Coffs City United 0-4 Moore Creek FC
Moore Creek FC coach Andrew Cygan believes something clicked for his side during the UNE NNSW Regional Super League, particularly in their round three 4-0 victory over Coffs City United at Forsyth Park on Monday afternoon.
Coffs City United were determined to bounce back after a 6-0 defeat to Alstonville FC in round two, while Moore Creek were looking to continue their winning form after a 2-0 victory over Oxley Vale Attunga the previous day.
With a semi-final berth on the line, both teams had plenty to play for.
Moore Creek continued their strong form early, opening the scoring in the ninth minute through Noah Brown.
Coffs City pushed hard for an equaliser for the remainder of the first half, but their task became more difficult when Ben Schieb netted his second goal of the weekend in the 40th minute.
The second half presented another challenge for the home side when an own goal in the 53rd minute extended Moore Creek's lead to 3-0.
Coffs City's afternoon went from bad to worse in the 68th minute when Moore Creek were awarded a penalty. Hayden Davidson stepped up and calmly converted from the spot to make it 4-0.
Both sides continued to battle until the final whistle, but Moore Creek could not add a fifth and Coffs City were unable to find a way back into the contest as the score remained 4-0.
“On Monday I thought Coffs City were very good for the first 15 to 20 minutes or so. We did get a goal in the ninth minute and that just seemed to calm us,” Cygan said.
“Then again, I feel like we just clicked. I've told a lot of people that I just felt like something clicked over the weekend.
“We always talk about being an eight out of 10, but everyone's raised their game and the work rate was there because these were bigger matches.
“The effort was there and everything we ask them to do week in and week out, they did for two games back-to-back. That's what's been brilliant.”
Cygan could not have been more pleased with his side's inaugural UNE NNSW Regional Super League campaign after scoring 13 goals and conceding just one across three matches.
“It's been amazing. There was a little hesitation at the start about whether we should do this or not,” Cygan said.
“The big question was always who was prepared to travel. It's like any game, if we go and play Inverell, you're not always going to get everyone turning up, so that was the concern.
“That first game was a completely different team compared to the second and third games.
“Had we got the chance again against Alstonville, who only beat us 1-0, I think we pretty much matched each other, so it would be interesting to see how we'd go now.
“We're scoring goals, we're not conceding, and different players are scoring week in and week out. It's really positive.”
Moore Creek will now turn their attention to a semi-final clash with Port Saints in July.
For Coffs City United, the defeat brought their campaign to an end after they finished third in the group, three points adrift of the semi-final positions.
Alstonville FC 7-0 Oxley Vale Attunga
Alstonville FC coach Andrea Zubani said he was pleasantly surprised by his side’s performance when they downed Oxley Vale Attunga 7-0 at Coffs Coast Synthetics on Monday afternoon.
Alstonville entered the clash full of confidence following a 6-0 win over Coffs City United two days earlier, while Oxley Vale Attunga were fighting to keep their campaign alive after a 2-0 defeat to Moore Creek FC.
With both sides looking to secure a semi-final position, the match began with intent from both teams.
However, a ruthless six-minute burst from Alstonville effectively decided the contest early.
Isaac Essery opened the scoring in the seventh minute before Jack O’Toole doubled the lead in the 10th.
Essery then added his second just a minute later, before Darcy Hampson joined the scoring spree in the 13th minute to make it 4-0.
Jonathon King added a fifth in the 39th minute as Alstonville went into half-time with a commanding 5-0 lead.
The second half was more controlled, with Oxley Vale Attunga managing to slow Alstonville’s attacking momentum.
Still, Hampson completed his brace in the 60th minute before Essery capped off a standout performance with his hat-trick in the 72nd minute to seal a 7-0 result.
Oxley Vale Attunga held firm in the closing stages to prevent further damage, but could not reduce the deficit before full-time.
“I didn't expect it [four goals in six minutes], but I was hoping that it was going to be the case,” Zubani said.
“I knew that Oxley Vale Attunga, after that loss on Saturday [against Moore Creek FC], didn't have much to play for.
“We were really keen to get the win and finish with three wins from three, but that start was a nice surprise. It was good.
“Everyone is really happy with the way we performed in the [UNE NNSW] Regional Super League and now we're going to try and carry that form into our local comp because we've got a few tough games coming up.
“But we definitely did better than we expected this weekend.”
Zubani credited his side’s depth and rotation for their ability to maintain intensity across the weekend double-header.
“We had everyone available for both games, so we had the ability to rotate players,” Zubani said.
“The guys who basically played the full game on Saturday came off the bench on Monday. Then we had a few guys who were fresh for the Monday game.
“It worked out really well.”
The win saw Alstonville finish top of their group with three wins from three and set up a semi-final clash with Inverell.
Oxley Vale Attunga’s campaign came to an end after finishing the group stage with three defeats.
Byron Bay FC 5-1 Northern Storm
Byron Bay FC closed out the inaugural UNE NNSW Regional Super League season in style with a 5-1 victory over Northern Storm at Byron Bay Memorial Recreation Grounds on Monday afternoon.
Although neither side could qualify for the semi-finals, both teams were determined to finish their campaigns on a positive note.
Byron Bay entered the clash off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Inverell FC on Saturday, while Northern Storm also came in under pressure after a heavy 10-1 loss to Maitland FC in the Hahn Australia Cup earlier in the weekend.
Northern Storm struck first through En Sian Muang Lina in the sixth minute, taking an early lead.
However, Byron Bay responded in the 25th minute when Lisandro Luaces Gaitan converted from the penalty spot to level the match at 1-1.
The sides remained locked together through the rest of the first half before Byron Bay took control after the break.
Marki Cameron scored his first of the afternoon in the 47th minute before completing a rapid hat-trick with further goals in the 57th and 70th minutes.
Cameron then added a fourth in the 89th minute to cap off a dominant individual performance and seal a 5-1 win for the home side.
Despite the result, Byron Bay finished third on the table after recording one win and two losses across the competition, while Northern Storm ended their campaign in fourth place following two draws and one defeat.
Port Saints 3-0 Inverell FC
Port Saints continued their unbeaten run in the UNE NNSW Regional Super League group stage with a 3-0 win over Inverell FC at Coffs Coast Synthetics on Monday, keeping their hopes of back-to-back championships alive.
The Saints entered the match with fresh legs after their round two fixture in May, which ended in a 0-0 draw with Northern Storm.
Inverell, meanwhile, played their round two match on Saturday 6 June, carrying momentum into the clash after a 1-0 victory over Byron Bay FC.
Port Saints made their intentions clear early, with Richard Manning opening the scoring in the 16th minute.
The match remained competitive through the opening half, with both sides trading chances and a series of yellow cards reflecting the intensity of the contest.
The Saints doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute when Travis Pascoe scored his first goal of the campaign, sending Port Saints into the break with a 2-0 lead.
Inverell worked hard in the second half to reduce the deficit, but Port Saints remained composed and struck again late.
Sam Hazelton-Kelly sealed the result in the 84th minute, making it 3-0 and confirming top spot on the table for the Saints.
Port Saints will now face Moore Creek FC in the semi-finals in July.
Despite the defeat, Inverell finished second on the table and will meet Alstonville FC in the other semi-final.