Futsal Premier League Grand Final Review 2016

The Football NSW Futsal Premier League Grand Final threw up a dose of everything as just four premiers won the championship match in a day of high drama and excitement.
And it’s the unofficial Year of the Viper after club champions Mascot hogged the limelight with three trophy victories (16, 14 & 12 Boys), Mountain Majik also claiming three titles (AWD1, 15 & 13 Girls), UTS Northside (17 Girls) and Campbelltown Quake (Youth Men) one each, while Dural Warriors won both big ones (Open Men & Women) in enthralling circumstances. It certainly wasn’t the Rovers day after all three premiership winning sides fell in the championship decider.
The day was highlighted by a glittering presentation of Australia’s Futsalroo heroes who recently qualified for September’s World Cup in Colombia, captain Greg Giovenali speaking about the massive achievement and Futsal’s potential rosy future.
And watching the skill of youngsters coming through the grades underlined what is undeniably possible for the Futsal fraternity.
12 Boys            – Premiers Enfield Rovers; Champions Mascot Vipers
13 Girls            – Premiers & Champions Mountain Majik
14 Boys            – Premiers Enfield Rovers; Champions Mascot Vipers
15 Girls            – Premiers & Champions Mountain Majik
16 Boys            – Premiers & Champions Mascot Vipers
17 Girls            – Premiers Mascot Vipers; Champions UTS Northside
AWD               – Champions Mountain Majik
Youth Men       – Premiers Enfield Rovers; Champions Campbelltown Quake
Open Women   – Premiers Inner West Magic; Champions Dural Warriors
Open Men        – Premiers & Champions Dural Warriors
Open Men – Dural edge Campbelltown
Football NSW Futsal Premier League Open Men premiers Dural Warriors did it tough against a stubborn Campbelltown Quake winning 1-0 courtesy of a first-half own goal to lift their fifth straight Cup.
There was no room at the inn as a packed Valentine Sports Park cheered on the opening exchanges with Quake keeper Andrew Haim called on to make a double-save in the first minute of play, denying Wade Giovenali and then Chris Polkinghorne in quick succession. 
The custodian was seeing them well and only his quick reflexes kept out Giovenali’s run-and-shot inside the D, and Haim denied him again seconds later to keep a 0-0 scoreline after a frantic first three minutes, Greg Giovenali also powering one off the crossbar and Polkinghorne blasting just wide as the premiers dominated early possession and territory.
It took six minutes for Campbelltown to conjure up a sight on goal as Shannon Fielding banged one into the side-netting but it was one-way traffic as Greg Giovenali stung the palms of Haim with a blistering drive before the Quake shotblocker tipped over Bruno Pivato’s snap at goal.
It was somewhat prophetic that a frustrated Dural finally grabbed the ascendancy when Greg Giovenali’s freekick headed wide until it clipped the back of Mark Symington’s leg at the far post and careered into goal to gift the Warriors a 1-0 lead midway through the first stanza.
A motivated Quake started to get a bit more of the ball and Harley Da Silva had a low drive at goal smothered by Dural number one Alastair Bruce, who was quick to intercept a dangerous cross into the D as Campbelltown looked for a way back into the game.
Quake’s sole Futsalroo representative Dean Lockhart had a low-flying missile kicked clear by Bruce in the last minute of play as Dural took their 1-0 advantage to oranges.
Wade Giovenali had the chance to double the Warriors lead early in the second term when he dragged Haim out of position and toe-poked between him and a defender only for the slow-motion shot to dribble just wide of the post.
And just as easily could Campbelltown have drawn level with an absolute gem of a ball from Lockhart that cut through two defenders to find Da Silva at the far post but his shot from 3m out scraped the top of the crossbar.
Greg Giovenali was next to go close with a long-range bomb that deflected out off a Quake defender after Haim leapt the other way, and Symington had his shot from distance parried away by Bruce before Haim went even better with a great reflex-stop to deny Dural’s Vic Koutsoufis midway through the half.
Giovenali perhaps should’ve sealed it with a beautiful run up court where he played a nice one-two with Polkinghorne, but the veteran player drifted his shot wide of the post after beating an outstretched Haim.
Quake went to a power play with five minutes remaining and would’ve gone further behind had a flying Lockhart not got a toe on Polkinghorne’s full-court shot, and seconds later Haim tipped Wade Giovenali’s blast onto the crossbar – but Campbelltown failed to find the opportunity they’d been craving for all game and Dural held on for a nervy 1-0 victory.
