An adjusted Urunga side for this one saw Emar Foran return to a striking role alongside the affable Fabrice Wamara and the welcome return of Kale Hopper to his usual midfield position. The match controlled by Dave Conner only five minutes old before the scoreboard began that familiar ticking sound, well familiar for the Tigers that is. Wamara had blasted through Grafton’s right-side defence and hammered the ball across the face of goal only to see it deflect in. Argh when your luck is out its out, in any case the Raiders one up and the Tigers defending to a man.

For the next 30 minutes or so the Raiders dominated the play. They had most of the possession and certainly the better of the goal scoring opportunities as they probed and prodded for the next gaol that was proving difficult to find. Yes the Tigers had as they say in footballing parlance ‘parked the bus’ placing virtually all players in defensive positions and this worked for a time. It was Wamara who scored the Raider’s second after some prolonged build up the Grafton side this time too slow to adjust to the Raiders attack and Wamara good enough to score the second. So 2-0 at the break and let me tell you the floodgates were creaking.

The Grafton side leaked a further four goals in the second stanza and on previous results must’ve considered this to be a significant improvement mmm. Goal scorers for the Raiders; Hopper (caught the ball on his chest and volleyed in for 3-0), Foran (just too quick and a good finish), Mick McCormick (accidental) and the Lachlan ‘Lockie’ Indian Manning. Yes a lot of money changed hands after Lockie’s strike, being at long odds to ever find the net let alone the back of it. But there you have it; try hard, never give up and eventually things will change perhaps a mantra that the Grafton side will adopt.

A solid and controlled six-nil victory for the travelling Raiders but is it enough to erase the memory of that recent 3-0 loss to the Lions? We shall see as the two pre-eminent sides in this season’s NCHGPL have a rematch. Yes Round 4 of the FFA cup will be held on Wednesday, kick-off at 7pm at Coffs Leisure Park 1 (just go to the Coffs Stadium). What a way to celebrate hump day or the end of it see you there!

In other results the men’s reserve grade a 6-1 win; goals to Snowy (Allen), Heward, Paix, Simmonds, Trist and Martin. The women’s reserve grade going down 1-0 against Maclean, and, the women’s first grade also went down 4-2 to Maclean. Hope to see all at 7 o’clock at the stadium for what promises to be cracker of a match.

Go U Raiders!

Tom Campbell