Cowra’s senior men’s soccer side has overcome an early season hiccup with last year’s coach Adam Gambrill being reinstated as mentor for 2018.
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Gambrill coached the Eagles to one game shy of last year’s Bathurst Football Association premier league grand final and was at the helm for the 2016 second grade premiership win.
He hadn’t planned on coaching this year however he put his hand up when the job became vacant after the opening round.
The Eagles registered their second victory of the season on Sunday afternoon at Edgell Park defeating Abercrombie FC Gold 3-1 courtesy of a Shaun Mortyne double. The victory adds to their record of three defeats suffered during the opening five weeks.
“From all reports we played really well. I was disappointed we didn’t keep a clean sheet and I think we were pretty unlucky not to but it’s a good result coming off a 3-1 loss the week before,” coach Gambrill said, who was absent from the match.
“Home games are the ones you want to win. If you pinch a few away games you’re likely to sneak in the finals. Our focus will be on our performances at home.”
Gambrill also knows he needs to create a new nucleus having lost experienced midfielders Pat Buttigieg and Perry Weigold and striker Toby Baker who’s linked with CSU for 2018.
A young bridge of players are getting their opportunity in the top grade and Gambrill sees it as a strength.
“We have four or five young blokes who have been around the team but haven’t played a full season of football yet. It’s going to be hard to build up that nucleus but I think with our youth it bodes well for the future,” he said.
The reintroduction of the women’s team has boosted the club in a hugely positive way, Gambrill said, who is assistant coach to his sister and captain-coach Courtney Gambrill.
The women’s side notched a third win this season on Sunday and sit atop the Bathurst Football Association second grade ladder.
The Eagles women defeated Collegians 5-1. Two goals to Johanna Johanson and one each to Georgia Waters, Catherine Gorham and Becky Thornberry piloted the Eagles to victory.
“It’s the first season in awhile that we’ve had a women’s team. To get a team is great and to have one that’s highly competitive is really good,” Gambrill said.
“It’s great having two teams. It’s never as much fun off the field with one. The two teams really adds something so to have the women’s team back is really great. It’s a great year for the teams on and off the field.”
This week there’s a general bye. The Eagles men’s side take on CSU White at Proctor Park on May 27 while the Eagles women meet Macquarie United at the same venue.
