2016 PUMA Champion of Champions Reports
The 2016 PUMA Champion of Champions finals were played at Valentine Sports Park on Sunday 23rd of October with eighteen highly entertaining matches that rocked Football NSW’s headquarters.
The ‘Home’ of Football in NSW played host to grassroots football’s most prestigious tournament as teams from all over NSW wowed spectators in what was a wonderful day for the round ball game that proved to be a hit with players, managers as well as the referees and officials on the day.
12 Girls
Comprehensive victory for Shellharbour JFC
The 12 Girls PUMA Champion of Champions final might have been one of the day’s earlier kick-offs yet it exhibited great enthusiasm and skill as Shellharbour defeated a gallant Cooks River Titans by a 4-0 score-line.
Angelica Barraza finished with a second-half double as Shellharbour swept to victory in a blistering few minutes spell on the restart yet it could all have been so different.
Titans skipper Isabel McBride fired the first meaningful shot in anger forcing a terrific save out of Aleathia Wilson-Gowans before a madcap scramble to clear the danger.
Angelica Barrazza returned the compliment moments later however her angled shot across the face slipped agonizingly wide of the far post.
Shellharbour were again on the attack when Caitlin Russell forced another save out of the Cooks River ‘keeper so how the break was greeted scoreless was a mystery.
Soon after the restart and Shellharbour hit the front when Barraza slotted home followed by her second two minutes later.
The Cooks River girls showed great spirit in refusing to lay down when emphatically battling to get back into the match, the game to date showcasing a tremendous skill and no small amount of passion.
The Titans had their chances but it was proving not to be their day when getting themselves into good positions they were unable to capitalize upon.
Shellharbour added a third in the 35’ minute when Aleksia Petrovska, daughter to former NSL star Sasho Petrovski, picked her spot when finishing off a sweeping move started in midfield after a good tackle sent the south coast side away.
Russell added a fourth when tucking the ball away at the back stick from a corner to put the seal on a well-deserved victory.
The score-line didn’t reflect how well the Titans played on the day but there could be no complaints Shellharbour were very worthy winners.
Match Stats
Shellharbour JFC 4 (A.Barraza 26’,28’, A.Petrovska 35, C.Russell 41)
Cooks River Titans 0
Shellharbour JFC: Aleathia WILSON-GOWANS, Denica JANSE VAN RENSBURG, Allanah SALI, Isabella ZIPPARO, Imogen DOS SANTOS, Caitlin RUSSELL, Monique KOLOSKI, Angelica BARRAZA, Jynaya DOS SANTOS, Amelia MASTROIANNI, Emily KOSTOVSKI, Mia RIZA, Aleksia PETROVSKA, Hazel ATKINS.
Cooks River Titans: Krystallia KALLIDAKIS, Mia ARABI, Georgia BINIARES, Paris PLADAS, Isabel McBRIDE, Georgia STAVROU, Peta ARGYRIS, Katerina MILLIS, Vicky KONSTANTINIDIS, Bianca MUSUMECI, Pamela MANTSOS, Ellie TOSKAS
–By Micky Brock
12 Boys
Historic victory for Hanwood FC
It was a moment that the Griffith based association side Hanwood FC will never forget and that was taking out the 12 Boys PUMA Champion of Champions Final after an extra time goal was enough to see off a gallant Hornsby RSL 2-1.
Geren Ligon opened the scoring with some aplomb for Hornsby RSL in the fifth minute with an expertly taken drive from inside the box from a corner that eluded all.
Hanwood ‘keeper and skipper Sebastian Piccinin had his hands warmed by Keita Preddy after a powerful weaving run found the Hornsby striker in space but unable to provide the accuracy to beat the stopper.
The breeze had hindered Hanwood during the first-half but it would be to their advantage on the restart and perhaps kick start their usual game after expending a lot of energy in keeping Hornsby at bay thus far.
Hanwood did equalise when Ryan Zanatta clinically caught Miles Farrell out at his near post when streaking in from the right flank and faking to centre.
