The Youth League Report (Division One Youth League) Grand Final Review

Football NSW have asked me to acknowledge and thank the Bankstown City Lions club who not only made their facilities available but also provided every possible support to ensure that the day flowed smoothly from beginning to end.
Adding much to the day was the atmosphere in the spectator areas where the nervous giggles and non-stop chatter were undoubtedly accompanied by some private prayers that things would go as planned for the team they were supporting.
The cheers were outstanding as the supporters tried their best to lift the teams throughout the matches and there was always enthusiastic applause for both teams during the various presentation ceremonies.
On the field of play seven of the twelve clubs were represented with Fraser Park fielding three teams, Sydney University had two teams there while Springwood United, Mt Druitt Town Rangers, Hurstville City Minotaurs, Rockdale City Suns and Camden Tigers all had one team playing on the day. Of those, Fraser Park won two of the matches while Mt Druitt Town Rangers, Hurstville City Minotaurs and Camden Tigers were the other winners.
Before taking a look at the main attraction, the matches played on the day, a reminder that next week The Youth League Report will provide review of the season on a club-by-club and team-by-team basis.
Grade 13
The Background
Fraser Park finished the competition in second spot, five points behind the leaders. They reached this match with a win on penalties over Rockdale City Suns in the Preliminary Semi Final and a 2-1 extra-time win over Premiers Sydney University in the Major Semi Final.
After being thereabouts for most of the season, Springwood snuck into fifth place in the last round of the competition. They earned their place here with a 3-2 win over Hills Brumbies in the Elimination Semi Final, a 3-0 victory over Rockdale City Suns in the Minor Semi Final and a 1-0 win over Sydney University in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head action Fraser Park had won on both occasions, 3-1 in the first round and then 1-0 in the second round.
The Match
After a fairly even start to the game Fraser Park scored the first goal of the game through Andrew Alvarenga in the twelfth minute and while that certainly boosted their stocks, there was no way the gallant Springwood lads were going to drop their bundle.
While there were chances to score at both ends of the ground there were to be no additional goals before the break when the respective coaches were able to give the best possible advice to their charges.
The second half started at a terrific pace as the teams went in search of what both would consider to be a vital goal.
Fraser Park were able to extend their lead in the thirty-third minute when Nikola Todoroski netted and once again Springwood needed the sort of character that had brought them into this game. However, it proved to be too big a mountain to climb on this occasion despite their huge effort.
Fraser Park stepped forward to claim the honours as the Champions while Springwood United can hold their heads high .
Grade 14
The Background
Fraser Park are the Premiers after they claimed the title on a goal difference of one goal. They qualified for this match through the most direct route with a 1-0 extra-time win over Mt Druitt Town Rangers in the Major Semi Final.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers finished in third position, eight points behind the leaders. They reached this match after a 2-0 win over Sydney University in the Preliminary Semi Final, the loss to Fraser Park in the Major Semi Final and then a 1-0 victory over Uni in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head action the first round match was a 0-0 draw and then Mt Druitt claimed the second round points with a 3-1 result.
The Match
After the usual even start Mt Druitt began to take some control and that was rewarded when they put their noses in front with a tenth minute goal from Sebastian Blazquez.
Fraser Park did not let that setback rattle them however as they began to look for ways to get back into the contest with an equaliser but it would not appear before the interval.
When play resumed there was not much between the teams but Fraser Park were still pressing hard for a vital goal and that finally came along in the fifty-fourth minute thanks to a strike from Steven Kalantzis.
In the remaining six minutes both teams pulled out all stops to find a winner but it would not come for either of them and so extra time was needed to find a winner.
When neither team could manage to find the back of the net it was off to the penalty spot for the decider. It was here that the Rangers came to the fore as they won the shootout 2-1 after their goalkeeper had pulled off two fantastic saves.
So it was that Mt Druitt Town Rangers were crowned as Champions while any disappointment Fraser Park felt was washed away when they received their rewards as Premiers.
Grade 15
The Background 
Hurstville City Minotaurs completed the competition in second place, ten points behind the leaders. They reached this match by beating Rockdale City Suns 2-1 in the Preliminary Semi Final and then a 1-0 win over Premiers Fraser Park in the Major Semi Final.
