THE Sawtell Scorpions pulled off a stunning upset in Round One of the HIT105.5 Men’s Premier League, defeating last year’s Premiers, the Woolgoolga Wolves, 2-1 on Saturday at Toormina Oval.
A youthful and rejuvenated Scorpions side made an early statement when Jesse Buckle, ever the live wire, intercepted a loose pass and expertly lobbed the goalkeeper from 25 yards out to give Sawtell the lead in the 27th minute.
But the Wolves, never ones to go down without a fight, levelled the score five minutes before halftime when Fraser Duryea headed in from a corner to make it 1-1.
The second half saw both sides battle fiercely for the win, but it was Keeden Corliss who delivered the decisive blow in the 65th minute, firing home to put the Scorpions back in front.
In a match full of grit and determination, the Scorpions sealed the win – a victory that was all the more impressive considering the Wolves dominated the league last season, winning 13 points clear of the competition and only losing one match the entire year.
Sawtell FC assistant coach Rod Buckle was delighted with the three points after a short pre-season.
“We felt we might be a bit underdone going into Round One with many of our boys playing summer sports,” he said.
“With Sawtell Cricket going deep into the season we didn’t have the pre-season availability and conditioning we would have liked.
“Woolgoolga are a team we have a lot of respect for – they haven’t dropped many games over the last two years. “Playing a much larger and more experienced team first up on a slow track required a committed performance and some tweaks to the game plan.
“The boys responded – it was a gritty win rather than a flamboyant one and hopefully builds character and some belief for the season ahead.”
After defeating last season’s Premiers, Sawtell FC now face last year’s Grand Final Champions Northern Storm on Saturday 12 April.
“It is a long season, and we have a very young squad, they will learn a lot out of games like the other day,” Buckle reflected.
“The draw has seen us come up against the two benchmark teams on last year’s form, in the first two weeks.
“We embrace this, as it gives us a good opportunity to know where we are at, and what we need to work on.”
By David WIGLEY