Piccinin was again the saviour at the other end when Ligon burst through in true end-to-end football. A long range shot from the same player drifting harmlessly wide shortly after.
Ligon was proving a handful and was desperately unlucky not to have added his second goal when a left-footer from outside the box left the ‘keeper stranded but rebounded back into play off the upright.
Extra time was required and Hanwood FC finally scored a via a Golden Goal win with Anthony Demarco able to flight the ball over the ‘keeper in the dying stages of the match that sent the traveling fans into a frenzy in a historic victory for the Griffith based association side.
Match Stats
Hanwood FC 2 (Zanatta 29’, Demarco 64’ Golden Goal)
Hornsby RSL Youth 1 (Ligon 5’)
Hanwood FC: Sebastian PICCININ, Dean POLONI, Aiden SERAFIN, Pasquale AGRESTA, Troy LANDINI, Damon REGINATO, Christopher ZAPPALA, Antonio DEMARCO, Ryan ZANATTA, Jordan BASTIANON, Chaise DONETTO, Anthony CATANZARITI, Jordan DEMARCO, Patrick DIFIORE, Ethan DONETTO, Edwin CHEERS
Hornsby RSL Youth: Miles FARRELL, Keita PREDDEY, David CURTIS, Anthony BROWN, Alvin RYU, Zane PINTO, Phillip McGUIRE, Damien McGUIRE, Geren LIGON, Yajatsinh RANA, Armaan SAXENA, Ryan CHEONG, Suvan SHRESTHA, Adam WATSON, Jeffrey Jung
–By Micky Brock
13 Boys
Forest Killarney cruises to victory
The 13 Boys PUMA Champion of Champions final kicked-off proceedings at Valentine Sports Park with Manly Warringah Association’s Forest Killarney FC facing Northern Suburbs Football Association’s Wahroonga.
In the end, it was a brace from William McGarr and a disciplined midfield display that saw Forest Killarney storm to an emphatic 4-0 win.
The two sides were evenly matched in opening exchanges as both sides showed a few nerves on the big stage, with some enterprising counter attacking play presenting the best early chances.
The Forest Killarney midfield soon started to gain some composure, with Andrew feeding the ball quickly to his wingers.
A delightful cross into the box nearly saw Wahroonga score the opener but a great deflection from Brody Nicol kept the scores level.
Forest Killarney increased their pressure in attack and were rewarded in the 12th minute when McGarr was left unmarked in the box and eased the ball into an open goal.
Wahroonga responded brilliantly and almost had a chance to draw level, however Flanagan was deemed to be offside.
The Forest Killarney defence was holding strong, until a clumsy tackle just outside the 18-yard box gave Wahroonga a free kick. Lush stepped up to take it, striking it well but falling to the safe hands of Nicol.
The boys in green soon had their second after some slick passing at the top of the box kept the Wahroonga defence scrambling. The ball was shifted back to Charter on the right wing, and his long-range effort clipped the underside of the cross bar to bounce in for a fantastic goal.
Despite being down 2-0 at halftime Wahroonga began the second half with renewed vigour, a superb cutback from Flanagan almost catching Forest Killarney napping.
However, another brilliant passage of play up the wing from Killarney found McGarr unmarked in the box. The classy striker made no mistake finishing neatly to make it 3-0.
Panetta almost made it four for Forest Killarney, his powerful shot bouncing off the post.
A monster Coetzee free kick from Wahroonga’s 18-yard box flew over the Forest Killarney defence to find a striker in open space, but the final shot was cleared well.
Hart iced the matched for Forest Killarney with a goal in the dying minutes, proving too strong as they clinched the title with a 4-0 victory.
