INVERELL High have not only played in but taken out their first regional final in 15 years of the state football knockout with a good win on the back of a top defensive effort at Oxley High recently.
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The two schools have brushed aside all comers from around the north-west to get to this point, and what was predicted to be a close encounter was exactly that, the visitors turning a 1-nil deficit into a 3-1 victory to book a place in the inter-regional final in a fortnight’s time.
The game began as a tight tussle, the two mid-fields locking horns early for possession before a penalty in the box was slotted by Oxley’s Zac Chmielik on the ten-minute mark to take the lead.
It didn’t take long for the visitors to hit back however, Hamish Migheli and Sage Cook both finding the back of the net to take a 2-1 lead into halftime, before Migheli shut the gate late in the second half with his second to run out two-goal victors.
Inverell coach Andrew Kerr said the win and their season to date had been played on the platform set by their defensive unit and midfield, as well as an emergency goalkeeper who only found out he was in goals the day before the match.
Jack Stafford has been the team’s handy back-up striker this year, although after the regular keeper busted his shoulder at rugby training on Wednesday, Stafford got the news late and backed it up with a blinder in front of goals.
“He made some great saves and had a really solid game,” Kerr said.
“We always knew it would be close.
“Our strength is in our backs and defence and that is the way we have played all year and will keep playing.”
It is not a surprising tactic from the coach, who came through the ranks as a goalkeeper himself, although he also said their other strength was team culture.
“They are a really good team and give everything their all,” Kerr said.
“There are only half a dozen soccer players in the side but most of them were in the cricket team that came fourth in the state.”
Other stand-outs included captain Michael Cashel, Declan Drake and Mitch Myler while, for Oxley, skipper Luke Hollingworth and Year Eight keeper Lachlan Maher impressed.
Oxley coach Gordon Rae said while it was a disappointing end to a good season, the game was enjoyable and played in the right spirit.
“We made the quarter-finals last year but had a lot of changes to the side,” Rae said.
“We will lose some more players next year but have some good players coming through.”
Inverell will likely take on the winners of one of the coastal regions, and Kerr has his fingers crossed for a home game.