May 27, 2013
By Martin Stern
Football South Burnett
Gunners took on Wests in the local derby on Saturday and the matches produced some very interesting results. All three games were very close, and the result in First Division was a surprise.
The First Division match was a hard-fought battle, as is usually the way with these two clubs.
There was a lot of “feeling” in the match and neither side would give an inch.
Gunners took the initiative from the outset and put a huge amount of pressure on the Wests’ defence, however it could not be breached. This meant that most of the first half was an arm wrestle in the midfield with neither side dominating.
The second half was similar to the first. There was very little on offer for either set of attackers.
In the 73rd minute, some pent-up frustrations boiled over and Gunners’ midfielder Brody Hatchman got his marching orders.
However Gunners didn’t let their heads drop and continued to match Wests in all departments.
Just as the match looked like heading for a stalemate, Brandon Smith latched on to a through ball to give Wests the lead one minute out from regular time.
It wasn’t the result that Gunners wanted after their win over Nanango in last week’s Presidents Cup, but for Wests it was a much-needed victory that will boost their confidence.
Best on the park for Wests were Zack Hoskins, Harry Sterling and Russ Hutfield, while Sam Murray, Mitch Potter and Darren Moseling were the Gunners’ picks of the day.
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The Women’s game ended in both sides sharing the points.
Wests took the field with only nine players, and in the 24th minute Ashlee Tessmann gave Gunnettes the lead after a howler from the Wests’ keeper.
Possession was then evenly shared for most of the first half until five minutes from half-time when Jacqui Trace pulled one back for Wests to make it one-all.
Early in the second half, Wests appealed for what appeared to be a handball in the Gunners’ penalty box but were turned down.
Not long afterwards Jacqui Trace got her second after a scuffle in the goal mouth.
Wests launched several attacks but came up empty-handed, while Elouise Mashford secured an equaliser for Gunnettes in the 56th minute.
In the end both teams had to settle for a draw in an even contest.
Best for Wests were Jacqui Trace and Michelle Hunter, while Elouise Mashford and Danielle Janz were Gunners’ pick.
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In Second Division, Gunners were on the front foot early and put a lot of pressure on the Wests’ defence.
In the 29th minute, an in-form Christian Langford gave Gunners the lead with a fine assist from Ryan Mooney which the team carried into halftime.
But two minutes into the second half, Wests caught Gunners off guard when Shane Gray slipped a ball to Daniel Favier who scored an equaliser.
Gunners had a chance to go ahead when they were awarded a penalty midway through the second half, but Sitha Mead put his shot over the crossbar and the game ended in a one-all draw.
Best for Gunners were Dale Warren and Kevin Barnes while Josh Harley and Shane Gray played well for Wests.
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RESULTS
In Kingaroy (Saturday)
- 1st Division: Wests 1 (Brandon Smith 89th) Gunners 0
- Women: Wests 2 (Jacqui Trace 30th, 39th) Gunners 2 (Ashlee Tessmann 24th, Elouise Mashford 56th)
- 2nd Division: Wests 1 (Daniel Favier 42nd) Gunners 1 (Christian Langford 29th)
In Murgon (Sunday)
- 1st Division: Nanango 5 (Justin Mangan 30th, 38th, 68th, David Ashby 43rd, Kieran Mangan 51st Barambah 1 (Kyle Fazakerley 84th)
- Women: Nanango 6 ( Jacqui Downie 1st, 20th, Courtney Thompson 14th , Karrie Ashby 5th, Glenda Thompson 55th, Karen Cullen 69th Barambah 0)
- 2nd Division: Nanango 3 (Karl Pichlis 36th, David Ashby 63rd, 73rd) Barambah 1 (Brendan Kelly 54th)
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NEXT WEEKEND:
- Wests vs Barambah in Kingaroy (Saturday)
- Nanango vs Gunners in Nanango (Saturday)
