Reserve grade:

RESERVE grade featured a mix of over 35s and under 18 players alongside the few remaining regular players. 

The Redbacks were unable to take advantage of this though, with several gilt edged opportunities to score spurned early on. Almost in their first significant attack the Tigers took the lead after some great lead up work by Keegan Murphy resulted in a tap-in for Adam Christensen. 

From then on the Tigers defended stoutly, with the evergreen Ian Redman, 15 year old Tom Hallot and Matt Scarff aggressively keeping the home side at bay. Special mention has to go to Hallot, Callum Smith, Jason Little and Daniel Barry who were backing up from a full game for TFFC's 18s earlier in the day. Final score Camden Haven 0 TFFC Tigers 1, with players player going to debutant Tom Hallot. Keegan Murphy was also outstanding.

First grade:

THE first grade encounter saw the Redbacks on the front foot early on against a Tigers lineup featuring several changes once again, with the visitors looking out of sorts as they tried to settle. 

Just when things were stabilising around the 25 minute mark, one of the Redbacks' defenders was allowed too much of a sight at goal from around 25 metres out and smashed a long range stunner past James McBride in the Tigers goal. This lifted the home side and they began to dominate proceedings, with excellent keeping from McBride keeping the Tigers in it. He could do nothing about the Redbacks second when a free kick saw a static Tigers defence ball watching as the Redbacks ran through to score.

The second half saw the Redbacks put the game out of reach early on when a defensive mix up out wide allowed a cross to an unmarked Redbacks striker, who made no mistake from close range. To their credit the Tigers continued to battle hard, but despite the constant efforts of skipper Mitch Minors, Jack Yeates and Dylan Nash, they struggled to find any rhythm at all. Again just as it seemed that the Tigers would claw their way back in, the referee awarded the home side a penalty which was converted well to make the score 4-0. A couple of late opportunities for some consolation went begging for the Tigers with Riley missing a close range header, as well as a set piece that saw a Matt Scarff cut back lacking just a tap in.

"The Redbacks played very well today, and didn't allow our strikers much room at all," Tigers coach Jonathon Newman said. 

"But we were a long way from our best today. Unfortunately the game looks to have cost us a couple of players through injury as well." 

Players player for the Tigers was Mitch Minors, without doubt the best player on the ground for either side.

The Tigers will need to regroup quickly as they take on the South Armidale Scorpions in round 5 of the FFA Cup at Tuncurry next Saturday. The winner will earn a place in the NNSW Football FFA Cup Qualifying Finals series, with a semi-professional National Premier League side a likely opponent. A win there sees entry into the main draw (the final 32 clubs) just a game away.