Sport
26 August, 2026
Cutters beat Leichhardt 2-1
A BRILLIANT goalkeeping display from Elliott Ferguson proved the difference as the Cutters’ premier men returned to winning form with a 2-1 away victory over Leichhardt at White Rock on 16 August.
Ferguson produced a string of outstanding saves, including two penalties from former Cairns FC player Bronson Koppen to secure the hard earned win.
Innisfail struck through Cameron Epong, who buried a quality free kick, before Liam Crossland doubled the lead with a superb volley.
Ferguson then took control of the match, pulling off three one on one stops and commanding the box from corner kicks.
Coach John Cavanah praised the team’s resilience.
“We had five regular first team players unavailable but dug deep and still found a way to win against a strong Leichhardt side, who are sitting fourth in the competition,” he said. “The players who filled in did an excellent job and the lads who have been turning up all year were rewarded for their efforts.”
Earlier in the season, Innisfail defeated Leichhardt 4-0 at home, but Cavanah noted the challenge of fielding a consistent line up throughout the year.
The Cutters next faced reigning premiers Marlin Coast in their final home game, before an away clash with Southside Comets.
Innisfail’s under-23 women kept their red hot form rolling on 14 August, securing a 2-0 victory over Leichhardt at Jeff Pezzutti Oval, Woree.
The win marked their 16th of the season, adding to an outstanding record of one draw and just two losses.
Sitting second on the ladder behind Edge Hill, the Cutters boast an impressive 77 goals scored and only 14 conceded.
Innisfail United’s under-23 men travelled to Cairns to meet Leichhardt on 16 August, going down 6-1 after a slow start.
Two early goals, both high quality finishes left the Cutters on the back foot and by the 25 minute mark the score had blown out to 3-0 as Leichhardt pushed to secure the minor premiership.
Innisfail responded with a well worked goal from a corner and were unlucky not to gain a man advantage before halftime after a clear foul went unnoticed as they broke through on goal.
At 3-1, momentum briefly looked like it might swing, but Leichhardt proved clinical in the second half and deserved the win.
Coach Chris Clauss said the performance showed promise but highlighted the need for consistency.
“We were good in patches, but we need to be more consistent next year if we’re going to climb the ladder,” he said.