24 hours of heavy rain leading up to the game meant postponement was a real possibility. With puddles forming on the field and the rain steadily increasing there was debate as to whether the game would go ahead, but after rowing out to check the pitch the officials decided to play ball. 

Given the conditions one would expect a fairly dour contest. A scoreless draw or a scrappy 1-0 win for either side would not have been a surprising result, but over 90 extraordinary minutes the lead changed hands 4 times in a 7 goal thriller.

From the start it became clear it was going to be a difficult night for both teams. Some passes would skid across the pitch, others would stop dead in the muddier spots. And all while players slipped and slid in the treacherous conditions.

The Raiders went 1-0 up on 10 minutes. A poor clearance by a Scorpions defender rolled towards Kale Hopper on the edge of the box, his controlled shot skimmed through a sea of legs and snuck inside the post. 

The Scorpions hit back soon after with their first real chance of the match when their two danger men, Luke France and Ben Andrews, combined to produce a well taken goal to the latter. And within minutes the Raiders were behind, a free kick from 25 yards bounced awkwardly in the mud in front of goalkeeper Jake Tarrant, he managed to block it but a Sawtell player was first to the loose ball to drill it in. 

2-1 to Sawtell, but their lead didn’t last long as the Raiders equalized on the half hour mark with a goal that would have been impressive in any conditions, let alone a rain soaked quagmire. Starting from Jake Leslie on the left, five first time passes through the midfield cut open the Scorpions defence and released Hopper to slide the ball past the stranded keeper for his second of the match.

2-2 half time. 

Urunga regained the lead early in the second half. Fabrice Wamara beat his marker and smashed a low cross through the mud, a Scorpions defender stuck a leg out to intervene but unluckily only managed to deflect it into his own net. Again the lead was short lived, as Luke France capitalised on a Raiders defensive error to level the scores at 3-3. 

With 15 minutes remaining Sawtell took the lead when the Raiders returned the earlier favour with an own goal of their own. A free kick from near the sideline was lobbed high into the box and it skimmed cruelly off a Urunga head and into the net. 4-3 to the Scorpions and that’s how the score remained. The Raiders pressed valiantly for the equalizer, but Sawtells keeper made several crucial saves in the final minutes to see them to victory. 

Although a disappointing loss, The Raiders return home to the cabbage patch this Sunday for the second leg of the fixture with 3 away goals under their belt, meaning a win at home should see them through to the Grand Final. With 8 wins and 1 draw from 9 home games this season, including a 3-1 win over the Scorpions in round 13, The Raiders are confident of doing the job.