Walsend Red Devils defeated West Walsend 7-0 in the Regular Season round 17 of League 1 NNSW on Saturday. The result leaves the hosts nine points clear at the summit after nine matches, while West Walsend remain sixth following eight games. The gap between them and the team below has widened considerably.
By then the visitors had already dropped points in consecutive fixtures — losing 2-0 to New Lambton and 2-0 to Toronto Avaba Stags. Things came to a head against their local rivals, and the pattern of recent results continued. They were second to everything, and the scoreboard reflected that.
The hosts, meanwhile, had won four of their last five and drawn one. The 7-3 victory over Sessnock City Hornets and the 4-1 win against Singleton Strikers showed an attacking side that can raise the tempo when they need to. And here's the thing — this was their most emphatic result yet.
To be fair, West Walsend had once beaten Newcastle Croatia 2-1 and edged Lake Macquorie 1-7 in a different context. But those results belong to earlier in the campaign. This evening they played in front of their own supporters and ended a barren spell for the visitors — or rather, extended it.
The win keeps Walsend Red Devils unbeaten in five and moves them further from any challenger. West Walsend's 10 points from eight games now look increasingly distant from the top. The standings shifted without drama — which is often when the real story sits.