It’s been a peculiar few months for the Urunga Raiders. There was 4 weeks without a game (wet weather, forfeits), a trip to Newcastle for an FFA cup tie, a shock loss to Boambee in a mid week home game turned around 4 days later by the momentous away win against league leaders Coffs United. Things got even stranger during last weeks catch-up against Northern Storm, in which the Raiders had no registered defenders available, giving manager Peter Snow the opportunity to play the rarely seen 1-5-4 formation resulting in an entertaining yet worrisome 7-3 win.
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So it was welcoming for some normalcy to return on a clear Sunday afternoon at the cabbage patch as spectators settled on the hill with a customary steak sandwich and can of Passiona. A notable absentee from the matchday squad was captain Kale Hopper who was last seen in the upper reaches of a far North Queensland estuary competing in The Saltwater Crocodile Hand Reel Fishing Classic. In his absence, Grant Homes used his authority as club president to award himself the captains’ armband.
The opposition was Grafton’s bottom of the table Westlawn Tigers. Without a win to their name this season surely for Urunga it would be a walk in the park, a stroll in the garden, an amble by the seaside perhaps? Well for 42 minutes it was anything but - a Raiders opener had been cancelled out by a Westlawn equalizer and at 1-1 with half time approaching it was proving to be a more difficult afternoon than first anticipated. But goals to Tim Rupprecht and Ben Dooley in the final minutes of the half steadied the nerves of the Raiders and took the wind out of the gallant Tigers.
The second half was a more enjoyable occasion for home fans as the Tigers faded and the Raiders sparkled. Fabrice Wamara twice out sprinted the defence to slot past the keeper, Andrew Trist came off the bench to score with his first touch, Ben Dooley kicked the ball and it went into the net for his second of the match. And Lachlan Indian-Manning scored his second of the season with a thumping header. Yes you read correctly, the same Indian-Manning who went 18 years or 286 matches without a goal has now scored two in one season, the odds of which are equal to a solar eclipse occurring on Christmas day. This now puts him in the running to take out the Copper Boot; a newly conceived award for the right back who scores the most goals in a season. Keen football analysts will note that both his goals came against Westlawn Tigers, a statistic they’ll surely want wiped from their record books.
8-1 the Final score, a slow start redeemed by typical free flowing Raiders brilliance. Next game v Sawtell Scorpions 5pm Saturday.