A 24th premier league game without loss (and 11th unbeaten away from Dural – a new league record) puts the Warriors on another level.
They’ve won 10 straight finals appearances (five preliminary finals and five grand finals) to go with five premierships in the last six years – you’d think this victory would just be a blur in the Dural dynasty, but coach Rob Varela tabled it alongside all of his accolades.
He certainly has a point after watching his side pull off another remarkable victory, proving the champions can win from any position – including not being able to score a goal themselves.
“It certainly didn’t go to plan; the idea was to score more goals but the composure was in our defence. We weren’t totally in control but we were comfortable,” he said. “But this is as sweet as any of them.”
“It was a long, hard campaign and typical that once we got to the front we had to work very hard to hang on. Quake kept trying to the very end and I would say our experience got us over the line in the end.”
Warriors keeper Alastair Bruce couldn’t hide his relief. He did his bit superbly in keeping Quake at bay but a one-goal difference for almost 45 minutes definitely kept him on edge.
“It was incredible for the boys to show that kind of discipline,” he said. “The stress levels were very high today and in the end it had to be our defence that won us the game.”
“I’ve been at the club for 12 years and the team has been together for most of that time and to win another premiership, and another championship, and have another unbeaten year – it’s just incredible!”
A forlorn Campbelltown chief Carlos Martinez realised his side had missed a golden opportunity to stop Dural – but only just.
“We kept in it despite an early own goal and we had our chances. We knew what we had to do to win would be a bit of a risk and it almost came off,” he said.
“From where we came from to be here, losing 10-1 to Warriors a few months ago to have them screaming for fulltime in the final, is an extremely good improvement; but we needed our senior guys to step up a bit more and take it to Dural to have any chance… what can you say – they’re just a champion team.”
Dural Warriors 1 (own goal) Campbelltown Quake 0
Dural Warriors: Alastair Bruce, Nick Starr, Daniel Burns, Chris Polkinghorne, Wade Giovenali, Nathan Niski, Glen Kelshaw, Bruno Pivato, Daine Merrin, Vic Koutsoufis, Greg Giovenali, Brendan Hoyer, coach Rob Varela, manager David Polkinghorne
Campbelltown Quake: Andrew Haim, Shannon Fielding, Dean Lockhart, Mark Symington, Shaun Irwin, Nathan Clissold, Anthony Haddad, Harley Da Silva, Danny Martinez, Harry Bagot, Gary Seymour, Jordan Winckle, coach Simon Keith, manager Carlos Martinez
Referees: Darius Turner, Nick Backo, Jonathon Moore
Open Women – Warriors douse Magic
Dural Warriors stunned premiers Inner West Magic to claim a dramatic Open Women final 3-2 at a crowded Valentine Sports Park.
The opening exchanges saw Inner West’s Amy Dahdah get closest with a run and tap toward goal that narrowly missed the target while Dural had their own looks denied by some scrambling Magic defence, keeper Gill Raymond doing exceptionally well to get between star Dural player Sarah Yatim’s deft cross to Beth Gordon alone in front of goal.
Ten minutes into a frenetic match and Rachel Perrins had her goalbound shot deflected onto the post by a Magic defender but the rebound fell in front of Perrins who snapped it across goal and into the netting for a 1-0 Dural lead, a second chance for Perrins from the restart coming off the post as Warriors piled on the pressure. 
Doris Osman tried to peg Inner West level with a great dart toward the Dural goal but her low drive was easily kept out by wily Warriors custodian Tani Rosekelly, and Raymond was just as sharp at the other end to kick clear Demelza Howard’s snap at goal and then dive low to tip out another Howard attempt moments later.
Raymond was inspirational in turning away successive shots from Warriors Yatim and Jess Elliott but she couldn’t pull off the hat-trick as Tess Olsen collected the rebound and buried it past a sprawled Raymond to double Dural’s lead five minutes from intermission.
It would’ve been more had Raymond not been in such good form leaping high to stop Perrins’ close-range blast and a sixth Warriors foul in the last minute of the half finally gave Inner West their best chance to score, Rhianna Pollicina stepping up to power it past Rosekelly and claw one back from the deficit to trail 2-1 at the break.
Magic looked more comfortable to start the second period and Filiz Urkanci tested Rosekelly from distance but seconds later the Dural keeper delivered a crisp, long throw for Perrins to run onto and drive past Raymond, the shot cannoning off the upright to Niqui Caridad who had her strike at goal turned away by a defenders chest with Raymond out of position.
