Double for Dan Duffy in soccer win

Gunnedah’s third graders chalked up another win while the fourth graders had a draw at the Tamworth-based Gipps Street Sporting Complex in last Friday night’s round of Tamworth senior soccer.

The third graders won 3-1 for the second week in a row, this time as they contested the Kootingal Kougars while the fourth graders had a 1-all draw with the Quirindi Vikings.

Dan Duffy scored twice while Jesse Swain scored the other goal for the third grade victors.

Duffy opened the scoring around the 27-minute mark, and then Swain found the back of the net about six minutes later.

Duffy’s second goal occurred 12 minutes from full-time, and then Kootingal’s Jamie White produced a great strike soon afterwards to produce the final goal of the contest.

Playing his 198th senior game, White became the first player to score 100 goals for the Kougars.

Duffy, Swain, Mitch Harding, Josh West and Hayden Sawyer were among Gunnedah’s best performers, with manager Richard Grant saying the line-up was as settled as it had been all year.

“We went forward in numbers and got rewarded,” he said.

With Gunnedah’s third graders being undefeated for six successive rounds, Grant said they were confident and were playing positive football.

While Gunnedah maintained a share of third spot on the 12-team third grade ladder, the fourth graders remained outright third while Quirindi remained last of six teams.

The Vikings belied their ladder position as they drew Gunnedah for the second time this year, with the teams having scored three goals apiece in their previous head-to-head fixture.

Last Friday, Gunnedah’s Pete Thurbon scored around the 15-minute mark before Quirindi’s Luke Whitten drew level eight minutes from the final whistle.

Admittedly several of Gunnedah’s fourth graders were backing up from the third grade fixture, resulting in many tired bodies as the second half unfolded.

Grant said Gunnedah’s fourth graders put in a dogged display while it was a bit disappointing that the equaliser came so late, after the effort from the Gunnedah line-up.

Gunnedah’s fourth graders take on the top-placed Hillvue Rovers this Friday, while the thirds oppose the sixth-placed Oxley Vale Attunga.