The Inverell Sporting Complex will host another Northern Inland Premier League Match of the Round clash on Saturday when Inverell FC welcome Moore Creek FC to town in round seven.
All eyes will be on that game to see if Inverell can continue their undefeated run in 2024 or if the Mountain Goats can keep up their sensational form of late.
Last weekend in round six, Moore Creek earned their fourth clean sheet in a row as they scored a 5-0 victory against Tamworth FC at Riverside Sporting Complex 4A, while Inverell dropped points for the first time this year but remained undefeated as they drew 1-all at home against Armidale City Westside FC.
Other round six results saw Oxley Vale Attunga FC prevail 4-2 in the grand final rematch against South Armidale United FC at New England Mutual Sportsground, and Demon Knights FC win 3-1 away from home against South United FC at Riverside Sporting Complex 3A.
Norths United FC hosted Hillvue Rovers FC at Phil Wheaton Oval, but that match was abandoned early due to a significant injury to one of the home side’s players, and the match between Namoi United and East Armidale United FC at Hogan Oval in Narrabri was washed out and will be rescheduled. North Companions FC had the round six bye.
There was also a fixture played, more specifically continued, during the week on Wednesday night, as South United and Tamworth FC took the field at Riverside 4A for a game that resumed at the 57th minute. The round one clash was washed out at the start of the season, and Tamworth FC led 2-0 in the rescheduled match last month before the lights went out after Hayden Baker and Luke Wilson had given their team the ascendancy.
Tamworth FC came out firing on Wednesday and got themselves level after Semi Kaltack scored in the second minute and Owen Rogers equalised in the 17th. That made it game on with 16 minutes to play, but the Lightning struck 10 minutes later when Michael Ainsworth scored the winning goal as his side prevailed 3-2.
This Saturday’s action will take place in Tamworth, Armidale and Narrabri as well as the Match of the Round at Inverell.
In Tamworth, South United and Hillvue Rovers will meet in a local derby at Riverside 3A while OVA host Demon Knights at Riverside 4A. In Armidale, East Armidale United and Armidale City Westside will go head-to-head in a derby clash at Doody Park while Norths United host Tamworth FC at Phil Wheaton Oval. The match in Narrabri will take place at Hogan Oval where Namoi United will tackle North Companions, and South Armidale United have the bye.
At the Inverell Sporting Complex, two well-coached teams full of quality, entertaining players will lock horns in a contest that has the potential to be the grand final match-up come September.
Inverell are currently ranked third in the Northern Conference with 10 points following three wins and a draw so far this season, and they are just three points behind Armidale City Westside and Demon Knights with a game in hand on them both. They became the first team to score against Westside all season last Saturday and they are now looking to became the first team to score against the Mountain Goats in five games this Saturday.
“They’ll be tough,” Inverell’s coach Damien Schutz predicted of the Mountain Goats.
“They’re a young-looking side from what I saw at the Johnson Cup. They have a good coach in Andy Cygan, and no doubt he took a lot of notes about what he saw in Tamworth that day and he’ll be ready for us.
“We need to shut down their attack. They have a couple of quick fellas on the edges, so if we can take them out of the game, we’ll be right.”
Schutz said last weekend’s match against league leaders Armidale City Westside was a good, tough game, and he declared that Westside would be right up there competing around finals time.
Four games into their return to the Northern Inland Premier League, Schutz said Inverell were enjoying being back among the region’s best clubs.
“It’s been great. It’s a strong competition across the board. There are good clubs with good cultures. We’re enjoying it,” he said.
Moore Creek look set to pose the biggest threat to Inverell so far this season come Saturday. They are the top team in the Southern Conference, locked on 13 points with their rivals OVA but ranked above them based on their superior for and against difference.
The Mountain Goats are five games undefeated since losing their first match of the season against Demon Knights in round two. They have kept four straight clean sheets and have won their past three matches a combined 20-0, however, this weekend’s clash against Inverell will require them to rise to another level.
Coach Andy Cygan is confident that his men can get the job done if they keep playing the way they have been.
“I think it will be our toughest test of the year, especially after they beat us in that Johnson Cup final,” Cygan said.
“We need to keep doing what we’re doing and try our best for another clean sheet. It’s four in a row now. Hopefully we create some chances to score a few too.
“I’m really liking that we’ve all been buying into what we’re trying to do now. We’re defending high and we attack really fast. Everyone’s following the plan at the minute, which is good.
“It’s been really good having Dean Hoy back there in goal. He gives us a lot of stability. A couple of games he’s not had much to do in the first halves, but against Tamworth FC last week he pulled off three good saves in the second half. The nil was a bit flattering to us really. He’s a voice and a presence as well, and no one wins many things if the ball gets crossed into the box when he’s there.”
While the Mountain Goats are rock solid at the back, they have taken a hit up front with the departure of exciting Italian attacker Nicolo Giammanco who played his last game in round six, during which he was sent off after receiving two yellow cards. He will soon depart Australia to return home.
Cygan said that his presence and skill with the ball at his feet would be missed, but he expected other attackers at the club to step up and fill the void going forward.
Another highly-anticipated game this weekend is the local derby between South United and Hillvue Rovers at Riverside 3A. Hillvue are at the bottom of the Southern Conference table following a winless start to the campaign and they are focused on earning their first victory to get the ball rolling.
The Lightning are keen to continue their momentum after earning their first win in 2024 on Wednesday during their rescheduled round one match. That result saw them climb from the bottom of the South Conference table into fifth as they overtook Hillvue and Tamworth FC to join fourth-placed Namoi United on four points.
With North Companions six points clear in third place, and the top-three of each conference qualifying for the finals series this season, Hillvue and South United will both place emphasis on this match as winnable game to get them closer to the pack.
Playing alongside that fixture at the Riverside Sporting Complex is a Match of the Round contender between OVA and Demon Knights who have both impressed early-on in 2024.
DK are unbeaten in five following four wins and a draw, which has them sitting in second place on the Northern Conference table with 13 points. They are level with the top-ranked Armidale City Westside but trail them on goal difference. Rob James’ men have scored 14 goals across their opening five games but more impressively have only conceded three, however, their backline will be well and truly up against it on Saturday against one of the classiest outfits in the competition.
OVA are currently ranked second on the Southern Conference table. Like Demon Knights, they are on 13 points, but they trail first-placed Moore Creek on goal difference. Tim Coates’ men are firing at a rate of three goals a game but will be looking to shore up their defence this Saturday, having already conceded 10 goals this year