MAGPIES SILENCE THUNDER IN DRAW

Failure to convert proves costly in NPL showdown

FOOTBALL: Failure to turn pressure and possession into goals proved costly for the SWQ Thunder at the weekend.

At home to Magpies Crusaders FC, the Thunder could have made the game theirs had they been able to find the net in the first half.

The home side had all the early running in the match creating numerous chances the first of which fell to Kyle Parish in just the third minute.

Prowling the edge of Magpies penalty area on Thunder corner kick, Parish found space before sending his shot high.

Nicholas Edwards, Travis Cooper, Chris Hatfield and Anthony Grant all had opportunities to score in the first half – the best of which fell to Cooper and Grant.

Cooper nearly opened his account in the 20th minute but was denied by a good save from Magpies keeper Ryan Ramsden.

It was Grant would had the best chance of the half though.

Latching onto a Daniel Weber through ball, Grant was 1-on-1 with the keeper before his shot struck Ramsden.

The Thunder didn’t have it all their own way though, with the Magpies having several clear chances of their own. In the end the draw proved to be a fitting result.

“At the end of the day a draw is not bad result for us,” SWQ Thunder assistant men’s manager Kris Hemmerling said.

“Obviously we would have loved the win and I believe the only reason we didn’t get that result was our finishing.

“If we convert any of our chances in the first half it’s a very different game.”

The sides went into the halftime break locked at 0-0 and it was the Thunder who once again had the early running after the break.

Magpies, however, opened the scoring in the 65th through Lewis Farquhar.

“I think we were very unlucky in this game,” Hemmerling said.

“Their best chances came off errors we made and I felt we created enough to win.”

Grant levelled in the 82nd minute for the Thunder driving home a neat pass cutback by Cooper.

“It was a good performance from the boys and it just shows we cannot rest on our laurels,” Hemmerling said.

“It proves you have to fight for every game in this competition.”

Photo: Nev Madsen IN CONTROL: South West Queensland Thunder midfielder Daniel Weber (right) eases past Magpies Crusaders FC player Ezra Kennell during their NPLQ clash at Toowoomba’s Clive Berghofer Stadium on Saturday. The match finished in a 1-1 draw.