The visitors were on goal early and repeated raids down both flanks had Corindi on the back foot. Working the ball out from strong work across the back four, and through the mids, Nambucca took control and went oh so close via Nathan Stapleton, Kippa Herring, Lachie McRae and Dave Marchant.

The pressure paid off when Cameron Molloy tucked away a measured Blake McNeil chipped free kick over the Corindi defence. The Strikers hunted for their next but were denied by  desperate defensive touches from the scrambling Waves. On the counter attack, young Corey Forbes in the Nambucca goal, had to pull out some solid saves to keep Corindi out. So it stayed up to the break, with Nambucca having the bulk of the possession and chances.

The second half began as the first ended, and Nambucca looked the goods, with some more great plays through the mids, out of defence and down the flanks. An unseen shove in the back, put Corindi on goal, which they put away to level the score about 20 minutes in. That shook Nambucca up and they could have unravelled, but soon steadied to regain their composure and the possession.

A double blow to the Strikers then saw both central defenders have to leave the field through separate incidents. Again Nambucca reshaped and re-established themselves to hold out the Corindi raids, yet still make chances of their own, right up to the last whistle when Blake Ryan chipped a superb cross from the left, to the forward running Dave Marchant, whose shot went agonisingly past the post.

So a 1-all draw and a win this week versus Sawtell at the Coroseum will be crucial as the thirds eye-off a place in the finals.