Heartbreak for Namoi United as goal difference denies them a shot at finals

Namoi United head coach Neil Brayshaw was full of praise for his playing group despite falling agonisingly short of a finals spot in this year’s Northern Inland Premier League competition.

The combined Narrabri/Wee Waa/Moree team had a nervous wait on Sunday after they beat North Companions 1-0 at Tamworth’s Marius Street Sporting Fields in round 20 on Saturday while their southern conference rivals Hillvue Rovers were beaten 3-1 by Oxley Vale Attunga.

That result saw the Namoi men go three points clear of Hillvue, but the Tamworth club had a superior goal difference and had the chance to join Namoi United on 28 points on Sunday if they could upset Armidale City Westside in a rescheduled round four clash away from home in Armidale.

They managed to get the job done 3-1 to secure the third-place finish on the ladder as Namoi United dropped to fourth and missed out on a maiden finals berth.

Both of those sides won eight matches, drew four and lost six to finish with 28 competition points, but Namoi United missed out on third by two goals as Hillvue’s for and against different ended up being -3 and Namoi United’s finished at -5.

Tamworth FC were initially part of a three-way battle with those two teams in the race for third place, but a disciplinary breach meant they were deducted six points and could not clinch third, even if they won their round 20 fixture against Moore Creek that they lost 5-0.

Saturday’s contest in Tamworth saw Namoi United and North Companions remain locked 0-0 at half-time, and it was a Nick Gorton goal 20 minutes into the second stanza that broke the deadlock.

Jake Brayshaw released Matt Hamblin down the left edge in the lead-up to that goal, and the midfielder found Gorton with a cross before the striker finished off the move.

Brayshaw then scored a goal himself with about 10 minutes remaining in the match, but it was ruled out as the flag went up for offside.

Goalkeeper Zaac Brayshaw helped the visitors secure the three points as he made three crucial saves late in the half as Namoi United earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

They then had the chance to play for what would have been a crucial point on Sunday as they were scheduled to face Oxley Vale Attunga at Tamworth’s Johnson Field, but injuries and other unavailability left them with just nine players who could travel across both grades, and they were forced to make the tough decision to forfeit.

Coach Neil Brayshaw told The Courier that while the club wanted to travel for the fixture, a third double-header in as many weekends had taken its toll, and asking amateur players with families and full-time jobs to line up in six games in 16 days was simply too much.

He declared that the 2025 campaign was a success for the club and will act as the catalyst for a recruitment push across the off-season and plenty of hard work in the pre-season as the club looks to reach the finals in 2026.

“I think it’s a huge achievement, even though we missed out on the finals, finishing equal third but being fourth on for and against,” Brayshaw said.

“We were looking really good earlier in the year, but like every club goes through, we had a massive injury toll. It’s been since about June that a lot has gone wrong injury-wise, and for us to hang in there and to be playing in the last round to make it to the finals is a real credit to the players and how they stuck together.

“They should be really proud of their efforts across the past five or six weeks especially. Being in contention for a finals spot after what we’ve been through is pretty amazing. They should have their heads held high.

“The effort has been there all year from the guys. Even on Saturday, it wasn’t our best game, but they all dug deep for one another.

“Having to play five games in three weeks with a squad of 18 or 19 players just took its toll in the end. Some guys had to play two grades on those days too, you have to remember.

“This has shown us what we can do next year. The aim will be to make the finals in 2026.

“We need to drive to get more numbers behind us. Instead of a squad of 28-30, I think we need to be looking at around 36 players. A lot of things can happen during the season, like we’ve seen this year.

“Hopefully there’s a few more people who want to represent the region and play at a higher level.”

Several Northern Inland Premier League clubs and players were left confused and frustrated following the release of the finals series draw earlier this week, with the field allocations not favouring the higher-ranked first grade clubs for two of the three scheduled matches.

The two top-ranked conference winners were Moore Creek (southern) and Inverell (northern), and their major semi-final clash on Saturday, September 3, will be played at Inverell Sporting Complex, despite the Mountain Goats clinching first place on the overall ladder and finishing with a greater points-per-game ratio than the defending champions.

Likewise, Saturday’s qualifying final between Armidale City Westside and Hillvue Rovers will be played in Tamworth, despite Hillvue finishing third on the southern conference ladder and Westside ending up second on the northern conference ladder.

It will be played at Riverside Sporting Complex, as will the other qualifying final between second-placed southern conference side OVA and third-placed northern conference side East Armidale.