May 22, 2017
Saturday’s sixth round of this year’s South Burnett football competition provided a day of upsets for fans.
Normally, the region’s football competition runs with a machine-like precision that is the envy of other codes.
But this year – thanks to the last-minute cancellation of a Super Saturday derby in April when ex-Cylone Debbie swept across the region – the normally well-oiled competition has been all over the shop.
The Super Saturday cancellation led to six catch-up games having to be played over succeeding weeks.
This difficult situation was made even more difficult by problems some sides have had assembling a full team for match days, which has already led to one extra catch-up game and will soon lead to another.
Delays in getting scores out have thrown another spanner in the works, making construction of a ladder for the season to date difficult, and severely limiting media coverage of matches as well.
To add just a bit more chilli to the hot dog, the annual President’s Cup is coming up this Saturday (May 27), when the top two teams in each division at the end of the sixth round play off against one another.
So the need to get all matches played and all bugs ironed out has never been more critical.
* * *
In Kingaroy, Wests played Barambah at Tom Alford Oval on Saturday, which saw a couple of upsets.
In the 2nd Division clash, both teams played a scoreless first half, much to the surprise of many onlookers.
For their part, Barambah’s 2nd Division squad contains quite a few players who have enough skill to play at 1st Division level (and due to a player shortage, most have been playing in 1st Division matches for the better part of the past 14 months).
The Bears’ side is also physically bigger, on average, and has a great depth of experience.
However, Wests’ generally younger and physically smaller side have improved quickly as the season has progressed, and they showed their skills on Saturday by adroitly defending their goal mouth against repeated assaults by the Bears.
They also made many of their own assaults on the Bears’ nets, but poor finishing saw both teams going into half time with the score locked at nil-all.
In the second half, though, it was the Bears who opened their account first, thanks to a fumble with the ball by Wests’ goal-keeper James Snape which resulted in an own goal by the red and blacks.
This unexpected error galvanised Wests, and Ethan Schultz sank an equaliser for his team through a hole in Barambah’s defences barely six minutes later.
But the Bears quickly clawed their way back into the lead three minutes after that when a rocket by Brock Kingston found its way to the back of Wests’ nets.
After this, both sides visibly ramped up their attacks.
In the end, it was Wests’ Tokyo exchange student Rei Nozaki who assured a 2-all draw and a points split when he sank one into the Bears’ net, displaying the deft ball handling skills he picked up in the Asian league.
Overall, the result was good for both sides, who seem likely to have a rematch in this Saturday’s Presidents Cup.
But a definitive answer about which is the better team will likely only become clearer as the season progresses.
* * *
In the Women’s Division game that followed, Wests had it all over the lady Bears, despite a few fumbles.
Kiara Wright displayed her prowess by potting four goals past the Bears’ goal keeper in the first half, while the rest of her side kept the lady Bears scoreless.
In the second half, the Bears ramped up their attack in a desperate attempt to get at least one goal on their side of the ledger.
But Wests skilfully deflected their sorties, though they were unable to improve their own account any further.
The final result was perhaps less surprising than the 2nd Division match.
Wests Women are also slated to be President’s Cup contenders.
But the lady Bears – who are still finding their feet in this year’s competition, despite the presence of several in-form veterans – are not.
Will they follow last year’s pattern of starting the season slowly and finishing formidably as Grand Final contenders? That remains to be seen.
But it’s always unwise to discount the lady Bears early: they have an uncanny ability to surprise.
* * *
In the 1st Division match, the exhausted Bears who played the earlier 2nd Division match took to the field to try to defend against a fresh Wests 1st Division squad, but were wretchedly unsuccessful.
Wests began their assault in the 13th minute when Luke Smith found the back of the Bears net, and he was followed ten minutes later by Mitchell Hunter.
To their credit, the Bears never let their heads drop and managed to hold Wests to this 2-nil result right the way through to half time, then three quarters of the way through the second half as well.
But the Bears’ defence collapsed spectacularly in the 73rd minute when Wests’ Mitchell Hunter sank a rocket past their goal keeper.
His effort was followed in rapid succession by Caleb Jenkins and John Litzow, and then Mitchell Hunter – for a third time – just a few minutes before the full-time whistle.
The end result was a disappointing 6-nil drubbing for the Bears, but a convincing win for Wests.
* * *
Earlier the same day, Panthers played Gunners at the Nanango Soccer Fields, and there was at least one upset there, too.
In 2nd Division, both teams fought a tight match with wildly different styles.
Panthers stuck with the aggressive strategy they’ve followed so far this season, making repeated assaults on Gunners’ goal mouth whenever they got possession, hungry to score.
Gunners, for their part, played a slower and wider game, frequently using triangle formations to deftly kick the ball through the Panthers’ defences like a hot knife through butter.
Gunners’ strategy paid off in the 27th minute when Luke Holland found the back of the Panthers’ net.
And despite frequent attempts and much to-ing and fro-ing, the Panthers were unable to find an equaliser by the time the final whistle sounded.
* * *
In the Women’s Division match that followed, though, Panthers turned the tables on the Gunnettes.
The match turned sour for the purple and gold ladies barely two minutes after kick-off when Elise Mangan slipped one past the Gunnettes’ goal keeper to open the Panthers’ account.
This was followed by two more goals – both scored by the formidable Bree Pogany – in the 24th and 45th minutes, leaving the Gunnettes down three-nil at half time.
In the second half, Gunnettes tightened their defences, and they were largely successful in defeating repeated attacks from the Panthers until the 63rd minute, when Bree Pogany scored her third goal of the day.
To their credit, the purple and gold ladies refused to concede defeat, and the Panthers were unable to improve their result any further.
However it is the lady Panthers – not the improving Gunnettes – who’ll be playing in the Women’s Division at the President’s Cup.
* * *
A 1st Division match between Panthers and Gunners is always interesting to watch, but fans who’d hoped to see the ancient enemies wage war at Nanango were disappointed when the match had to be abandoned.
Both teams are likely candidates for this Saturday’s President’s Cup, though, so a catch-up match will be played as soon as it can be arranged.
* * *
Results – Round 6
In Kingaroy:
- 2nd Division: Wests 2 (Ethan Schultz 53rd, Rei Nozaki 78th) – Barambah 2 (Brock Kingston 56th – Wests OG 47th)
- Women’s Division: Wests 4 – (Kiara Wright 4) – Barambah 0
- 1st Division: Wests 6 (Mitchell Hunter 23rd, 73rd, 88th, Caleb Jenkins 76th, Luke Smith 13th, John Litzow 86th) – Barambah 0
In Nanango:
- 2nd Division: Gunners 1 (Luke Holland 27th) – Nanango 0
- Women’s Division: Nanango 4 (Bree Pogany 24th, 45th, 63rd, Elise Mangan 2nd) – Gunnettes 0
- 1st Division: Result is not yet confirmed due to match being abandoned
* * *
Next Week
The annual President’s Cup will be played at Tom Alford Oval in Oliver Bond Street in Kingaroy between the top two teams in each Division at the end of Round 6.
The final draw and match times are:
- 2:00pm: 2nd Div Mens – Barambah Vs Wests
- 4:00pm: Ladies – Nanango Vs Wests
- 6:00pm: 1st Div Mens – Gunners Vs Nananago
