Brothers battered as Tigers turn it on

TOWNSVILLE Brothers have been dealt a brutal Crad Evans Shield defeat, as Edge Hill United farewelled a pioneer and beloved club legend with a bang. The Tigers were chasing their second piece of Premier Women’s history, their first since 2015, as well as the completion of an undefeated 2021 Premier League campaign.

The 8-1 result proved a perfect send off for outgoing coach Jo Ward, an integral member of not only Edge Hill United’s women’s team, but the club, and the wider football community, as she and her family prepare for a move to Ipswich.

While the yellow and black had the home field advantage, they came up against the might of Brothers Townsville, a club that has dominated the NQ Premier League for years, and has set a high standard for just how successful a women’s program can be in regional Queensland.

Back-to-back Crad Evans winners in 2018-19, Brothers were the team Edge Hill United defeated in the corresponding fixture in 2020 – at Townsville – and this was a chance for the Brethren to gain some measure of revenge.

Brothers did travel without several key players due to injury and unavailability – that combination of factors contributed to their grand final loss to MA Olympic a fortnight ago – but this Tigers team has been switched on since the first whistle back in March, let alone Saturday. So when the Tigers banged in eight outstanding goals – four via Siobhan Macken and two each for Shelley Macauley and young midfielder Louise Fowler – nobody quite knew how to react, though nothing could wipe the smile from Ward’s face as she presented every member their winner’s medal.

“Incredible. The girls were amazing again, like they have been all year,” Ward said. “An incredible way to end the season; they really deserve it.

“You never expect that sort of scoreline and we didn’t know what to expect from Brothers. The scoreline … we know we have plenty of goals in us, but they pushed us, they made us work for it, but the girls were up for it.”