Both sides recorded wins, with the boys beating Drummoyne Black (B) 7-4 after a first-up loss to SNB (Northern Beaches) Blue at Scully Park.

“The early start didn’t quite agree with the boys. They were a bit up and down but it got rid of the nerves,” coach Chris Mihell said.

“The boys played well in patches,” he said.

“But they went away from the basics at times, which cost us dearly.”

They were in the game but just couldn’t convert their opportunities.

“At the beginning of the third quarter we could have come back and drawn level,” Mihell said.

“We put ourselves in scoring situations but couldn’t convert.

“Had we picked up a couple of goals the result could have been different.”

But fortunately the consistency they lacked they found in the second game.

“We stuck to the basics and scored some good goals,” Mihell said.

He said they started well and, while Drummoyne continually came back at them, they pulled away again, which was pleasing.

Early in the fourth quarter, Drummoyne got back to one goal but the Tamworth boys kicked away again.

They play Ovens & Murray and UNSW/Wests Black A today and will be hoping to pick up a couple of wins.

The girls also began at 7am but scored a 4-3 win over Sydney Uni.

“The girls got off to a cracking start,” coach Gail Salter said.

“They were 2-nil up at quarter-time.

“But I think nerves and the seven o’clock start got to them and the other side came back.

“But we sealed it.”

It wasn’t all good news though.

The team will have to use a makeshift keeper for the remainder of the tournament.

“Emily Jarrett, our goalkeeper, has broken her finger,” Salter said.

“So she’s out.

“We put Nikita Neville up and she played very well.”

In game two, Tamworth came up against one of the heavyweights, Cronulla A.

The Sydneysiders showed their dominance but Tamworth’s youngsters still took a lot out of the loss.

“It wasn’t a winnable game so we gave some of our younger players a game for experience,” Salter said.

“It was 20-nil but the good thing is the girls ran up to us afterwards and said they’d learned so much today.”

She said Kelly Mullen, Kate Farquhar, Katie Salter and youngsters Monique Guy and Abby Griffiths were among Tamworth’s standout

performers.

If Tamworth’s girls can also win their last two pool games today against SNB White B and UNSW Black B, they will qualify for the playoffs this afternoon.