The Northern Rivers Football Club is off to a high performance start to the season after winning all of its senior men’s games in the Queensland’s south coast fourth-grade league.
The senior men put in a superb all-round display that saw them produce a commanding 6–1 victory against Nerang in their first away game of the season. It backed up their first game at the Cavanbah Centre where they beat Magic United (based in Carrara) 4-3.
According to the club’s match report: ‘From the outset, in their away game, Northern Rivers played with real intent, creating early chances and controlling possession well, while moving Nerang around the pitch with confidence and purpose. That sustained pressure gradually took its toll, with the hosts beginning to tire as the game wore on, and the boys were ruthless in taking advantage.’
‘Having identified a few areas for improvement at the break, the players responded exactly as asked in the second half, putting those adjustments into practice to deliver a dominant performance after the interval. It was a very pleasing team display and one that sends a strong message, coming against one of last year’s grand finalists in the competition’.
Tom Pitman was named player of the match.
The Northern Rivers U23 side is also undefeated after two games.
In game one they beat Magic United 5-1 before beating Nerang 4-1 on the Saturday before Easter.
‘Against opposition they were expected to overcome, the Northern Rivers made life difficult for themselves in the opening period, giving the ball away too often in midfield and allowing Nerang back into the contest to make it 1–1 at the break,’ the match report said.
‘A half-time reset, focused on improving passing angles and offering better movement ahead of the ball, proved decisive. The response after the interval was excellent, with the team taking control, producing some real quality in the final third, and finishing strongly to secure all three points’.
Finley Black was outstanding and deservedly took Player of the Match for his relentless runs in behind and intelligent movement causing problems for the Nerang defence.
Ethan Zikhron also impressed, capping off a fine performance with his first hat-trick in Northern Rivers colours.
The Northern Rivers women’s side has secured one win from three games.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