The Magic shotstopper used her legs to deny Yatim but the premiers just didn’t seem settled as Warriors looked more likely to score, although Rosekelly’s long legs were needed to extinguish Osman’s quick counter midway though the half and a neat three-on-one opportunity straight after also went begging for Inner West.
Dural took a giant step closer to victory when Yatim broke clear and with three defenders on her tail still managed a good snap at goal that whistled past Raymond to lift Warriors two goals clear six minutes from fulltime.
Magic turned to a power play and while Rosekelly was proving difficult to get past Inner West did find a way through when fifth-man Dahdah cracked it in from near the sideline to hand Magic a lifeline trailing by one inside the final two minutes, Urkanci going agonisingly close to leveling with a far-post dash, but Dural held on for an incredible 3-2 win.
Inner West Magic 2 (Rhianna Pollicina, Amy Dahdah) Dural Warriors 3 (Rachel Perrins, Tess Olsen, Sarah Yatim)
Dural Warriors: Sarah Easthope, Tani Rosekelly, Jess Elliott, Demelza Howard, Rachel Perrins, Sarah Yatim, Niqui Caridad, Sam Nagy, Dimi Whiteman, Emma Hurley, Tess Olsen, Beth Gordon, coach Rob Varela, assistant Alastair Bruce
Inner West Magic: Gill Raymond, Georgia Koutzoumis, Ceyda Cambaz, Nicola Orgill, Amy Dahdah, Bianca Galic, Filiz Urkanci, Rhianna Pollicina, Doris Osman, Sophie Magus, Amy Sayer, Karlee Hildebrandt, coach Matteo Maiorana, manager Jodi Pollicina
Referees: Salma Aly, Darren Allatt, Peter Liaros
Youth Men – Quake rattle Rovers
A six-goal second-half lifted Campbelltown Quake to a shock 6-1 win over Youth Men premiers Rovers that snatched the championship trophy from Enfield’s grasp.
It didn’t take long for the anticipated top-two showdown to fire up when Quake’s Cameron Wright brought down Michael Kouta inside the D and was shown a straight red card as last defender, Kouta making no mistake from the penalty spot to hand Rovers a 1-0 advantage after just two minutes.
Dominic Cox almost made it 2-0 moments later forcing a great save from Campbelltown shotstopper Jordan Winckle, Quake’s Anthony Haddad forcing the same from Enfield custodian Stephen Spirou at the other end as a feisty match went end-to-end.
Cox might’ve done better with a great cross leaving him with just Winckle to beat but he couldn’t get a good touch on the ball and the glovesman gathered it in, Winckle also showing great dexterity to drop and tip clear James Brodnik’s powerful strike from the right.
Campbelltown were struggling to deal with Enfield’s fast-breaks and couldn’t get close enough to the Rovers goal for any meaningful chances of their own until Haddad created space with a sharp shuffle toward goal and unleashed a shot that smashed the underside of the crossbar bounced down and away from the netting to keep the score unchanged at the break, the premiers with their noses in front 1-0.
Haddad had a cage-rattler to start the second half well for Quake and a brilliant three-on-one counter produced the equaliser with Rinaldi burying under Spirou for a 1-1 scoreline with 16 minutes of a riveting game still to play.
With tensions rising a freekick from the left saw Harrison Bagot line up from 13m out and his rocket found the space it needed to smash into the net and lift Campbelltown in front of Enfield for the first time this season.
A sixth Rovers foul gave Quake the opportunity to extend their lead and big-man Haddad stepped up and rifled it past Spirou for a 3-1 front, and seconds later Spirou was superb in a diving save to snuff out Bradon Clissold’s brash attempt while Sam De Oliveira flashed his shot wide with just the Rovers keeper to beat as Campbelltown sought to ram home their advantage.
With six minutes left Enfield went to a power play, Kouta cannoning a shot off the back of Winckle, but the desperate move backfired when Haddad broke clear and with just fifth-man Jeremy Kemp to beat smashed it past him for a 4-1 lead, Bagot putting further distance between the sides with another sixth-foul spotkick taking the score to 5-1.
A couple of terrific Winckle saves rounded out the match with Ed Rinaldi’s runaway goal on the hooter putting the icing on Quake’s championship cake.