Match Stats
Forest Killarney FC 4 (McGarr 12’, 35’, 16’ Charter, 58’ Hart)
Wahroonga 0
Forest Killarney FC: 1 Brody NICOL 2 Christian Wells 3 Massimo VESCIO 4 Matthew ANDREWS 6 Matthew BRANNAN 7 William MCGARR 8 Christian KAOUTAL 9 Damon PANETTA 10 Alexander HART 11 Thomas HANLEY 12 Ashton SAMMONS 13 Bobo MARTIN 14 Tim JANSEN 15 Kevin CHARTER 16 Hamish COWAN 20 Christopher GUERRERA 21 Cooper MARTIN
Wahroonga: 1 Joshua NEWHAM 2 Jonathan COLE 4 Steyn MILLARD 5 Tyler COETZEE 6 Graham PAGE 7 Deven FLANAGAN 8 Aidan LORKING 9 Luca ORMAECHEA 10 Ethan LUSH 11 Luke GIACOMETTI 12 Edward OGILVY 13 Christopher BENDALL 15 Aaron KERR 16 James WILSON 17 Max BLACK
-By Harry Easton
14 Boys
Byadu brace sinks Connells Point FC
Southern Districts Football Association side Mount Pritchard got their day off to a winning start with goals in both halves from Frank Byadu securing the 14 Boys title for the team from the South West 2-0.
It was an energetic start from Mounties as they tested Thomas Alston in goals several times as the keeper made several key saves to prevent the score blowing out.
The early pressure from Mounties would result in the first goal 11 minutes into the contest as Khaled Yehia weaved past several defenders to place a shot which rebounded to Byadu to slam home.
Byadu was in the thick of the action the entire first half as a first time volley sailed wide as Connells Point couldn’t deal with the pressing from the leaders.
Rovers worked their way into the contest and had several chances on the counter but for some key interventions from Mounties keeper Dwayne Tusani included a catch right at the feet of an attacker.
Chasing the game Connells Point tried everything to get on the score sheet including an acrobatic effort from Christopher Gurang that fell wide.
Kareem Hussein produced a powerful effort that was once again tipped wide by Rovers keeper Alston as it seemed the second goal was coming for the Southern Districts team.
It took until the second half but Mt Pritchard made it 2-0 through Byadu again.
The winger showed good placement as he cushioned the shot off the post and into the net.
Mt Pritchard were in complete control now and peppered Alston in the final ten minutes to further their margin but some stoic defending kept the score-line down to only a two goal defeat.
Match Stats
Mt Pritchard Mounties 2 (Byadu 11’,52’)
Connells Point Rovers FC 0
Mt Pritchard: 1 Dwayne TUSANI 3 Nicholas ALOE 5 Joel LUKE 6 Brock MELNIK 7 Cameron HILL 8 Joshua PETKOVIC 9 Mark DEMASI 11 Khaled YEHIA 12 Jayden DA SILVA 13 Hussein AL DILAMI 15 Kareem HUSSEIN 16 Phuc HUYNH 27 Frank BYADU
Connells Point Rovers FC: 1 Thomas ALSTON 2 Christopher GURUNG 3 Matthew DENSON 4 Jack NAPPER 6 Leonardo STASOLLA 7 Reece FESSOPOULOS 8 Lachlan MATTHEWS 9 Joshua KARDUM 10 Oscar ARAULLO 11 Steve POULOS 12 Daniel LISTER 13 Harrison RHYS 14 Gabriel DE FEICE 15 Aidan BARRINS
-By Justin Davies
14 Girls
Seagulls power to Champions title
A stellar display from Sutherland Shire based side Cronulla Seagulls sparked a first-half goal fest in an entertaining 14 Girls PUMA Champion of Champions Final.
It was a battle of the beaches as Manly Warringah Football Association’s Avalon FC squared off with Sutherland Shire Football’s Cronulla Seagulls, and it was the latter that triumphed with a 4-1 victory
Both sides struggled to find their rhythm in the first 10 minutes, as some wayward passes missed their mark.
As the match opened up, Cronulla began to move the ball quickly to their wingers. An electric run up the right edge saw the ball cut back beautifully to Marvin, who tapped the ball home to give the Seagulls a 1-0 lead.
Avalon struggled to keep pace as the Seagulls grew in confidence
Bad luck struck Avalon a few minutes later, with a Nolan header bouncing into her own goal.
Despite the 2-0 deficit, Avalon remained composed and would have had a few goals if not for the goal-keeping reflexes of Woods.
