1 August 2015

BLOCKED : Canobolas Rangers keeper Luke Bingham was the last line of defence between Denley Moor attacker Phil Bennett and the goal, blocking the shot to keep Rangers in the game.

Denley Moor was the sole winner of the three Barnestoneworth teams  in the latest round of the Orange over-35 football competition.

In a hard-fought encounter which could have gone either way, Denley welcomed back attacker Harley Smith from a break.  The game’s only goal came from nowhere early in the match, when Smith pushed the ball across the top of the box before beating a raft of defenders  to find the back of  the net.

Ranger had a chance to draw even when Denley keeper Pat Driver brought down an attacker with a vigorous shoulder charge. Driver made good, picking the direction of the kick to save the shot.

With no subs Rangers started to tire, and Denley made the best use of three on the bench to keep old legs fresh. The Denley attackers continued to press but shots were sent wide of the mark.

A free kick late in the half triggered a rare outcome. Dave Sandercock’s kick beat the keeper, but then ricocheted off both posts before rebounding away from the goal.

Rangers were reduced to ten men late in the match after an out-of-character red-card.  Rangers  midfielder Tim Warboys put pass after pass through, only for Denley defenders Chris Cameron, Dan Rumble and Michael Flynn to cut off the attacking raids.

Just before full-time, Rangers could have levelled, but the defenders were too strong and Denley finished up 1-0.

In other games,  Gladdyatahs’  form-reversal late in the season has continued, sparking sideline talk that the side has encouraged some Real Madrid members to stay on in Australia after the recent international tournament in Melbourne.

Gladdys were too strong for competition  leaders, Brighouse. Goals from Glen Harley and Brett Hazzard weren’t enough to stop Gladdies running out winners 5-3.

Waratahs Old Boys also scored a second win on the trot in another high-scoring encounter against Barnestoneworth United.

Cracking goals helped tahs to a 4-2 win.

25 July 2015

ATTACKING : Waratahs Old Boys midfielder Mejo Cheruvathur, who added to his season’s tally with another goal on the weekend, battles to get past Denley defender Michael Flynn.

The two teams at the top of Orange over-35s football competition ladder, Brighouse and Waratahs Old Boys,  have extended their lead in a high-scoring round of games on the weekend.

Despite only being able to field 10 players, Millthorpe defended bravely throughout their clash with ladder-leaders, Brighouse at Jack Brabham park.

Millthorpe had the best of the play throughout the first half, and it took til the final 15 minutes of the game before Brighouse broke through.

Striker Glenn Harpley got horizontal to launch a header past the Millthorpe keeper.

The second came when a sideline throw-in by Andrew McGuire found Nick Hyndes in space . He delivered a 30 metre pass to Martin Felice who beat the keeper cleanly.

Denley Moor’s hopes of climbing the ladder hit a snag when they faced Waratahs Old Boys.

Tahs opened the scoring when defender Wayne Penrose  sent a soaring kick from half way to find an unmanned attacker. A first touch header sailed over the keeper’s head.

 When Mejo Cheruvathur weaved his way through the Denley defence to score, Tahs went to the break 2-0 up.

Tahs made it three soon after the break, before they started to tire and Denley began to fire.

A series of attacking runs kept the Tahs keeper busy, but the goal remained intact until Steve Adams sent a cracking shot bouncing off the near post to find the back of the net.

Denley finished stronger, but Tahs took the points 3-1.

In the round’s other game, Barnestoneworth United faced boggy conditions at the Waratahs ground for their clash with Gladdyatahs.

Strengthened by a number of new faces, Gladdies opened up a three-nil lead by the half-time break, and then added two more, including a 25 metre strike from the top of the box to deliver a 5-0 lead.

Barnestoneworth’s A-grade side also piled on the points to defeat Waratahs FC 4-0.

With a member of Orange’s 16s rep side, Michael Hannelly trying his hand in A-grade for the first time, the newcomer impressed, scoring in his first game.  

13 May 2015

FIRST TOUCH : Brighouse midfielder Nick Mastrangeli puts a first-touch kick past keeper Matt Savaro to help his side to a 3-1 win over United.

There was no love lost in the fiery top of the table clash in the latest round of the Orange over 35s football competition.

The game was also a local derby for the Barnestoneworth club as 1st-placed Brighouse took on United in second.

It was a see-sawing encounter with a string of strong tackles before United’s Nigel Hobden pulled the ball off the backline and cut it back to find Tony Cavanagh on the spot to give his side a 1-0 lead.

Ten minutes later Brighouse struck back to level the scores.

Al Percy sent a well-placed cross to find Nick Mastrangeli well-placed for a first-touch kick past the keeper.

The second half was minutes old when some eager United defence  brought Brighouse midfielder Nick Hyndes down in the box.

United keeper keeper Matt Savaro picked the right direction for Glenn Harpley’s penalty kick, but the ball found the back of the net.

Harpley bagged a second later in the match putting a deft tough past the keeper to make it 3-0.

In the round’s other game Millthorpe  started better , with goals from Dave Wells and Peter Buinings opening up a quick 2-0 lead over Denley Moor.

Denley struck back late in the half when a floating cross from Dave Sandercock found Allan Reeder waiting at the back of the box. The resulting header beat the keeper and brought the margin back to 2-1.

A vigorous Denley tackle later in the half saw a penalty awarded. Keeper Pat Driver blocked the spot kick, but Dave Wells was quick to follow through, making it 3-1 at the half time break.

Denley’s forwards stepped up to the challenge, and after a flurry of short range kicks were fended away, Steve Fairley found the back of the net.

Drew Harris made it three to level the score with a strong kick from the top of the box.

With Millthorpe down to nine men after injury, the side battled on for a gutsy finish in dying light. Denley sent a flurry of shots wide of the mark, and the game finished 3-3.

30 May, 2015

Three wins from the three Barnestoneworth sides in the latest round of the Orange over 35s Football competition, has put the spotlight on a rare outcome on the points table.

For the first time in living memory, the three teams are filling the top three spots on the table : Brighouse on top followed by United and Denley.

Brighouse cemented their lead with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Gladdy-atahs.

Cracking goals from Rich Shields and Brett Hazzard gave Brighouse the lead,

Dogged defence saw the side hold out against a string of attacks from Gladdyatahs.

Denley Moor kept up their recent form with a 4-1 win over Canobolas Rangers.

Striker Harley Smith started his tally early , putting away a neat first touch kick, after a good cross from Steve Fairley. The lead grew 15 minutes later, when Smith again found the back of the net, finishing a well-placed pass from Allan Reeder.

Rangers kept the pressure on and Tim Worboys scored to bring the margin back to 2-1 at half time.

Denley peppered the goal in the second half and only the right post denied a goal from midfielder Matt Barr.

Another  pin-point pass from midfielder Dave Sandercock found Harley Smith in space and he scored a third.

Rangers tight defence went a step too far when a Denley winger was felled in the box, and Smith made it four for the day from the spot.

In the round’s other match Barnestoneworth United were lucky to get away with a win over fast-finishing Waratahs Old Boys.

Goals from Chris Jacobs, Dave Clark and a thirty metre screamer from Mick Carpenter gave United a 3-0 lead before Waratah started their second half comeback.

Late goals from Darren Sinclair and Matt Duffy showed that tahs will be a force this season, but the match finished 3-2.