A stunning run of four straight wins has shot the Crookwell soccer team up to third in the STFA All Age Men's rankings.
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![Launched: The Crookwell Under 13s Girls are ranked first on the ladder and have dominated the STFA competition this season. Photo: Zac Lowe. Launched: The Crookwell Under 13s Girls are ranked first on the ladder and have dominated the STFA competition this season. Photo: Zac Lowe.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ijfQKXbsEKgSKGW5xB5NiF/2bdc2131-e95c-4eb9-952c-da095a1c7885.JPG/r818_933_4009_2914_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
After the a promising start, Crookwell had slipped to fifth place by round five and looked in danger of missing out on the Division One finals.
But since then, the team has produced victories over the Goulburn Workers (9-3), MBK (3-0), Wollondilly Soldiers Gold (5-1), and, most recently, Stags 97 (7-3) on Saturday.
From a win-loss record of 3-1-3 in round seven, Crookwell has charged into the top three and now sits just below the Workers in second and the Goulburn Strikers in first.
Much of Crookwell's success has been driven by Duncan Shepherd and Sam Jackson, who both lead the scoring tally for the side with eight apiece and sit in joint-fifth place on the competition-wide list of goal-scorers.
The team now has the opportunity to extend its streak to five with a fixture against the fifth-ranked Stags FC.
The reigning premiers have struggled in 2021, and have only won three of their ten matches to date. Their recent form has been middling as well, with two losses and two draws from their last four games.
The last time Crookwell and Stags FC met, in round five, the former claimed a resounding 6-1 victory.
Should Crookwell be able to repeat that result, it will stay in the race for second place by the end of the regular season, on August 28.
The Crookwell senior women, however, have had less success than their male counterparts in the latter half of the season.
After a bright start in the Highlands Soccer Association's All Age Women competition, with two wins and one loss in their first three games, the Crookwell women have only added one further victory in their next seven matches.
The HSA season has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak in Greater Sydney, meaning all of the STFA-based teams in the competition have only played sporadically.
Meanwhile, Crookwell's youth teams have generally performed well this season.
The Under 13s currently sit second on the STFA ladder, with nine wins and just a single loss.
The Under 13s Girls have continued their history of strength in the local competition, and are in first place with ten wins and one loss for the season.
The Under 15s have had less success, and are fourth on the ladder with two wins and eight losses.
And, finally, the Crookwell Youth League side has put together a stellar year to sit second on the ladder as well, with eight wins and two draws. They are only behind the Goulburn Workers FC, who have the same number of points, but a slightly better goal differential.
The Crookwell team's fixtures all take place on Saturday, August 14, and are as follows:
- All Age Men - Crookwell vs Stags FC at Cookbundoon from 1pm
- Youth League Colts - Crookwell vs Hill Top at Boronia Park from 11am
- Under 15s - Crookwell vs MBK at Gunning from 11.30am
- Under 13s - Crookwell vs Stags Sky at Cookbundoon from 10.30am
- Under 13s Girls: Crookwell vs Stags Black at Cookbundoon from 11.45am
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