But a penalty awarded to Cronulla put Avalon further behind, with Finn making no mistake from the spot to push the lead out to three goals.
Avalon came out firing in the second half, finding a gear that was missing in the previous term.
After withstanding a passage of Seagull pressure, Molloy went on a barnstorming run thanks to a counter attack. But with just the goalkeeper to beat, she pushed her shot wide.
However, Avalon would soon be rewarded for their persistence, with a penalty awarded after a clumsy Seagulls tackle. Manger stepped up and struck sweetly to make it 3-1.
As the match entered the final stages, both teams struggled to mount consistent pressure as the afternoon sun began to wear them out.
A late Candiago goal killed off any chance off an Avalon comeback, as Cronulla held on to secure the PUMA Champion of Champions title.
Match Stats
Avalon FC 1 (Manger)
Cronulla Seagulls 4 (Marvin, OG Nolan, Finn, Candiago)
Avalon FC: 1 Arielle MADEW 2 Nina PATON 3 Molly BELL 4 Lara HAYGARTH 5 Macy CARROTHERS 6 Bronte DI NALLO 7 Zenne MANGER 8 Alannah AMET 9 Saskia STYLIANOU 10 Ella MOLLOY 11 Lily FAITHFUL 12 Daisy YOUNG 13 Anna NOLAN 14 Ciara SMITH 15 Kira JOHNSON 16 Lexi HARRISON
Cronulla Seagulls: 1 Matilda WOODS 2 Ava ORMAN 3 Charlotte GALLAGHER 9 Harriet HURST 10 Kiara LUCAS 15 Jessica FINN 17 Ana Clare ARAUJO 22 Summer HALLIWELL-QUINN 27 Ashleigh FINN 28 Gemma THORNLEY 29 Allegra CANDIAGO 37 Mia MARVIN 45 Rorie O’HARA 62 Mikayla FERNLEY
-By Harry Easton
15 Boys
Mt Pritchard run riot in win over Lourdes Soccer Club
An explosive first half performance has helped Mt Pritchard secure the 15 Boys PUMA Champion of Champions title, their second of the day as they ran out 5-2 victors over Lourdes Soccer Club.
Mt Pritchard had all the running in the opening ten minutes as they were camped in the Lourdes half and were a constant threat on goal.
John Haddad made the advantage count when he was left free in the box to slam home for the 1-nil lead.
Soon after Mt Pritchard made it double delight, as Jamie Fillipone was on the spot to finish a loose ball in the area for a good 2-nil cushion for the Southern Districts side.
Lourdes Soccer Club were able to find their rhythm late in the first half as they strung together some good passages of play.
Their best started from Ngor Deng burst down the left before he squared it to Tong Dimo which gave them a lifeline back into the contest at 2-1.
Mt Pritchard restored their two goal advantage just before half-time as Martino was afforded time and curved an effort past the Lourdes keeper for 3-1.
For the early portion of the second half, Lourdes looked likely to get themselves back into the contest as Deng proved a handful down the left side again.
Once again though, it would be Mt Pritchard that struck first, as Cormac Rainey redirected a delightful cross to leave Joey Shong stuck to the spot as they made it 4-1.
It turned into a rout late on as Filippone used some quick feet to evade a defender and placed his shot into the net making it a commanding 5-1 lead for Mt Pritchard.
Lourdes found themselves a late consolation goal as Harun Kanat swept home a scramble in the box for a more respectable 5-2 score-line.