Enfield Rovers 1 (Michael Kouta) Campbelltown Quake 6 (Anthony Haddad 3, Harrison Bagot 2, Ed Rinaldi)
Enfield Rovers: Daniel Di Stefano, Noah Chia, Ethan Bardsley, Jeremy Kemp, Mathew Leroy, James Brodnik, Alexander Vlismas, Kristopher Vlismas, Dominic Cox, Michael Kouta, Stephen Spirou, coach Paolo Dutra, assistant George Spirou
Campbelltown Quake: Alex Hathaway, Cameron Wright, Bradley Wright, Bradon Clissold, Adam Khalaf, Shaun Irwin, Anthony Haddad, Ed Rinaldi, Sam De Oliveira, Harry Bagot, Anson Gilligan, Jordan Winckle, coach Mark Symington, assistant Danny Martinez, manager Carlos Martinez
Referees: Jonathon Moore, Owen Ferguson, Khodr Yaghi
AWD – Mountain shadows Coast
A depleted Mountain Majik played out of their skins to beat South Coast Taipans 3-1 in an exciting clash at Valentine Sports Park.
With coach Ian Menzies casting a lonely figure on the bench third-place getters Majik shed their underdogs tag early with a first-half blitz that saw Connor Marsh force UTS keeper Nathan Whelan into a good save, the pressure paying off when Marsh played across for Ben Atkins to snare the ball right in front and bash into goal for a 1-0 Mountain lead.
The score jolted South Coast into action and Rocco Musumeci cannoned a long-range strike off the post almost from the restart, and at the other end Whalen was terrific in stopping Atkins’ close-range effort.
Essentially it was solid defence from both sides that kept goal-scoring opportunities to a minimum, Zachary Jones had a good look for Taipans snuffed out by a brilliant fingertip save from Majik keeper Ned McCabe and counterpart Whalen had to be on his toes to gather in several speculative Mountain efforts, while Musumeci wound back his left foot with a strike that bashed the Majik upright as the tempo lifted closer to the break.
Minutes from oranges the Mountain men drew further ahead with a great counter attack, Marsh taking the ball to the byline and sending a cross in that Whalen tipped clear but only as far as James Turner who unleashed with fury and found his target for a 2-0 halftime edge.
Taipans showed more intent in the second period with Patrick Mitchell sending a missile toward the Majik goal that McCabe had to parry away, but it was an own goal that brought South Coast closer when James Laybutt accidently pushed an innocuous cross into his own net and narrow the score to 2-1.
Whalen was having a solid game between the sticks and acrobatically gathered in a tricky Turner effort to keep Taipans close with 15 minutes left on the clock, and he was scrambling hard to watch Turner’s cheeky lob from halfway drift agonisingly wide of the post, Coaster David O’Grady banging one wide at the other end as the end-to-end match picked up pace.
Without any substitutes Majik somehow found the energy to restore their two-goal lead when Turner raced down the right and drilled a powerdriver past Whelan to make it 3-1 inside the final five minutes.
Whalen showed great bravery in stopping Atkins from point-blank range and Taipans were trying everything to get a good shot on goal, but the Mountaineers hung on for well-deserved victory.
South Coast Taipans 3 (Ben Atkins, James Turner 2) Mountain Majik 1 (own goal)
South Coast Taipans: Nathan Whalen, Mitchell Forrest, Patrick Mitchell, Scott King, John Ruiz, Rocco Musumeci, Zachary Jones, Mark Kay, David O’Grady, coach Taren King, manager Donna King
Mountain Majik: Ned McCabe, Christopher Pyne, James Laybutt, James Turner, Brett Fairhall, Connor Marsh, Jack Williams, Ben Atkins, coach Ian Menzies
Referees: Khodr Yaghi, Anthony Mansour, Salma Aly
17 Girls – Northside rock Mountain
UTS Northside won a tense 17-Girls grand final, coming from a goal down to defeat Mountain Majik 2-1 and lift the end-of-season trophy.
With premiers Mascot Vipers out of the way podium-finishers Majik and Northside began a cagey affair with most of the action happening in the middle of the court, Olivia Paton’s blast across Mountain’s goal about the closest either side came to scoring in the first 10 minutes of play.
The even contest developed into an absolute stalemate as neither side could conjure up anything meaningful in front of goal, a Gabriela Pace strike over the top of the UTS target Majik’s best opportunity to score while Northsider Daisy Arrowsmith drilled one wide of the post as halftime closed in.
But with just a minute left before the break the Mountaineers seized on a rare chance with Ashlee Harrison sending a tracer-bullet pass to Ashlie Crofts on the left who finished well under UTS keeper Ashley Hughes to lift Majik 1-0 up at oranges.
