May 30, 2017
If Saturday’s President’s Cup proved anything, it proved there’s barely room to fit a cigarette paper between the top teams in each of the competition’s three divisions right now.
And the larger-than-usual crowd that turned out to Tom Alford Oval to watch this year’s Cup clashes were rewarded with some of the best football seen so far this season.
They also got to see quite a few heart-stoppingly close calls as balls narrowly missed a goal mouth, rebounded off the cross-bars or were saved by goal keepers at the last second.
While the terraces didn’t quite boil over, there were lots of “ooohs” and “aaahs” – along with applause, at times, and many shouts of encouragement – for clever plays, deft saves and near misses.
The President’s Cup is played between the top two teams in each division after the sixth round of each season’s competition as a break from the normal schedule.
Here’s how the games panned out this year:
* * *
In 2nd Division, home team Wests faced off against Barambah and it was unclear at the outset who would ultimately triumph.
The Bears arguably went onto the park as favourites, with a much greater depth of experience in their side as well as a lot of big players with powerful kicks to match.
But the younger Wests side have shown rapid improvement under the watchful eye of coach Troy Schultz, and they couldn’t be discounted either.
For the first ten minutes, neither side was able to gain any significant advantage over the other.
Wests attacked, the Bears deflected as the ball moved rapidly from one end to the other, after which the sides swapped roles and took the ball back in the opposite direction.
But in the 11th minute when Ethan Schultz opened Wests’ account with a rocket past Barambah’s goalie, the shock in the Bears’ ranks was almost palpable.
After this, both teams redoubled their efforts – the Bears aiming to find an equaliser, Wests aiming to prevent them – but by half time the scoreline hadn’t moved an inch.
In the second half the situation stayed much the same.
Both Wests and Barambah kept their defences tight while they looked for holes in the opposing team’s line-ups, taking advantage of every chance that presented itself to try for more points.
But when the full-time whistle sounded, the score remained doggedly the same, and Wests claimed their victory by the narrowest of margins.
After the match, Troy Schultz was as full of praise for the Bears as he was for his own team.
“It was a hard match but it was a very fair match and a credit to both teams,” Troy said.
“For Wests, it was virtually an under-21s side.
“But looking at the way the game was played and the talent of the players, I think it’s safe to say South Burnett Football should be in good shape for the next 12 to 18 months.”
* * *
In the Women’s Division match that followed, Wests’ women took on Nanango’s Panthers.
Once again, there was no clear favourite to back as both teams filed onto the park and prepared to do battle.
On the one hand, the Panthers’ women’s side has a formidable reputation for scoring big and hard – almost as fearsome as their 1st Division side, which has taken out the Premiership five years in a row.
On the other, the Panthers are fielding many new players this season and some of last year’s most ferocious goal-scorers are either having a lay-off or – like manager Cassie Kelly – are currently benched.
Against this, Wests have a higher number of seasoned players and some promising new talents coming through the ranks.
And just like their 2nd Division menfolk, the side has come together quickly and well this season.
The first half of the match did nothing to dispel this lack of a clear favourite, with the scoreline locked at nil-all by the half-time break.
Of the two sides, Nanango appeared to have slightly more possession than Wests overall, but they were unable to do anything with it.
Similarly, when Wests got possession they were unable to convert it into points, though it should be pointed out this was not for lack of trying.
The situation didn’t improve for either side in the second half until the 61st minute, when Raegan Campbell finally potted a shot into the back of Wests’ net after finding an unexpected hole in their defence which appeared to catch the red-and-blacks flat-footed.
To their credit, this surprise upset didn’t make Wests drop their heads and they pressed on, trying hard to find an equaliser while preventing the Panthers improving their points.
Really, it could have been anyone’s game until the full-time whistle blew … but in the end, it turned out to be one for Panthers.
* * *
By the time the 1st Division teams filed onto the park at 6:00pm, the sun was sinking below the horizon, the floodlights were lit, and spectators had begun to reach for their blankets.
The match was between ancient rivals Nanango and Gunners, and once again there was no clear favourite.
For their part, the Panthers’ top side are in a similar situation to the lady Panthers: only five players remain from last year’s all-conquering side.
And while they’re all highly skilled and well-seasoned, Nanango’s super coach Lauren Mangan has had to use all her skills to form them up with this season’s new recruits into a tight, focussed squad.
Against this, Gunners’ side is more tightly integrated.
And having been pipped at the Premiership post by the Panthers on more than one occasion, they have something to prove, too.
The closeness of the teams was clearly evident from the get-go, with neither side being able to gain advantage.
Time and again, Nanango’s attacks on Gunners’ goal-mouth were deflected by skilled plays from the purple-and-golds; and time and again, when Gunners had possession, the Panthers mounted an impenetrable defensive line.
But half an hour into this apparent stalemate, it was the Panthers’ new recruit Dimas Bakini who opened his side’s account when he found an unexpected hole in Gunner’s defence to shoot a rocket into the back of the net.
And when he was able to repeat this barely five minutes later, Gunners were clearly upset.
But the purple-and-golds refused to let their heads drop, and Nanango were unable to improve on this by half-time.
In the second half, Gunners took another hit from Bakini just four minutes into the game, and by this time they’d clearly had enough of the Panthers’ tactics.
They restructured their defence and launched a blistering assault on the Panthers’ goal mouth that saw Joseph Copas deliver a reply to Bakini a further four minutes in, a feat repeated by Pete Collins 24 minutes later narrowed the score to 3-2 in the Panthers’ favour.
At this point many spectators wondered if the match would end in a draw, the same as it had the last time the two teams squared off against one another.
But sadly for Gunners, it was not to be.
Panther Sam Graley, who seemed to slip under Gunners’ radar, found a hole all his own to sink the ball into the back of Gunners’ net five minutes later, and then repeat the exercise just two minutes before the final whistle.
The match was an understandable disappointment for Gunners, who congratulated their opponents afterwards for what was certifiably a great game from the region’s premier football sides.
But it was a small triumph for the Big Cats, who marked their fifth President’s Cup win from six attempts, and will no doubt be trying to make it six for six in the 2017 Grand Finals.
* * *
2017 President’s Cup Results
- Division 1 – Nanango 5 (Dimas Bakini 30th, 35th 49th, Sam Graley 82nd 88th – Gunners 2 (Joseph Copas 53rd, Pete Collins 77th)
- Women’s Division – Nanango 1 (Raegan Campbell 61st) – Wests 0
- Division 2 – Wests 1 (Ethan Schultz 12th) – Barambah 0
* * *
Next Week:
The South Burnett’s 2017 football competition will resume with Round 7 matches in Nanango and Kingaroy next Saturday, June 3.
In Nanango, the home team will play Barambah at the Burnett Street sports fields, with 2nd Division hitting the park at 12:30pm, Women’s Division at 2:00pm and 1st Division at 3:15pm.
In Kingaroy, home teams Wests and Gunners will do battle, with 2nd Division toeing the line at 2:00pm, Women’s Division at 3:30pm and 1st Division at 5:00pm.
Wests and Gunners will also be turning Saturday’s derby into a “Help Hudson Hear” fundraiser for a young South Burnett child who suffers bilateral microtia, a rare conditon that affects about one in 10,000 births and causes undeveloped, deformed ears and deafness.
The young boy – Hudson – received his first hearing aid when he was barely two months old, and will need procedures in the early years of his life that will place a financial strain on his family. So spectators are being encouraged to wear some orange on Saturday to show support, and dig deep for a donation.