Match Stats
Mt Pritchard 5 (Haddad, Filippone, Martino 2, Rainey)
Lourdes Soccer Club 2 (Dimo, Kanut)
Mt Pritchard: 1 Robert SCARONE 2 Yazzan John HADDAD 3 George HADWAN 4 Dante SOARES 5 Cormac RAINEY 6 Domenico MARTINO 7 Omar DIB 8 Tam Hoang NGUYEN 9 Stevar HANA 10 Younes EL-BEKAI 11 Mark ESHO 12 Adam MADHLOUM 13 Jamie FILIPPONE 14 Anthony CATANZARITI 15 Milos DJAKOVIC 28 Sam DORAJI MAHDOOL
Lourdes SC: 1 Joey SHONG 2 Isaiah VIRAY 3 Deng SHAMIR 4 Marc GALLEMA 5 Simun MILICEVIC 6 Chan DENG 7 Chan YELCHAN 8 Ngor DENG 9 Tong DIMO 10 Amer ZULBEARI 11 Michael MARTONE 12 Theph THEPH 13 Asheitip AMOM 14 Bailey BURROWS-DUKAMP 15 Harun KANAT
-By Justin Davies
16 Boys
Riverstone Schofields win in tight contest
A fantastic title decider for the PUMA 16 Boys Champion of Champions Final has seen Riverstone Schofields outmuscle Kemps Creek despite a resilient goalkeeping effort from the Tigers shot stopper Daniel Cauchi.
The two sides faced off at Valentine Sports Park, with Kemps Creek carrying the flag of Southern Districts Soccer Football Association whilst Riverstone Schofields were representing the Blacktown & Districts Soccer Football Association.
Riverstone flew out of the blocks and almost had a goal in the first 30 seconds. But a courageous effort from Cauchi in goals saved Kemps Creek’s blushes.
Some beautiful play up right wing saw Walker break free but again it was Cauchi who denied Riverstone Schofields a certain goal.
Kemps Creek’s Albazi almost gave his side the lead against the run of play, timing his run to perfection but striking his volley over the crossbar.
Jovic then had a glorious chance with only Cauchi to beat, but could only watch as his shot hit the right post.
The match looked set to remain deadlocked at halftime, with Riverstone Schofields unable to convert their mountain of possession into goals.
Walker finally broke the shackles with a powerful shot from close range that proved too hot for Cauchi to deflect effectively.
Kemps Creek went to the sheds 1-0 down but fortunate in the fact that the damage wasn’t more.
Riverstone Schofields came out with the same tempo in the second term, some pinpoint passing allowing them easy passage into the Kemps Creek half.
Cauchi continued to impress with some spectacular saves, putting his body on the line in the face of the Riverstone Schofields attacking waves.
Frustration crept into the Kemps Creek team, as they desperately tried to peg back the deficit.
Precious thought he’d scored his team’s second goal after some lovely ball movement in the box, but the flag was raised for offside.
Moments later James found the net to put his side ahead by two goals to all but seal the win.
Match Stats
Kemps Creek 0
Riverstone Schofields 2 (Walker, James)
Kemps Creek: 1 Daniel CAUCHI 4 Shaheel DUTT 6 Giuseppe DATTILO 7 Jonathon LEONELLO 8 Nathan ALBAZI 9 Lachlan BONDIN 10 James CARDILLO 11 Zaiyan SAFIQ 12 Jesse ROGERS 13 Matthew DILEO 17 Joshua ITURRA 18 Jeremiah SAMPSON 21 Marc DI GIROLAMO 25 Nathan VACCARI
Riverstone Schofields: GK Benjamin DALKEITH 2 Nathan BEZZINA 3 Luke ATTARD 4 Domenic DIGHIONNO 5 Taylen REDDEN 6 Nikola JOVIC 7 Lachlan PRECIOUS 8 Jonah WALKER 9 Daniel WATSON 10 Jarrod MYERS 11 Riley VINCENT 12 Isuru MADAPATHA 13 Matthew GRAHAN 14 Brandon LONGRIDGE 16 Jackson JAMES
-By Harry Easton
16 Girls
Gladesville Ravens prevail in dramatic shootout
Lily Cooper became the hero for North West Sydney Women’s outfit Gladesville Ravens as her penalty gave the Ravens a 4-3 victory in a tense shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation against Northbridge FC.
It was a tight contest in the first half between Gladesville Ravens and Northbridge FC.
Neither side were able to gain a foothold in a tense battle.
The Ravens thought they had scored the opener when the ball trickled into the net from Ruby Cooper but the flag was already raised for offside.