Rockdale City Suns finished in third position, three points behind Hurstville. Their path to this match involved the Preliminary Semi Final loss to Hurstville, a 2-1 Minor Semi Final win over Camden Tigers and then a 2-1 victory over Fraser Park in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head action Rockdale took the first round points with a 4-2 win and then Hurstville won the second round clash 2-0.
The Match
The early stages of this game gave the strong impression that there was nothing between them but then Hurstville settled into their stride and slowly but surely began to take control.
They gained the upper hand when Tolerance Mpofu found the back of the net and that gave the Minotaurs the lead but then Rockdale made it clear that they were not about to surrender at that stage.
Try as they might, the Suns could not find a way to overcome the well organised Hurstville defence before the interval and so the score stayed as it was.
Rockdale gave everything they had to their attempts to square the ledger by they were up against a Minotaurs team that was a bit too hot for them on the day.
Hurstville added a second goal to their tally in the fifty-sixth minute thanks to a strike from Michael Grace and that proved to be enough to give them the result they were looking for but it must be said the Rockdale never even looked like giving up even though the odds were stacked heavily against them.
Hurstville City Minotaurs were duly crowned as Champions and Rockdale can be justifiable proud of their efforts.
Grade 16
The Background
Sydney University are the Premiers after they won the competition by a margin of five points. They reached this game with a 2-1 loss to Fraser Park in the Major Semi Final followed by a 2-0 success over St George in the Preliminary Final.
Fraser Park finished in second spot and their pathway to this match involved a
Preliminary Semi Final win on penalties over St George and the Major Semi Final victory over Uni.
In head-to-head action Sydney University had taken the first round points with a 5-1 result and then the second round game was a 0-0 draw.
The Match
What a game this turned out to be as the teams went at each other with all the skill, passion and determination expected at this level of the game and that provided great entertainment.
Uni drew first blood when Brayden Sorge found the back of the net in the thirteenth minute but that lead lasted only nine minutes as Dillepan Pious scored an equaliser for Fraser Park.
It was anyone?s game in the second half as both teams gave everything they had to trying to find a winner but it simply would not come for either team. Unfortunately, the task of both teams was all that more difficult after the referee had found it necessary to send off a total of three players, two from Sydney University and one from Fraser Park.
To their credit, both teams had lifted to overcome the player deficiencies and they battled out the extra time periods without adding to the score and so the match had to be decided from the penalty spot. It was here that Fraser Park gained the upper hand as they won the shootout 3-1.
So Fraser Park claimed the title as Champions while Sydney University were happy to be crowned Premiers.
Grade 18
The Background
Sydney University won the title as Premiers after they finished the competition twelve points ahead of their nearest rivals. They accepted the most direct route to this match when they defeated Fraser Park 3-2 in the Major Semi Final.
Camden Tigers finished in third position, seventeen points behind the leaders. They qualified for this match with a loss on penalties to Fraser Park in the Preliminary Semi Final, a 4-2 victory over Mt Druitt Town Rangers in the Minor Semi Final and a 3-2 win over Fraser Park in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head action Uni won the first round game 2-1 and the second round clash was not played.
The Match
As expected, the early stages of this game were very even as the teams worked at trying to find a way through their opponents? defences and the result was and edge-of-the-seat thriller for the folk in the spectator areas.
Alan Bourke gave Camden the lead just after the half-hour mark but Uni pegged that back to 1-1 when George Georgamlis found the net barely one minute later and that is they way the game stood at the interval.
Just three minutes into the second half Abdull Al-Nakeeb put the Tigers in front again. While that forced Uni to rally as they went in search of a second equaliser, they found it too difficult to crack the well marshalled Camden defence.
The Tigers continued to press forward and that brought the reward of a third goal, this one coming from a Brett Commons strike in the seventh-seventh minute and that proved to be enough to get them over the line.
Camden Tigers stepped forward to be crowned as Champions while Sydney University were proud to accept the title as Premiers.
-By Barry Davis