Division One Youth League – Grand Finals

In all the spectator areas there was a mixture of nervous laughing, hushed conversations, furtive looks in the direction of the opposition supporters and lots of colour as the family, friends and supporters of each team had dressed appropriately for the occasion. .
The matches were fantastic throughout the day and the quality of this level of play was there for all to see, a credit to the players, coaches, managers and clubs involved in this event.
Football NSW wishes to thank Mt Druitt Town Rangers for the use of their facilities for this special day, for their attention to detail throughout and their magnificent hospitality. 
Now, let?s look at what happened on the field of play.
Grade 13
Southern NSW are they Premiers after they finished the season four points clear of their nearest rivals. They took the most direct route to this match when they won the Major Semi Final 2-1 over Camden Tigers.
Hakoah were in third place on the final table for the season. They reached this match with a 1-0 loss to Camden Tigers in the Preliminary Semi Final, followed by a 1-0 win over Mt Druitt Town Rangers in the Minor Semi Final and then a 1-0 success over Camden in the Preliminary Final.
These teams finished the competition as joint leading goal scorers.
In head-to-head action during the season, Southern were 7-1 winners in the first round and then Hakoah took the second round points with a 3-1 result.
This match was a fine display of the best football this age group has to offer as both teams produced cultured, short passing, high-energy play from the first whistle to the last.
Hakoah drew first blood when they scored through captain Ryan Blumberg in the fifteenth minute but then Southern bounced back with a strike from Rocco Battagliolo squaring the ledger.
The 1-1 scoreline held firm through to the interval and then, four minutes after the resumption, Blumberg was on hand to restore Hakoah?s lead. Try as they might, Southern could not find a way to break down the solid Hakoah defence and so the scoreboard read 2-1 when the final whistle sounded on a match that had been an end-to-end thriller.
Hakoah stepped forward to receive the crown as Champions and Southern NSW can certainly be very proud of their contribution to the Grand Final.
Grade 14
Mt Druitt Town Rangers finished the season in third position and they reached this match by defeating Stanmore Hawks 1-0 in extra time in the Preliminary Semi Final and then beating Premiers St George 1-0 in the Major Semi Final.
Stanmore Hawks were the competition Runners-up and the top scoring team in this age group. They qualified for this game after losing the Preliminary Semi Final 1-0 to the Rangers then winning the Minor Semi Final with a 5-2 result over Camden Tigers before winning the Preliminary Final in a penalty shootout with St George.
In head-to-head action during the season, Stanmore took the first round points with a 1-0 result and then Mt Druitt won the second round match 1-0.
The good folk in the spectator areas were kept on the edge of their seats throughout this heart-stopping match as the action flowed thick and fast from one end of the ground to the other.
While there were a large number of very near misses at both ends, neither team managed to rattle the net before full-time and so extra time was required to find a winner.
There were goalmouth dramas galore during the first period but still no goals and then a breakthrough came when Steven Georgiou found the back of the net to give Stanmore the lead.
The Rangers rolled up their sleeves and went looking for an equaliser but it was not to be and so Stanmore Hawks were crowned Champions and Mt Druitt Town Rangers can take great pride from their performance in this memorable match.
Grade 15
Mt Druitt Town Rangers are the Premiers after they won the competition by an amazing seventeen points and remained unbeaten throughout the season. They had the best attacking and defensive figures in this competition. The Rangers qualified for this match by taking the most direct path, a 3-1 win over Southern NSW in the Major Semi Final.
Stanmore Hawks finished the season in third place, twenty-six points behind the Premiers. They lost the Preliminary Semi Final 5-1 to Southern NSW and then won the Minor Semi Final with a penalty shootout result over Balmain East Tigers before winning the Preliminary Final in another penalty shootout, this one over Southern.
In head-to-head action during the season, Mt Druitt have claimed all the points with 3-0 and 2-1 victories.
What a cracker of a match this one turned out to be! Despite starting the game as favourites, the Rangers found themselves on the back foot as the Hawks continually took the game to them for long periods of the first half but there was no score when the half-time whistle sounded.
Mt Druitt regrouped during the interval and the second half was a very even affair with chances to open the scoring falling in equal measure at both ends of the pitch but still no-one could rattle the net.
Extra time was needed but the additional periods of play failed to produce a winner and so it was off to the penalty spot to find the answer.
It was here that Mt Druitt Town Rangers came to the fore as they won the shootout 5-3 to claim the Champions crown but it must be said that Stanmore Hawks covered themselves with glory for their outstanding contribution to the match.
Grade 16
Hakoah competed the season in second place and they were the competition?s top scorers. They reached this match with a penalty shootout win over Stanmore Hawks in the Preliminary Semi Final and then a 1-0 result over Gladesville Ryde Magic in the Major Semi Final.
Gladesville Ryde Magic are the Premiers after they won the competition by three points and they had the best defensive record in this age group. After losing the Preliminary Semi Final to Hakoah they defeated Stanmore 1-0 in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head action during the season, the first round match finished at 1-1 and then Magic took the second round points with a 1-0 result.
This was expected to be a close game and that is exactly what the teams delivered in a real nail-biter.
Hakoah were first on the scoresheet when Robbie Ezekiel found the net in the 16^th minute but only four minutes later the ledger was squared when Gladesville?s captain Yusuf Aknar scored.
The second half produced loads of action but no more goals, despite a large number of chances from both teams going begging.It was in extra time that the winner was found and that came from Magic?s Sam Powell.
Gladesville Ryde Magic were crowned Premiers but Hakoah pushed them all the way to the wire.
Grade 18
Camden Tigers were the competition Runners-up and they qualified for this game with a 3-1 victory over Hills Brumbies in the Preliminary Semi Final and then a 1-0 victory over Gladesville Ryde Magic in the Major Semi Final.
Gladesville Ryde Magic are the Premiers and after suffering a Major Semi Final loss to Camden they qualified for this match by defeating the Brumbies 1-0 in the Preliminary Final.
A glance at the final table for the season shows that there is very little between these two teams.
In head-to-head action during the season, Magic took all the competition points by winning both games 2-1.
This was a highly competitive match and at times it lacked some discipline but it certainly was entertaining as the teams went at each other with no quarter expected or given.
Gladesville?s Mitchell Smith opened the scoring in the 23^rd minute and then Jonathan Tatt made it 2-0 in the 37^th minute before Camden?s John McPhillips took the scoreline to 2-1 just two minutes later and the scoreboard remained that way through to the interval.
Camden equaliser through Rhys Hastie ten minutes into the second half and then they took a 3-2 lead thanks to a 64^th minute goal from skipper Matthew Trotter.
Magic bounced back with a second goal from Tatt in the 72^nd minute before captain Terry Georgakopoulos gave them a 4-3 lead just one minute later. When Smith completed his hat-trick with strikes in the 78^th and 83^rd minutes the scoring was complete.
Gladesville Ryde Magic were crowned Champions for 2011 and Camden must be praised for their never-say-die approach.

– Barry Davis