The Mountain girls were close to doubling their lead three minutes into the second half with Cassidy Chidgey driving low across goal, Hughes quick to drop-and-block the shot with her legs and keep the margin to one goal.
Arrowsmith almost leveled the scores a few minutes later when her blast at goal needed pushing away by Majik keeper Mikayla Cecere, who stopped Arrowsmith again seconds later as Northside upped the ante.
The green Mountain should’ve gone further in front when Harrison had the ball inside the D with just Hughes to get past but she smashed her shot straight at the UTS keeper and then skied the rebound to keep the score at 1-0 with seven minutes remaining, Kathleen Butler also managing to find Hughes with a toe-poke from the top of the semi-circle a moment later.
The string of near-misses proved costly when Northside’s Julia Murphy Peres Teixeira cheekily backheeled a deft centre past Cecere to restore parity four minutes from the end, sending the game into extra time.
Majik’s Lydia Surgeon had the best chance in the first bonus period with a low drive across goal, and UTS could’ve won it with two minutes left after Nicole Stuart had the goal at her mercy only to push her attempt wide – leaving it to team-mate Sophie De Montemas to pick up the honours seconds later, her run down the right complemented with a snap at goal that bounced under Cecere for a 2-1 Northside victory.
Mountain Majik 1 (Ashlie Crofts) UTS Northside 2 (Julia Murphy Peres Teixeira, Sophie De Montemas)
Mountain Majik: Courtney Newbon, Ashlee Harrison, Alyssa Rose, Cassidy Chidgey, Olivia Hardaker, Tori Tumeth, Ashlie Crofts, Christina McGrath, Gabriela Pace, Kathleen Butler, Lydia Surgeon, Mikayla Cecere, coach Ian Fuller, manager Brent Chidgey
UTS Northside: Ashley Hughes, Holly Caspers, Olivia Paton, Daisy Arrowsmith, Emma Watkins, Ruby Jackson, Josie Wilson, Nicole Stuart, Lucy Mackie, Julia Murphy Peres Teixeira, Sophie De Montemas, coach Jack Richardson, assistant Beth Sweeny, assistant Isabella Walker
Referees: Jared Katz, Adrian Brett, Phil Di Matteo
16 Boys – Mascot down Enfield
It was double-cheers for 16-Boys premiers Mascot Vipers following an uncomfortable 5-1 victory over Enfield Rovers in the championship decider.
Enfield seemed a little restless from the start and had keeper Daniel Di Stefano to thank for blocking Conor Quilligan’s early blast with his legs, but the lanky Mascot striker went one better moments later when he drilled it past the Rovers shotstopper for a 1-0 lead within three minutes.
Di Stefano was kept busy by a confident Vipers outfit and his nerve in front of goal helped Enfield finally find their feet as they pushed forward themselves, although Ethan Bardsley was on hand to clear the ball off the Rovers line and keep the breach to one goal.
Mascot glovesman Alessandro Ramondino did what he had to do to deny a couple of Enfield counters including an incredible block to stop Noah Chia’s close-range blast at goal, but it was Di Stefano providing the heroics punctuated by a reflex-trap to stop Vipers player Aidan Taouil from getting past him at the top of the D as the last line of defence and doing the same to deny Jacob Gjorsevski in a similar maneuvre not long after.
Rovers weren’t without their opportunities and a delicious lob from Nicholas Azzone found Jeremy Kemp inside the D, his header looping toward goal before Ramondino acrobatically pushed the attempt wide.
Mascot doubled their advantage four minutes from the break when Quilligan lined up a freekick 10m out and smashed it through traffic into the net for a 2-0 buffer, but Enfield were back on their heels in an instant when a well-worked freekick gave Kemp a good look from the top of the D and he powered home to halve the deficit at halftime.
Di Stefano picked up where he left off with a superb diving save to break down Mascot’s opening second-half foray, then charged out of the D to sweep the ball off two Vipers’ feet and keep Rovers in it.
There was a degree of luck when Mascot went close with Taouil driving low under Di Stefano and the ball clipping the woodwork in front of his brother Andre charging in at the far post, and Vipers did manage a third with Andre Taouil gaining space on the right and driving in for a 3-1 margin a quarter-hour from the end.
Mascot improved their position within minutes when Ramondino’s quarterback release hit Andre Taouil on the chest at the top of the Rovers D and his pivot-and-shot past a sprawling Di Stefano hit the target for a 4-1 scoreline.
