BOWRAL’S first grade men welcomed back Kookaburra Glenn Turner into its team on Sunday and the star player responded with a hat-trick of goals to help Bowral to a 3-3 draw with fifth-placed Fairy Meadow.
It was Bowral’s first competition point after 11 rounds this season and coach Jules Linolli hopes it’s a point that will break open the floodgates.
“Glenn made a difference to the team, but it wasn’t just him that helped us get the point,” he said.
“Paul Bunt gave me a few tips on position play and we went in with a bit of a changed structure and caused an upset.”
Turner scored an early goal for Bowral before Fairy Meadow hit back with three before halftime to take a 3-1 lead.
The coach then put Turner up front and he responded with another two goals to level the game at 3-3.
“Fairy Meadow were expecting to win and they were pretty unhappy we managed to get the draw,” Linolli said.
The coach praised Turner and rookie goalkeeper James Cupitt who played his first game in the top grade.
Bowral will look to continue their unbeaten streak to two matches when they take on second-last placed Dapto this weekend.
o Mittagong played their best match of the season against top-of-the-table Uni on Sunday but it wasn’t enough for the Lions to steal the competition points.
Kieran O’Brien gave Mittagong a 1-0 lead early in the game and Uni squared the match to be 1-1 at halftime.
The Lions fell asleep after the break and conceeded a pair of goals.
But Mittagong bounced back and piled the pressure on Uni, but chance-after-chance went wide for the Lions.
Graeme Isedale scored a late goal for Mittagong but it wasn’t enough as the team lost 3-2.
Coach Glen Isedale said his team could take confidence from the loss.
“It was the best we played all season against a full-strength Uni team,” he said.
Isedale said inside forward Nelson Worner and halves Cameron Hughes and Andrew Pinkerton were the pick of the players.
o Robertson went down 4-3 in a hard-fought match against Albion Park.
With the match locked at 2-2 at halftime, rain teamed down throughout the second term and Albion Park gained the advantage.
Robertson equalised the match at 3-3 before Albion Park was awarded a penalty stroke with only a few minutes remaining.
Robertson captain Damian Gair said it was an evenly matched game.
“It could’ve gone either way,” he said.
“We played well, had a few players out but really dug deep and made a game of it.”
Robertson’s goals were scored by Gair, Daniel Campbell and Nathan Wright.
The team will look to get back into the winner’s circle in the derby against Mittagong on Sunday.
Last time the two teams met Mittagong took the competition points 3-2 but Gair is confident his team can square the ledger.
o In other news, the Robertson Hockey Club is holding a prawn and chicken night at the Robertson School of Arts on Saturday July 18. For more information contact Gair, Mark Wright or Julia Gilroy.
Email a friend