Curtain call for all but top three

Byron player Tim Knight (red shirt) duelling with Rovers’ Scott Crouch in last weekend’s premier match won by Rovers 2-1.

The end of the Southern Cross Credit Union Men’s Premier division pointscore competition is this weekend and the only certainty is the final standings of the top three.

Goonellabah will be pointscore champions, Rovers second and Pottsville Beach third. Italo Stars and Bangalow have no chance of making the semi-finals however several sides still tussle for fourth or fifth.

Stars and Bangalow meet in a possible wooden spoon/relegation decider unless Stars win the mid-week game against Byron Bay. Stars have done it tough this season and it is ironic that they meet Byron Bay and Bangalow in the last two games as those sides have also had seasons to forget. Coach Rick Austen has been a stalwart for the North Lismore club for many years and it will be interesting to hear his assessment of the year when the dust finally settles.

Over at Byron, Peter Ware has seen his team fall away after a strong start and talented players like Tom Ruhl and young tyros like Ben Coulter and Nolan Pierce have given the Rams hope for a revival next year. Bangalow are expected to finish on the bottom of the table and with a further two players sent off last week, the season cannot come quick enough. Frustration with a range of factors has led to lack of discipline and emotional coach Alex Pratt may also have learnt a lot about the influence of a coach after an often-tempestuous year.

Lismore Workers’ loss to the Hornets on Monday night ended their hopes however Ballina must defeat the Redmen to give themselves a chance of making the finals. After a lacklustre effort last weekend when they failed to score a goal, captain Dane Seymour will be wanting to inspire a final effort.

Pottsville Beach have a double header and will be without key players Michael Kolovos and Josh Boag, who both faced red cards last week. The Panthers’ tough style of play has seen them earn the wrath of referees who are simply enforcing the laws of the games. Coach Dave Lonie is an outstanding player and has led well from the front despite clearly being affected by injury.

Lismore Thistles will make the finals and coach Ken McPherson has also had a challenging year with key players being suspended through ill discipline. The Blues meet Rovers who are warming to the task of defending their title in September.

Goonellabah, which has lost star striker Dave Annetts for the year with a broken wrist, meets the improving Alstonville side who play an honest, fast style of football.

For all but five teams in the premier league, it will be curtain down for the season this weekend.