Enfield pushed hard and went so close when Jackson Volarich fired from the top of the D only for Ramondino to drop sharply and make a great save, and his palms were stung by a blistering Marco Tilio drive seconds later.
His counterpart’s non-stop efforts finally took its toll however as Kosta Tsournakakis played in Jacob Gjorsevski with a deft pass on a breakaway counter that sealed the deal on a 5-1 victory.
Mascot Vipers 5 (Conor Quilligan 2, Andre Taouil 2, Jacob Gjorsevski) Enfield Rovers 1 (Jeremy Kemp)
Enfield Rovers: Nicholas Azzone, Carlos Barriga, Daniel Di Stefano, Daniel Goni, Kosta Grozos, Marco Tilio, Noah Chia, Ethan Bardsley, Jackson Volarich, Jeremy Kemp, Kieren Brodnik, coach Patrick Pace, assistant Kristopher Vlismas
Mascot Vipers: Oskar Beck, Luke Okuda, Conor Quilligan, Andre Taouil, Emmanuel Tzanekes, Joshua Bartoloto, Bailey Rule, Aidan Taouil, Kosta Tsournakakis, Jacob Gjorsevski, Mitchell Knight, Alessandro Ramondino, coach Gino Lombardi, manager Angie Politis, club head coach Zvi Ben-David
Referees: Anthony Mansour, Phil Di Matteo, Nathan McOrist
15 Girls – Majik defeat Warriors
15-Girls premiers Mountain Majik were given a good run for their money in a tight 2-0 victory over fourth-placed Dural Warriors and wrap up an unbeaten summer with both trophies in their hands.
Majik almost scored from the kickoff with Alyssa Rose pouncing on some soft Warriors possession with a sliding shot under Dural keeper Alexandra Black that bounced out off the post, and the Mountaineers piled on the pressure during the opening exchanges.
Dural had their first true look at goal seven minutes in with Sara Comert blasting her freekick on target but Majik custodian Courtney Newbon was equal to the task with a leg-block pushing the ball around the post.
The well-balanced game had plenty of excitement but a defensive arm-wrestle meant chances were far between, Black outstanding to deny Mountaineer Courtney Nevin’s low drive and then tipping over Isabella Libri’s blast two minutes from intermission, sending Olivia Hardaker’s strike the same way as the sides remained deadlocked at the break.
The second half was more of the same with Mountain’s offensive prowess being matched by Dural’s defensive determination, Black particularly on point with a series of stops to ensure Warriors stayed in the contest, acrobatically pushing away a Nevin dart toward goal and then steering Julia Vignes’ dangerous cross out of the D seconds before a solid parry to deny Nevin again.
But the goal was always coming and the sustained pressure eventually freed up Nevin with the ball in front of goal and she poked it past Black to send Majik 1-0 up a dozen minutes from time.
Mountain custodian Courtney Newbon had a somewhat quiet game stirred when Dural’s Chelsea Wilkin tried to sneak one past her, the keeper dropping sharply to smother the attempt.
Newbon’s counterpart Black was just as inspiring with a great charge out to stop Libri on the break but there wasn’t anything she could do to stop Majik from doubling their lead via a Rose shot from right in front a minute from the end, the Mountaineers holding on for a 2-0 win.
Mountain Majik 2 (Courtney Nevin, Alyssa Rose) Dural Warriors 0
Mountain Majik: Courtney Newbon, Lani Johnson, Courtney Nevin, Julia Vignes, Alyssa Rose, Isabella Libri, Olivia Hardaker, Tori Tumeth, Gabby Pace, Monique Holder, coach Tiana Gauci, assistant Renee Blakemore, manager Jodi Johnson
Dural Warriors: Chelsea Wilkin, Bianca Dobson, Maddison Gardoni, Natalie Roubickova, Emily Bastow, Laura Montiel, Greta Krazula, Sara Comert, Alexandra Black, Brooke Steinwede, Eiliza Coleman, coach Lyndon Wilkin, assistant David Gardoni, manager Julio Montiel
Referees: Peter Liaros, Sam Blake, Patrick Flood
14 Boys – Mascot stun Enfield
Mascot Vipers shocked 14-Boys premiers Enfield with an inspired 5-1 victory at Valentine Sports Park – their first win against Rovers in four summer tries.
The game rumbled with good efforts at both ends not finding the target, Thomas Quilligan going closest with a flash across the Enfield goal, and a spirited contest was being fought in the middle of the court before Daniel Goni broke the shackles with successive drives against the upright after beating Mascot keeper Oskar Beck twice from outside the D.
