It should’ve been played much earlier this season but an east coast low spiraling in from the great southern oceans put paid to that so here we are, or were, mid-week at Urunga’s famous Cabbage Patch for a real test of metal fourth placed Orara Valley Dingoes v Urunga Raiders sitting in equal first or a poofteenth away from it courtesy of goal difference to Coffs Lions and that because the Lions have played the feckless Grafton United and whacked in an eye watering 28 unanswered goals in two outings while the Raiders have yet to play them.
The Dingoes went down last start to a voracious Coffs Tigers outfit 5-2 and had 3 players sent off in that bloodbath, that dose was about to be repeated at The Cabbage Patch as the Raiders jumped out of the gates hungrier than a bunch of kids at Maccas. Fabrice Wamara and Tim Ruprecht both scoring inside the opening 15 minutes at the end of training like moves both side foot and both past an unravelling Dingo defence. Asama Radford followed that up with one more after boning one defender and slotting number three. So the Dingoes three down inside 30 minutes, it was all too much for Orara’s Dylan Louden carded for a rash challenge Louden’s petulant response to ridicule referee Bruce Mackie rightly earnt him a subsequent red card and the struggling Dingoes down to ten men.
The Orara side gathered at the break and played a better brand of football in the second half scoring twice once from the spot, the second a well-placed shot from range but the Raiders always had their measure and by that time it was out of reach at 5-0. Tanjil Everett who wandered up field for a corner timed his run to perfection and nodded in the Raiders fourth while Tim Ruprecth gathered his brace and the Urunga’s fifth. So a final score of 5-2 and a smiling coach Paul Pomroy pleased with the sides performance particularly their discipline. In the earlier match the Raiders also successful 4-3 Joe Pettit 3 goals and Josh McGovern 1 in an interesting curtain raiser.