Not even the commute between Tamworth and Gunnedah could prompt Matt Daley to sever ties with his beloved football club.
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And so on Saturday at Gipps Street, the 25-year-old once again donned a Gunnedah FC shirt as the side looked to make it two wins in a row after claiming their debut Premier Division scalp the previous round.
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It was not meant to be: a hand ball in the box presented Moore Creek with a penalty kick in the dying stages of the contest - the successful conversion making it 3-3 at full-time.
Gunnedah host Quirindi on Saturday, and Daley will make the 80 kilometre trip west to training this week and then the match as he adds another chapter to a Gunnedah soccer story that began when he was a child.
A stint at the University of New England to study agriculture was followed by a Tamworth job and a return to Gunnedah FC last year.
Daley, who previously lived on a property outside Gunnedah, said the draw against Moore Creek was "a bit hard to take".
"We should never of been in that position," he said of the draw. He added: "We've definitely got the squad there [to be a force]."
Gunnedah FC coach Andy Cygan said central defender Daley was a "standout" player this season. "He has great commitment playing for us, despite living in Tamworth," Cygan said.
