THE first round of the Westfield FFA Cup got underway in blistering conditions at Tuncurry on Saturday.
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This year the Football Mid North Coast sub-pool of the tournament is being contested by Port FC, Taree Wildcats, Tuncurry Forster Football Club (TFFC) and Wallis Lake.
Related: See photos from the match...click here
Port and Wallis were up first, with a Port FC side missing several key players immediately under pressure from Wallis Lake. Two goals inside the first 30 minutes really put the game to bed as Port found it difficult to gain any ascendancy at all. Wallis continued to dominate in the second half, adding another two to their total before Chris Cheers was marched, having handled the ball to stop a goal. Port converted the ensuing penalty to see the final score 4-1 to Wallis Lake.
TFFC were up next against a new look Taree Wildcats, who were minus key players Ricky Campbell and Josh Ferris and introduced several players returning from the 2015 FMNC NPL under 17 side. The Tigers on the other hand were able to choose from an almost full complement of players, and from the start really dominated the proceedings, particularly in the middle of the park, with new signing Blair Smith, skipper Jason Ward and Mark Mallia controlling the game well. After some initial missed opportunities, Jack Yeates stole the ball from Taree's Lucas Mepham and banged the opener past the Taree keeper. Yeates doubled the Tigers’ lead shortly after following some great combination play by Camilleri, Bindon and Mallia.
The Tigers could have doubled their lead in the following five minutes with several straight forward chances going begging. Instead it was Taree who found the back of the net next, following a defensive blunder that gifted the visitors their best chance of the match.
The second half saw the pace slow considerably as the heat took its toll. Yeates and Minors were withdrawn for the home side, and this saw Kianou and Chapman cause more headaches for the Wildcats. Constant pressure on the Taree defence saw Chapman brought down in the box, and Camilleri coolly finished the penalty to make the game safe.
Taree staged a late surge not excellent defence from Chick, Goonan, Mooney and Bindon saw McBride untroubled in the Tigers’ goal. Chapman added a fourth late on, and in the end TFFC 4-Wildcats 1 was a fair reflection of the match. Bindon was players’ player, and Smith was outstanding on debut.
The second round sees a local derby then, between TFFC and Wallis Lake, to decide who progresses on to play the winners from Northern Inland Football.
