THE Woolgoolga Wolves stormed back to the top of the North Coast Premier League after dismantling the Coffs Coast Tigers 8-3 in an extraordinary 11-goal thriller at the Coffs Coast Synthetics last Saturday night.
In a breathless contest played in pouring rain, both sides traded blows early before the Wolves’ attacking firepower ultimately proved overwhelming.
The Tigers stunned the home side inside five minutes when Thomas Mitchell struck first to hand Coffs Coast the perfect start.
But the lead lasted only three minutes before Tai Smith restored parity with a clinical finish.
After wave upon wave of attacking pressure, Nick Mallett finally broke the deadlock to give Woolgoolga a 2-1 advantage.
Smith then produced a moment of class, cushioning an elegant first touch before finishing superbly for his second goal and a 3-1 Wolves lead.
The Tigers refused to go away, with Mitchell grabbing his second goal to reduce the deficit to 3-2 after a remarkable opening 18 minutes that produced five goals.
Woolgoolga responded immediately through a brilliantly executed set-piece, with Fraser Duryea glancing a perfectly weighted header into the corner to restore the Wolves’ lead at 4-2..
Moments later, the Tigers earned a penalty after a foul on the edge of the area, and Mitchell coolly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to complete his hat-trick and reduce the margin to 4-3 in dramatic fashion.
The chaos continued before halftime when Liam Davidson latched onto a cross to make it 5-3, capping a mesmerising opening half that delivered eight goals and relentless end-to-end football.
As the rain intensified, so too did the Wolves’ dominance.
James Gorrie extended the lead to 6-3 before Smith completed a superb hat-trick in the 78th minute, volleying brilliantly into the bottom corner.
James Palmer then added the finishing touch in the final minute, sealing an emphatic 8-3 victory and bringing the curtain down on one of the season’s most pulsating contests.
The result lifts the Wolves back to the top of the ladder, three points clear of Northern Storm, who still have a game in hand.
By David WIGLEY
You can help your local paper.
Make a small once-off, or (if you can) a regular donation.
We are an independent family owned business and our newspapers are free to collect and our news stories are free online.
Help support us into the future.