Sport
11 May, 2026
Bulls beaten in dying stages
THE pressure continues to mount on the Mareeba Bulls after another heartbreaking late defeat, this time going down 2-1 to Innisfail United at Borzi Park last Saturday night.
With just one win on the board this season, the Bulls entered the clash desperate to secure valuable competition points in front of their home crowd. While the effort and intensity were evident throughout the contest, concentration lapses in the dying stages once again proved costly for the Mareeba outfit.
Both sides took time to settle into the encounter, cautiously feeling each other out during the opening exchanges. It was the visitors who struck first in the 13th minute when Christopher Clouss found space inside the area and calmly finished past the Bulls goalkeeper to give the Cutters an early advantage.
The goal sparked the home side into action, and the Bulls began to build momentum through controlled passages of possession. Their persistence was rewarded six minutes before halftime when Leon Peressini produced a clinical finish to level the scores at 1-1. The precision strike lifted the home supporters and gave the Bulls renewed confidence heading into the break.
At halftime the contest was evenly poised, with both teams creating opportunities and showing plenty of attacking intent. Mareeba continued to push hard in the second stanza, but the Cutters’ defensive line stood firm under sustained pressure. Central defender Kohei Nohara was outstanding for the visitors, repeatedly shutting down dangerous attacks and frustrating the Bulls in the final third.
Despite the strong effort from the home side, recent issues once again resurfaced late in the match. The Bulls appeared on track to earn at least a point before Innisfail snatched the winner in dramatic fashion. Harrison Corica broke the deadlock in the 90th minute, silencing the Borzi Park crowd and securing all three points for the Cutters moments before fulltime.
Mareeba Bulls coach Victor Madrid said his side had shown encouraging signs but admitted concentration and decision-making continued to hurt the team in crucial moments.
“I think we played well enough, we had our chances as they did,” Madrid said. “Our transitions hurt tonight. Technically when we had the ball and decided to move it around, we did well. We did it against Edge Hill as well last week. Our decision making in the final third is hurting us.
“Fitness wise I think we are there, that’s not the problem. I don’t think we are getting tired. It’s a lack of concentration in the last 20 to 25 minutes. Maybe we’re getting mentally tired and switching off, and that’s hurting us.
“It’s something we will have to work on. We’ve got Marlin Coast coming up and we just need to keep playing our style of football. We have our principles and we need to stick to them.”
The Bulls have this weekend off and will return to face the top-of-the-table Marlin Coast Rangers at Pennell Field, Trinity Beach on 23 May.
