final against its Namoi Soccer League rivals Inverell FC at the Gipps Street Fields in Tamworth.

The club returned to the Northern Inland Football pre-season event for the third consecutive year and once again proved it could match it with some of the region’s best teams as it won all three pool games without conceding a goal and then beat Wee Waa United FC in the quarter-final.

Oxley Vale Attunga was crowned champions for the third time in four seasons after it defeated the Inverell side in the final. A Josh Bartlett strike was the difference when the defending Northern Inland Premier Division champions and the defending Namoi Soccer League champions went head-to-head.

Sixteen men’s teams competed on the day, which included three Namoi Soccer League sides. Narrabri FC, Inverell FC and Wee Waa United FC all punched above their weight and defeated Tamworth-based teams to progress to the final eight.

Narrabri FC coach Neil Brayshaw told The Courier he was happy with every player who pulled on a Narrabri FC shirt and commended them for their efforts on a hot day in Tamworth. He said that he could not have been any prouder of his club, and he thanked everyone who travelled to support the team as well as his assistant on the day, Darren Moodie.

Brayshaw’s men were placed into pool C with South Armidale United FC, Oxley Vale Attunga and Tamworth FC. They defeated those sides 2-0, 1-0 and 3-0, respectively, to top the group and earn a quarter-final spot.

Co-captain Cooper Brayshaw scored three of his side’s six pool goals, two were scored by Bailey Campbell, and youngster Jorian Fleming scored the winner against OVA White.

Those results saw Narrabri FC book a spot alongside Wee Waa United FC in the quarter-final after Wee Waa had placed second in pool D.

Wee Waa took on Tamworth club Souths United FC in its first pool game, and the sides played out a nil-all draw. A Ray Nixon strike then earned Wee Waa the three points against another Tamworth team, North Companions, in game two.

The Wee Waa men then challenged eventual champs Oxley Vale Attunga Red in the third game and scored a crucial point as they drew 1-all. Nixon scored again in that game, and OVA’s goal was a Dave Avery own goal.

Wee Waa United FC established an early advantage in the quarter-final as Nathan Hamblin became the first player to score past Zaac Brayshaw in this year’s tournament. It took a superb strike to beat the Narrabri keeper as Hamblin dribbled the ball from the halfway line down the left edge and drove the ball from just outside the box into the top right corner.

Narrabri FC then equalised with five minutes to go when Cooper Brayshaw netted his fourth goal of the day. The centre midfielder ran onto a through ball and beat Wee Waa keeper Steve Phelps to the ball, and scored into an empty net.

Phelps was injured in the process and had to leave the field, and it was Wee Waa’s goal-scorer, Hamblin, who replaced him for the rest of the match.

The contest finished 1-all and went into a penalty shootout, in which both sides scored their first two after Tom Holland and Cooper Brayshaw netted for Narrabri FC, and Ben Cooper and Dean Hamblin scored for Wee Waa.

Dean’s brother Nathan then pulled off the first save of the shootout to deny Narrabri FC’s third kick, which was taken by Campbell.

Mark Rottger then made it 3-2 with a successful strike to give Wee Waa a crucial advantage. Colby Williams scored Narrabri FC’s subsequent penalty, and then Zaac Brayshaw made his team’s first stop to deny Alex Lucero to level it up at three successful penalty kicks each.

Jake Brayshaw and Avery netted the sides’ fifth penalty kicks before Jakeb Nipperess scored Narrabri’s sixth.

Matthew Hamblin stepped up for Wee Waa’s sixth kick and his shot was saved by Zaac Brayshaw, which saw Narrabri FC win and progress to the semi-final.

Brayshaw pulled off another crucial penalty save in his side’s final-four clash against Inverell FC, which kept the score a nil-all going into half-time.

That was the way the score remained until there were just two minutes left to play in the contest when Inverell FC netted a late winner to progress through to the decider.

The other semi-final saw OVA Red down Moore Creek in a penalty shootout to join Inverell FC in the final, and the Tamworth club got the job done.

The 2023 Jan Johnson Cup women’s tournament was won by Kootingal and District Football Club.

Narrabri FC, Wee Waa United FC and Inverell now turn their attention to the Namoi Soccer League season, which will get underway on Saturday, April 22.

There are four teams in both grades this season, down from six last year after Gunnedah FC pulled out of both grades, Narrabri Eleven FC pulled out of first grade, and Inverell FC pulled out of reserve grade.

The regular season will run across 15 rounds, so each team will play against its opposition sides five times each.

In the opening round of the first grade comp, Narrabri FC hosts Moree Services FC at Hogan Oval while Wee Waa United FC travels to Inverell to challenge the defending champs.

In round one of the reserve grade campaign, Wee Waa will take on the Elevens. The venue of that match is yet to be announced, but it is expected to be played in Narrabri. The other match will see Narrabri FC host Moree.

Wee Waa’s first home games will be played at Cook Oval in round two on Saturday, April 29, when the club hosts Moree in both grades.