A highly skilful match was not short on action and Vipers target Emmanuel Tzanakes was brilliant in pilfering the ball inside the Rovers D and rounding Rovers glovesman Carlos Barriga to slide in the game’s opening goal seven minutes from halftime.
It looked like 2-0 in the blink of an eye when Mascot’s Ashton Ahluwalia found Tzanakes on his own with a goal seemingly at his beckoning, but the ball didn’t cross the line until seconds later team-mate Jeremy Siarakes rifled a shot through everyone that hit the back of the net for a two-goal Vipers advantage.
Enfield were pushing hard and hit the post a third time when Nathan Tohme unleashed a beast that almost bent the bar, Mascot taking their 2-0 scoreline to the break.
Barriga did well to stop a Tzanakes strike early in the second term but it didn’t take long for Mascot to shift further ahead when Ahluwalia finished off a determined run toward goal with a blistering shot past Barriga to make it 3-0 with 13 minutes left to play.
Enfield were well in the contest and only some committed Mascot defence kept the Rovers at bay, Barriga also instrumental in ensuring the margin didn’t increase with some well-timed darts as pseudo-sweeper.
The Enfield bravery went rewarded when, seconds after Ahluwalia cleared Goni’s strike past Beck in front of the Vipers goal, Goni lined up a freekick at the top of the D that he smashed into the net to peg one back for Rovers with six minutes on the clock.
Goni almost scored again with a shot from in front that burned past the post but Enfield had a mountain to climb after Siarakes went on a dance toward goal and finished strongly to push Mascot 4-1 up two minutes from fulltime, Quilligan adding another one for good measure as Vipers claimed a terrific four-goal victory.
Enfield Rovers 1 (Daniel Goni) Mascot Vipers 5 (Emmanuel Tzanakes, Jeremy Siarakes 2, Ashton Ahluwalia, Thomas Quilligan)
Enfield Rovers: Dylan Chau, Peter Grozos, Kristian Slunjski, Carlos Barriga, Izaak Haupt, Alexander Fadel, Daniel Goni, Marco Tilio, Nathan Tohme, Hugo Cornish, Rhys Osmond, Ross Skiadaresi, coach Dominic Castro, assistant Zac Ribeiro, manager Kosta Grozos
Mascot Vipers: Oskar Beck, Jeremy Siarakes, Thomas Quilligan, Mitchell Heapy, Emmanuel Tzanakes, Peter Politis, Ashton Ahluwalia, Yanni Plataniotis, 1Luis Ferreira, Zac Begetis, coach Gino Lombardi, manager Angie Politis, club head coach Zvi Ben-David
Referees: Nathan McOrist, Patrick Flood, Kyle Johnson
13 Girls – Majik outplays Vipers
13-Girls premiers Mountain Majik were simply too good for Mascot Vipers in a 6-2 demolition to claim the summer’s premiership-championship double.
Mascot had the first look at goal with Stephanie Augoustis sprinting up court for a one-on-one with Majik keeper Amity Jackson but her shot drifted wide, and the Mountaineers pounced with a sharp Pene Bonovas pass to the other side of the pitch that fortuitously came back to her at the edge of the D and she buried it into goal for a 1-0 Majik lead three minutes into the game.
Bonovas was on hand to clear a Vipers raid off the goal-line moments later while Mascot custodian Olivia Carter was excellent in denying a goalbound Julia Vignes header before Courtney Nevin blasted just wide of the Mascot goal.
Carter was under siege and Majik stretched their advantage within minutes when Bonovas played a perfect ball to Nevin behind the Vipers defence and she tapped in for a 2-0 break, which Vignes extended immediately sliding a shot under Carter for a third goal midway through the half.
A keeper change (Isabella Disipio going in for Carter) didn’t change Mascot’s fortunes with Monique Holder charging at goal and slotting past the replacement for a 4-0 buffer, but the tide finally turned when an energetic Charlie Rule injected herself into the match with a great byline ball that Isabella Chidiac simply had to push into a vacant goal to put Vipers on the board three minutes from the changeover.
Carter went back in goal for Mascot to start the second half and was terrific in blocking Holder’s close-range blast, and from the resultant corner she did extremely well to instincively drop on the ball behind her after it had cannoned off the upright, but she couldn’t do anything to prevent Holder from finding the mark with a blast that smashed the net to return Majik’s four-goal lead.
