Competition leaders FC slotted three second half goals to beat North Armidale 3-1 while the Mushies accounted for East Armidale 2-nil courtesy of first half strikes from Nash Tapp and Jake McGoldrick and Companions played out a 3-all draw with Demon Knights.

Tapp got the final touch on an attacking move to give the Mushies the lead in the 13^th minute before McGoldrick doubled their advantage in similar fashion in the 31^st.

They probably could have scored two or three more goals Mushies coach Tim Coates said, but “weren’t good enough”.

On a windy day and on a bumpy pitch, Coates was still happy with his sides performance as they held on for a” gutsy” win and turned around a 4-nil first round loss

“There was some good football from both sides, it was just a matter of keeping them from scoring and locking the game down pretty well,” he said.

They did in the second half revert to a more defensive structure.

Missing a couple of players the thing that most pleased Coates was the way the players that came in stepped up.

Cale Penrith made his first grade debut and played well in the left midfield but once again it was a team effort.

”This group everyone is working for everyone else. If someone makes a mistake they cover it up,” Coates said.

Up in Armidale, FC almost kept another clean sheet with North Armidale scoring late into injury time.

“The boys were a bit disappointed letting that goal in,” FC coach Greg Bartlett said.

The first half was a tight battle with neither side able to find the back of the net.

That wasn’t for FC through lack of opportunity.

In the space of about 10 seconds at one stage they hit the post and the crossbar three times, Bartlett said.

Troy Hearfield eventually broke the shackles, and as has been the way for FC one quickly turned into two.

“When it comes we seem to score a few,” he said.

Kurt Barrow, who was doubtful of playing after picking up an ankle injury against the Mushies the previous week, and Jackson Haussler followed suit to make it six from six for FC.

“They played really well. We had pressure on them all the time, which was good,” Bartlett said.

“They had a couple of chances but nothing overly serious.”

He thought in the second half they used the pitch better getting the ball wider, which then opened up more opportunities.

It was a fruitful trip to Armidale with reserve grade earlier producing an eight-goal turnaround to also get the points 3-1.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever beaten them in both grades on the one day,” Bartlett said.

The first grade win sees FC maintain a three point advantage at the top over the Mushies, who are another five points clear of DK, although the Armidale side have a game in hand.