Sport
26 April, 2026
Strikers never gave up
THE Redlynch Strikers showed resilience and determination to claim a hard-earned 1-1 draw against the Mareeba Bulls in Sunday’s away fixture, salvaging a valuable point late in the match.
Coming into the clash with just one point from their opening four games, the Strikers faced a tough assignment against a Bulls outfit playing at home and eager to get their season underway.
Despite a difficult start, Redlynch refused to be overrun and ultimately found a way back into the contest.
The home side controlled much of the early play and took the lead in the 15th minute through Leon Peressini.
The Strikers struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, often under pressure as Mareeba moved the ball confidently and created several chances.
However, Redlynch’s defence held firm enough to keep the deficit at a single goal heading into the break.
After halftime, the visitors showed greater composure and intent.
Adjustments began to pay off as the Strikers pushed higher up the pitch and started to create opportunities of their own.
Their persistence and growing confidence shifted the momentum, forcing the Bulls onto the back foot in the closing stages.
With time running out and the game seemingly slipping away, Redlynch earned a crucial penalty in the 88th minute.
The opportunity was calmly converted, bringing the scores level and capping off a spirited second-half performance.
Striker’s coach Christian Wickham praised his side’s effort and belief, particularly after a challenging opening period.
“We’re a good group with a lot of fight this season. We looked at the game and thought that maybe we could have gotten all three points,” he said.
“We battled all the way through and got one point. It’s not easy coming to Mareeba, they are a very good side. We weren’t quite on it today – we struggled in the first half.
“The second half was better, we pushed hard and had a few chances. We are slowly building this team, lots of young players with potential who need to be knocked into shape to get it out of them.”
The result offers encouragement for Redlynch as they continue to develop, showing they can compete strongly, even against quality opposition on the road.
The Strikers take on Edge Hill United this Sunday at Calanna Park at 5pm with a massive round three seeing some huge results across all four grades with an enormous weekend of NRL for the region.
