COUGARS almost caused an upset in the Namoi League on Saturday with a 2-all draw against Wee Waa in Narrabri, which also played into the hands of Imperials and Moree after they finished level at 1-all.
In the other game Coonabarabran was too good for Bowing Club 3-1 while leaders Gunnedah United had the bye.
Among the sides challenging for the top two is Moree, Wee Waa and Imperials who all took one point from Saturday’s games but Imperials were quite pleased with that result and with Wee Waa’s draw with Cougars.
“That’s a good result for us too,” Imperials coach Gary Sams said.
“We scored in the first 15 minutes.
“We got a free kick just outside the 18-yard box and Chris Howes drove it hard into the top of the net.
“That was a good way to start.
“In about the 40th minute they got a corner and it was well-taken and they headed it into the back of the net.
“1-all at halftime was a reasonable result because I thought we’d get over the top of them in the second half and we did but we couldn’t get the ball into the back of the net.
“We dominated the last 20 minutes or so but unfortunately the ball just didn’t roll where we wanted it to.”
A point might be enough to secure Moree second place leaving Wee Waa and Impy to battle for third, which makes Wee Waa’s fightback on Saturday all the more important.
Cougars jumped to a 2-nil lead over Wee Waa with Jake Cherry scoring both and a big upset was on the cards.
But Wee Waa got back into the game.
“It’s a good result,” Cougars coach David Jenkins said.
“We led 2-nil at halftime and they came out harder in the second half and scored in the first 15 minutes.
“It was a pretty open game.
“We both had chances at either end but their keeper had a big game for them again.
“About 10 minutes after they scored the first one they scored the second, a bit of a scramble at the top of the box and it went in.”
Jenkins said Tony Moules, James Brown and keeper Matt Conroy were the standouts for his side.
Craig Hartman scored a goal for strugglers Bowling Club in the other game but Coona was too good with three goals giving it a handy three points that may just get it back in the race for the top four.