That would mark the second time the Ravens had a goal chalked off after an effort in the first half got the same treatment as the game started to open up.
Cooper went close again as she was played into the area but her weak shot was gathered quite easily as the tension built with time ticking away.
Mariners started to press up higher and force Gladesville into errors as they dropped a bit deeper. They got their reward as a free-kick hit the base of the post and Genevieve Cox was there to finish. 1-0.
Gladesville eventually found a way back into the contest as an error in the defence once again presented Ruby Cooper a third chance for a goal and this time no flag 1-1 with not long left.
Cox had the first chance in extra time to give Northbridge the lead again but her header looped over the crossbar from the corner.
Ravens had two golden chances in extra time.
Tara Heyworth went direct from the free-kick and rattled the bar – no one was able to pounce on the rebound. Jade Pond also scooped a shot over the bar shortly after.
Lara Bottolotta had the final chance to save the contest from penalties but the Northbridge forward struck her effort right at the keeper.
In penalties after seven rounds of spot-kicks, Chloe Hannigan missed for Northbridge which gave Lily Cooper the chance to seal it and she slotted the winning penalty right in the corner.
Match Stats
Gladesville Ravens 1 (R. Cooper)
Northbridge FC 1 (Cox)
Gladesville Ravens 4-3 on penalties
Gladesville Ravens: 2 Siena FABRO 3 Lily COOPER 4 Ruby COOPER 5 Jessica RUSSO 6 Olivia COOPER 7 Chelsi TRAJCEVSKI 8 Tara HEYWORTH 9 Alexia GIOIA 10 Sophie COWARD 11 Jade POND 12 Lucy DI CRISTO 13 Josie BEE 14 Jessica BONNICI 15 Gulia SCHINELLA 16 Chelsea QUINN 17 Grace THOMAS 21 Lucy ROBERTS
Northbridge FC: 1 Marnie LANE 21 Sophie McKELVEY 22 Lara BARTOLOTTA 24 Frederique BOSSCHER 25 Chloe CONNA 26 Genevieve COX 27 Laura FERGUSON 28 Georgia GALE 29 Georgie McARDLE 30 Abbey SIMPSON 31 Kate WATSON 32 Chloe HANNIGAN 33 Jemma GYZEN 34 Milly GLASCOTT 35 Charlotte KEARNEY
-By Justin Davies
17 Boys
Winston Hills scrape home against Epping
A tight struggle in the 17 Boys PUMA Champion of Champions had to be decided with penalties as Granville Association’s Winston Hills held on for a nervous but monumental win.
Representing the Granville District Soccer Football Association, Winston Hills faced off with Gladesville Hornsby Football Association’s Epping FC in a sparkling mid-afternoon clash.
The match began at a frantic pace, as both sides showed their intent to play at a quick tempo.
Bessis showed off his speed with some darting runs up the wings, presenting Epping with some early chances.
The Winston Hills boys looked to play wide as well, but some sloppy passing kept the pressure off the Epping defence. The game ebbed and flowed with no team able to dictate possession.
Epping soon had a great chance, courtesy of a free kick at the top of the box, and the boys in white made the most of it. Dilley stepped up to take the kick and struck superbly, the ball sailing into the top left corner for the opening goal.
Henry soon began to open up the Epping defence with some darting runs, but found little support up front.
However, he soon found a helping hand thanks to his Epping opponents, Henry’s rocket like throw-in travelling into the 6-yard box with the goalkeeper fumbling it into the net to level the scores.
Winston Hills began dominating possession, their quick passing game troubling Epping’s defence.
On the stroke of half time a Jamieson wonder strike from 25 yards crashed into the goal, handing Winston Hills the lead at the break.
The game remained on a knife-edge in the second half, both sides missing their fair share of chances.
An Epping corner resulted in a scramble inside the 6-yard box, with Epping claiming a goal but the referee signalling play on.
With the game approaching full time, Epping had their piece of luck off a throw in too.
Attempting to clear the throw, a Gullick header bounced into the goal to lock things at 2-2, with the game being forced to extra time.
