Gunnedah’s fourth grade soccer team starts its finals campaign this Friday, after the third graders narrowly missed out on the play-offs following last Friday’s round.
After placing fourth on the six-team ladder, Gunnedah’s fourth graders are set to field one of their strongest line-ups this Friday in their semi-final clash with the third-placed North Companions.
In their final match of the round-robin season, Gunnedah’s fourths succumbed to a 2-1 loss to the fifth-placed Kootingal Kougars at the Tamworth-based Gipps Street Sporting Complex last Friday.
A superb strike from Hanyuen Vilanculos opened Gunnedah’s account in the fourth minute, but it proved to be the team’s only goal.
The determined Kougars drew level in the 19th minute when Cooper Godden found the back of the net, and the score remained level until Kootingal’s Hadi Khaleel slotted a winning goal in the 90th minute.
Gunnedah was set back with an injury to Amber Burns.
Gunnedah’s third graders faced a must-win match against the top-placed Quirindi Vikings, with the 2-all scoreline showing the Gunnedah team could match it with the competition front-runner even if it wasn’t enough to move from fifth to fourth on the ladder.
Both teams started strongly, with most of the play centred around the midfield led by the Gunnedah trio of Jesse Swain, Mitch Harding and Theo Atkins.
A quick run-of-the-play error allowed Quirindi to pounce in the ninth minute, with Aaron Frost-Guider scoring the opening goal.
Gunnedah’s spirits remained high, and there were no further goals in the first half.
The attack of Pete Thurbon, Dan Duffy and Hayden Sawyer gave Gunnedah a strong start to the second half, but no goals eventuated.
Another error allowed Frost-Guider to score in the 50th minute, but resilience and determination kept Gunnedah in the game.
A sublime cross from Sawyer was met by a fully diving header from Swain in the 61st minute to cut the margin back to one goal.
A late ankle injury to Dylan Anderson left a gap in Gunnedah’s left wing, but multiple opportunities arose for Gunnedah’s attacking three.
A well-weighted cross from Harding allowed a header from Thurbon to level the scores in the 86th minute, but Gunnedah was unable to find another goal which was needed to pinch victory and a finals berth.
Coach and manager Richard Grant said it was a great display of teamwork in both grades.
Gunnedah third grade player Lachlan May said afterwards, “A win wasn’t to be for the team but they finished the season proving to the top of the table that we will be back for more in 2026.
“Gunnedah again has shown the Tamworth competition that we are here to win matches.
“(The) thirds will regroup in the off-season to return for a strong 2026.”