Disipio pulled one back for Vipers almost from the restart with a great snap at goal to make it 5-2 10 minutes from the end and Mascot lifted with Carter making some critical saves and her team-mates feeding off the timely defence with some great movement up court only let down by poor options in the final-third.
After absorbing the pressure Majik went further ahead behind a Nevin thrust to run out comfortable 6-2 winners and claim the summer’s trophy-double.
Mountain Majik 6 (Pene Bonovas, Courtney Nevin 2, Julia Vignes, Monique Holder 2) Mascot Vipers 2 (Isabella Chidiac, Isabella Disipio)
Mountain Majik: Amity Jackson, Courtney Nevin, Julia Vignes, Ella Abdul Massih, Mary Stanic-Floody, Saskia Vos, Pene Bonovas, Monique Holder, Sheridan Jabour, Clare Holder, coach Scott Gilligan
Mascot Vipers: Olivia Carter, Rafaella Politis, Stephanie Augoustis, Mikahaela Lirantzis, Isabella Disipio, Charlie Rule, Ella Martins, Samara Hammoud, Jaimie Kappas, Isabella Chidiac, April Lewis, coach Rob Hill, assistant Crystal Overton, manager Ali Carter
Referees: Chloe Gray, Kyle Johnson, Hugh White
12 Boys – Vipers nip Rovers
Mascot Vipers turned the tables on 12-Boys premiers Enfield Rovers with a late 2-1 victory in a pulsating final at Valentine Sports Park.
It was a steady tempo to start the match with the first genuine chance falling to Mascot’s Clayton Rassmussen who powered his fifth-minute shot from just outside the D narrowly over the crossbar.
Moments later and Enfield’s Peter Grozos tested Vipers keeper Zac Begetis with a stinging drive that needed parrying around the post before Rassmussen let fly with a midway freekick that sizzled over the bar, and team-mate Ben Georgievski whistled one across goal missing the upright by centimetres.
Begetis had his defenders to thank for keeping out a Grozos freekick from the edge of the D inside the final five minutes of the half with the goalbound strike flicked clear of danger by the goal-line wall.
Rovers keeper Ross Skiadaresi showed excellent judgment in coming out to extinguish several Vipers raids and his bravery almost led to the opening goal with Grozos cantering up court on a swift counter only to blast his strike wide of the post.
The 0-0 scoreline was finally ruptured a minute from the interval after a Rassmussen corner somehow found Franco Farinella alone at the far post and he only had to dribble it a half-metre across the line with no-one to beat and put Mascot in front.
Skiadaresi pulled off a neat drop to save a Rassmussen freekick with his legs and prevent Mascot from adding to their tally early in the second term, but it was Enfield that blew a golden opportunity to equalise with Dean Skiadaresi unable to turn Dylan Chau’s pinpoint cross into goal and a 1-0 scoreline remained.
Rovers were full of juice and peppered the Vipers onion bag, Max Lane (now in goals for Mascot) stopping Kaiydn Wright’s shot with Chau smashing the rebound off the upright, and the scores were finally leveled midway through the period when Grozos buried his strike from an acute angle past Lane to restore parity.
Skiadaresi had to stretch and tip Rassmussen’s beautifully-placed freekick from halfway over the bar while Lane dropped well to smother Chau’s low drive and then palm away another attempt moments later as both sides searched for a winner – and it came Rasmussen’s way when the ball was pinched midcourt and the grade-leading scorer sprinted onto the cough-up and under pressure drilled it past Skiadaresi with no time left on the clock for a 2-1 victory.
Enfield Rovers 1 (Peter Grozos) Mascot Vipers 2 (Hayden Matthews, Clayton Rassmussen)
Mascot Vipers: Zac Begetis, Luke Prsa, Tanna Bellear, John Girdwood-Reich, Rory Ventra, Samuel Tzanakes, Clayton Rassmussen, Hayden Matthews, Fenn Hodgson-Yu, Cruz Lombardi, Franco Farinella, Max Lane, coach Steve Tzanakes, manager Kevin Ventra, club head coach Zvi Ben-David
Enfield Rovers: Jonah Kampos Green, Lachlan Conte, Kaidyn Wright, Benjamin Georgievski, Mason Fernandez, Corby Fowler, Dylan Chau, Peter Grozos, Dean Skiadaresi, Brandon Slunjski, Rhys Youlley, Ross Skiadaresi, coach Robert Foti, manager Lachlan Wright
Referees: Sam Blake, Hugh White, Chloe Gray
-By Dan De Nardi