March 16, 2014
by Martin Stern
Football South Burnett
Saturday was one of the best days of football ever held in the South Burnett, but sadly for Nanango it didn’t end in triumph.
The Panthers put up a brilliant fight but were just edged out 2-1 by Willowburn.
A large and enthusiastic crowd of about 250 watched a very even-sided game in which either team could have won.
Both teams seemed to be very pensive in the early stages of the game, still working each other out.
Willowburn looked the more composed and in the 21st minute sent a warning shot that just went over the crossbar of the Nanango goal.
Willowburn’s pressure paid off five minutes later when Brody Welsh finished well from a movement on the left hand side to give his team a 1-0 lead.
Nanango were playing good counter-attack football and were rewarded in the 37th minute when Kieran Askin slotted a brilliant goal in the top left hand corner of the net, giving the keeper absolutely no chance.
The goal lifted Nanango’s spirits and they started playing with more self belief, so by half-time we knew we had a real game on our hands.
Both teams came out in the second half playing more positive football and the game opened up, which made for some entertaining football.
In the 58th minute, Willowburn were awarded a free kick that sailed across the goal and was headed back into the path of Trent Donovan, who put his team back in front.
Nanango didn’t let their heads drop and with more accurate finishing could have equalised.
In the 71st minute, Nanango’s playmaker, Kieran Mangan, left the field with an ankle injury and was replaced by Clarence Rolley.
However Nanango kept pressing with David Ashby coming ever so close in the 80th minute.
Ultimately, Willowburn hung on to win 2-1.
The game was played in good spirits and both sets of players enjoyed the match.
Many people had said Nanango would have no chance of winning this game against Toowoomba’s best, but they were proven wrong by a typical gutsy Panthers’ performance.
It was hard to pick a player of the match but Kieran Askin with his goal and work rate in the midfield was probably Nanango’s best on the day.
Welcome back to the South Burnett, Kieran!
It was also fantastic to see a huge crowd from all clubs in the South Burnett, again proving football is the number one sport in the region.
Willowburn will now go on to play NPL side South West Qld Thunder in Round 4 of the FFA Cup, with the winner taking on the winners of the Gold Coast Zone.
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FFA Cup Round 3 in Kingaroy:
Willowburn 2 (B. Welsh 26th, T Donovan 58th) Nanango 1 (K. Askin 37th)
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