May 16, 2016
South Burnett soccer fans who made the pilgrimage to Kingaroy’s Tom Alford Oval on Saturday afternoon were rewarded with three of the best football matches seen so far this season.
The occasion was the annual President’s Cup day.
Cup games are played between the two leading teams in each division after the sixth round of each season’s competition, when all teams have had the opportunity to play each other twice.
This year, Nanango’s Panthers fielded teams in all three divisions and played against Wests (2nd Division), Baramabah (Women’s Division) and Gunners (1st Division).
By day’s end, the Panthers walked away with wins in two of the three contests – but spectators were kept guessing right up to the final whistle in all games.
* * *
In 2nd Division, Panthers played their closest rivals Wests.
So far this season, the Nanango side have won four of their games and lost two.
For their part, Wests have won three, drawn one and lost two, so it was fair to say both teams were fairly evenly matched when they went onto the park.
And this certainly proved the case in the first half, when neither side was able to find the back of the net despite a furious tussle that saw possession shared fairly equally and the ball repeatedly shunted from one end of the field to the other, then back again.
But it was Wests who claimed first blood in the second half, when Ryan Jacobs sank a shot past Nanango’s goal-keeper.
And when he was followed two minutes later by team-mate Aidan Penfound, his side were clearly elated by the result.
But just two minutes later, Panthers responded with a goal of their own.
From there on the match assumed a new level of ferocity, with Panthers desperately seeking an equaliser and Wests determined to deny them.
There were several close calls for both sides that kept the spectators on the edge of their seats.
But when the final whistle sounded, Wests had managed to maintain their lead and secure the win.
* * *
In the Women’s Division, Panthers (four wins, two draws) came up against Barambah (four wins, one draw), so the margin between the sides was even tighter than it had been in the preceding game.
Once again, the first half of the match was scoreless.
Time and again, the Panthers launched their trademark attacks on their opponents, but Barambah skilfully deflected each assault and replied with attacks of their own that kept the Panthers on edge.
It wasn’t until the second half, in the 57th minute, that Jess Ehrlich finally found the back of the net for Nanango.
And when she followed this feat five minutes later with a second blistering strike, the Panthers seemed to exude a new-found confidence.
But Barambah refused to let their heads drop, and Ehrlich’s second goal turned out to be the last joy Panthers had in the match.
Barambah kept up the pace, deflecting all Nanango’s attacks while striving to get one of their own into the Panthers’ goal mouth.
In the end, they didn’t succeed.
But it was a memorable game, with Panthers coach Lauren Mangan happily conceding the northern side had proven to be very worthy opponents.
* * *
The 1st Division clash between Panthers and Gunners took place under lights.
So far this season the Panthers are undefeated in 1st Division, while Gunners have won four and lost two.
This was the biggest gap between any two of Saturday’s teams, and some spectators could have been forgiven for thinking the match might be a walkover for the Nanango side.
But it was the Panthers who were in for a surprise.
Gunners’ Jackson Kelly slipped the first goal of the match past Nanango’s goalkeeper in the 18th minute of the game, and his teammates kept the Panthers scoreless throughout the rest of the first half.
And Gunners repeated this feat in the second half until the 62nd minute, when Ike Silalat finally secured an equaliser for the Panthers.
And he was followed three minutes later by Elliott Mangan, who took advantage of momentary confusion amongst his opponents to get away what turned out to be the Panthers’ match-winner.
* * *
2016 President’s Cup Results
- Division 2: Wests 2 (R Jacobs 51st, A Penfound 53rd) – Nanango 1 (S Greley 55th)
- Womens Div: Nanango 2 (J Ehrlich 57th, 62nd) – Barambah 0
- Division 1: Nanango 2 (Ike Silalat 62nd, Elliott Mangan 65th – Gunners 1 (Jackson Kelly 18th)
* * *
Next week, the normal season competition will resume with Round 7 matches played in Kingaroy and Nanango.
Nanango v Barambah (at Burnett Street Soccer Grounds, Nanango)
- 2nd Division: 12:30pm
- Women’s Div: 2:00pm
- 1st Division: 3:15pm
Gunners v Wests (at Tom Alford Oval, Oliver Bond Street, Kingaroy)
- 2nd Division: 2:00pm
- Women’s Div: 3:30pm
- 1st Division: 5:00pm
A canteen will be operating at both venues, and spectators are very welcome.
