Under the glow of the floodlights and in front of a passionate home crowd, Bellingen F.C. Marked their long-awaited return to a refreshed home ground with a hard-fought clash against Yamba F.C.
This fixture held special significance, being the first Premier Division men’s game played in Bellingen in over a year. The occasion drew nearly 200 supporters, eager to see the “Shire boys” back where they belong.
The opening exchanges were a tight arm wrestle, with both sides testing each other early. Yamba gradually began to assert their class in possession, moving the ball with precision, while Bellingen struggled to maintain control and gave it away too easily at times.
The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute, and unfortunately for the home side, it was Yamba who etched their name into the new surface first. Captain Liam Evans capitalised on a swift counterattack, breaking clear of the ever-reliable centre-back pairing of Stuart and Gus before calmly slotting a low, driven finish past the keeper to make it 1–0.
To their credit, Bellingen refused to drop their heads. Tireless efforts from Dash Carty and Rio Prieto in midfield kept the pressure on, chasing down every loose ball and disrupting Yamba’s rhythm wherever possible. Despite their determination, the score remained 1–0 heading into the break.
The second half saw Bellingen emerge with renewed energy. Sharp link-up play between Morgan Sherry-Dadd and Aiddan Saggus created several promising opportunities, but the elusive equaliser just wouldn’t come.
As the game wore on, it followed a similar pattern to the first half—Yamba controlling possession and showing greater accuracy in their passing. Their persistence paid off again with just 16 minutes remaining, as Yamba’s number 4 finished off a low, driven cross skimming across the six-yard box to extend the lead to 2–0.
Still, Bellingen weren’t done.
Despite injuries forcing multiple reshuffles and testing the squad’s depth, the home side found a moment of brilliance to ignite the crowd. Hamish “The Prince” Prior latched onto a slick pass from Jai Wadick, beat his defender with a sublime first touch, cut in from the left edge of the box, and unleashed a stunning strike into the far top corner. It was a goal of real quality – one that brought the score to 2–1 and breathed new life into the contest.
Momentum swung back toward Bellingen, with Yamba beginning to show signs of nerves. Solid defensive work and some crucial saves kept the home side within touching distance, and they pushed hard in search of a late equaliser. A couple of golden chances followed, but it just wasn’t to be on the night.
The final whistle confirmed a 2–1 victory for Yamba, but the performance from Bellingen – full of grit, resilience, and flashes of quality – gave plenty for the home supporters to be proud of.
A big thank you goes out to the fans, whose support was felt every step of the way.
Bellingen F.C. face a stern test next weekend as they travel to take on ladder leaders Northern Storm at 2:30pm on Saturday in the hit 105.5Fm Premier League.