Katanning Wanderers left to rue slow start as they suffer first loss of the season at hands of slick Wickepin

Wickepin continued their superb start to the Upper Great Southern Football League season after a clinical first quarter set up their win over the Katanning Wanderers in the top-of-the-table clash at Quartermaine Oval on Saturday. The Warriors started brilliantly on the road, booting six unanswered goals in the first term, going on to record a 33-point win and handing the reigning premiers their first loss of the season. The Tigers were without a number of regulars due to COVID and injuries, including key pair James Laurino and Mitchell Banks, but the Warriors won the toss and kicked with a slight breeze and had a 37-point buffer by the first change. Matthew Jukes was proving a handful in the forward line early as he kicked a couple of goals from strong marks. Luke Crouch kicked his first during an intriguing battle with in-form Tigers defender Liam Hansen, and late majors to Jeffrey Farrell and Jordan Flavel extended the visitors’ buffer. Neither side created any scoring opportunities until the nine-minute mark when the Tigers posted their first major after Callum Collard kicked to a leading Caleb Keley, who finished accurately. Debutant Abdul Pickett kicked his first league goal on the run from outside 50 and Josh Goodwin kicked two in 30 seconds to give the home side some momentum. However Jukes added his third and fourth goals, again from strong marks, and Crouch booted a second just before the siren to ensure the Warriors led by 24 points at the main break. An errant kick across their defensive goal gifted the Warriors’ Callum Garcia an early goal before Atem Deng, who was a livewire across half forward, added two for the visitors who by three-quarter time had pushed the margin back out to 38 points. To the Tigers’ credit they never gave up and added four goals to three in the last quarter, Goodwin taking his tally to four and Dionne Woods, who had been well held, adding two of his own. Hansen kicked a long goal on the run to consolidate a great game in defence but the Tigers went down, 9.13 (67) to 15.10 (100). Jukes, Jack O’Sullivan, Sam Fortini and Garcia were terrific for the Warriors who are now the only unbeaten team in the competition. Collard, Hansen and Deklan Georgy were among the best for the home side. In the other round three fixtures, the Narrogin Hawks coughed up a half-time advantage at home as they were overrun by Boddington on Saturday. The Hawks led by 23 points at the main break but managed only one goal in the second half as the Eagles stormed home to win by nine points. Matthew White was the star for the winners with five majors. Williams notched their first win of 2022 on Sunday, overcoming a sluggish first half to beat Brookton-Pingelly by 12 points. The Cats lost their first two matches this season but Cam Stedman, Nick and Simon Panizza and Angus Longmire (three goals) all fired as they came from 27 points down at half time to get up in Brookton. Kukerin-Dumbleyung thumped Wagin by 89 points in the other league game at Stubbs Park on Sunday. Nathan Phillips dominated the contest with eight goals while Lachy Ward and Justin Joyce were instrumental in the result.