Redbacks go down but not without a fight

Narrabundah started well and were pressuring the Yass defence constantly throughout the the first half. 

However, it was the Reds that drew first blood courtesy of a Cam Hodge set piece scorcher that rippled the back of the net,  leaving the Narrabundah team and supporters stunned. Classy.

Narrabundah quickly set about pressing the Redbacks defence again searching for the equaliser, which fell shortly later when a loose ball was pounced on in the box by a Narrabundah player sending the teams into oranges at 1 apiece.

The second half started out much the same as the first, and, yet again Yass drew first blood with some solid play from the back and middle, pushing the ball through to Hodge who swiftly turned a Narrabundah defender and slotted home a to give Yass the lead for the second time in the game.

The Reds sensed the chance of an upset, but alas, it wasn't to be and with 15 minutes to go Narrabundah was able to sneak an equaliser and another goal through Yass's defence to take the lead.

Yass didn't go down without a fight though, and the chances were coming agonisingly close before Narrabundah was able to seal the game with a counter-attack, turned goal, leaving the game 4-2 at full-time.

"I think we've showed that we have the ability to match it in Division 4 this season with most of the sides,” John Mannweiler said. 

"We just need to improve on our threat to goal in the next half of the season and we should win a few more games."

Players player went to Paul (Paulie) Jephcott who had a monster game in the middle for the Reds.

The Yass Division 3 Redbacks faced off against a Narrabundah outfit with a reputation for hard and physical football.

The prejudice proved non-existent, however, and the third placed Redbacks showed why they're sitting pretty in the top four at the end of the first half of games for the season.

The Red's started off quick out of the blocks, leaving the Narrabundah side grasping at straws. Yass scored two minutes in when some well-worked midfield play and a first time cross found Jarred Porter in the box, who acrobatically finished with what is referred to as a 'Swan-Kick' in football (when a player back heels the ball from behind that loops the ball 

over the head) which evidently went over the keeper’s head and into the net. Zlatan eat your heart out.

The Redbacks pushed their advantage and heaped the pressure on. Starting from the back with some solid defence from Andy MacLean and Ryan Betts, shutting down the counter attacks and helping the Yass midfield to control the paddock well into the half.

Yass doubled its advantage 25 minutes later when a pinpoint-through ball from the boot of Mitchell Darmody found his brother Brett, who fired home from the edge of the area.

Brett Darmody popped up again five minutes later to slot a well-timed ball from Ryan Wing.

Yass looked good for the final 15 minutes before the half but could take nothing away from the Narrabundah keeper, who kept the score from tripling with a number of fine saves.

The Redbacks were up three-nil at oranges.

"It was probably our best start to a game we've had all season,” player/coach John Mannweiler said.

"I was happy with the way everybody pushed on after we scored first. There's usually a few minutes after the first goal that the leading team have to be careful they don't relax and let a goal in, but that didn't happen, which was really positive and set the tone for the rest of the match."

Yass began the second half the way it left off the first, and before long, Porter had his second goal of the day, and this one rivaled the first, juggling the ball passed to players and finishing with a perfect lob-shot over the keeper’s out stretched hands.

Not long after, Robbie Furner, who has become Yass's Ole Gunnar Solskjær, found the ball at his feet in the Narrabundah Box to fire into the net pushing the lead to 5.

The hapless Narrabundah team made a couple of good chances late in the half but were denied by the prowess of Yass's 'Brick Wall' Rex Stacey at keeper.

Yass rounded off the fixture with the ever-reliant utility player Tim Hazell beating the keeper with a first time shot from beyond the arch, which stayed low and hit the side netting.

Players player went to Jarred Porter.

With standout performances from Ryan Wing, Mitchell Darmody, Cameron Betts and John Mannweiler who dominated the midfield for the Reds.

Both Yass sides will play away this weekend to the Burns Club at Kambah Playing Fields with Div 4 at 1pm and Div 3 at 3pm.