Despite both sides coming within inches of the goal, the scores remained locked at 2-2.
The penalty shoot had the crowd holding their breath, with the Anthony Herrera coached Winston Hills taking an early lead and remaining composed to win 5-4 on penalties.
Match Stats
Winston Hills 2 (27’ OG Lee 40’ Jamieson)
Epping FC 2 (17’ Dilley 74’ OG Gullick)
Winston Hills won 5-4 on penalties
Winston Hills: 1 Nicholas RIXON . 4 Thomas MEDVIDOVIC . 5 Matthew NEWEY . 9 Lachlan HOLM . 10 Jeremy BYRNE 12 Shannen DORAHY 11 Sam GULLICK 13 Riley HEATON 16 Liam MCGUIRE 19 Peter HENRY . 21 Alec GIOFFRE . 22 Jeremy CARUANA . 25 Josh MAGGIO . 26 Kyal ABBEY 28 Jeremy JAMIESON
Epping FC: 1 Daniel LEE 4 Nathan DROBNAK 7 Brayden DILLEY 13 Adam MOUSSA 15 Melique MARTIN 17 Stephen BESSIS 21 William EVANS . 24 Sam LUCAS . 25 Oliver MILLS 28 Aman SANDHU 34 Nicholas GLASSON . 43 Thomas FARQUHAR . 44 Matthew CHUNG 47 Peter RUBIE 63 Lachlan CARFAX
-By Harry Easton
18 Men
Five Star Wakehurst wins 18 Mens Title
Manly Association’s Wakehurst FC led from start to finish as they routed Mt Pritchard 5-0 to claim the PUMA 18 Mens Champions of Champions title.
They got into their rhythm quickly as they passed the ball around the Mt Pritchard defenders as they searched for the opener.
Neither side could find that final pass to unlock the opposition
Although it would take something special for the deadlock to be broken. Jeremy Ord stepped up for a free-kick about 25 yards from goal and floated it over everybody and into the back of the net. 1-0.
Jay Marnoch then had a pair of chances to extend Wakehurst’s lead but was denied by two crucial saves from Mt Pritchard keeper Lucas Brisa.
Ord continued to be a menace for the Mt Pritchard defence as he glided into the box and rattled the post with a nice shot but it remained 1-nil.
The team from the Manly-Warringah FA did find a second before the break though, Lewis Jones received a pass that split the defenders and calmly shaped it past Brisa.
It seemed the woodwork was getting a good workout from the Wakehurst players as Anthony Navara’s effort smashed against the crossbar and out.
Wakehurst dominated the possession and soon added a third to their impressive performance. Navara atoned for his earlier miss as he cut inside to finish well.
Like buses, when Wakehurst got one, they added another. A sliding pass found Matthew Stirrat one-on-one with the keeper and the forward won that duel easily as the score-line blew out to 4-nil.
Marcus Oosterhoff added the icing to the victory cake as he beat the offside trap and poked the ball home for a rampant victory.
For Mt Pritchard they weren’t able to secure a trifecta of titles at this year’s carnival but it was a good achievement to qualify three sides for the day.
Match Stats
Mt Pritchard 0
Wakehurst FC 5 (Ord, Jones, Navara, Stirrat, Oosterhoff)
Mt Pritchard: 1 Lucas BRISA 2 Daniel MULOSKI 3 Bradley CHAPMAN 5 Joseph FEDELE 6 Gabriel PAVLOVIC 7 Omar EL JASSEM 8 Antonio PAVEZ 14 Daniel BERTI 15 Aiden MENOLOTTO 29 Phillip PHONGSA 30 James REILLY 32 Stefan POPOVIC 33 Tomas LABAS 34 Andrew SAMARDZIC 35 Jake HEWETSON
Wakehurst FC: 2 Max DOMANSKI 4 Anthony NAVARA 5 Jack MCGINLEY 6 Samuel LOMBARDO 7 Jay MARNOCH 8 Lewis JONES 9 Reece FRITH 10 Jake SPRINGFELD 11 Jeremy ORD 12 Matthew STIRRAT 13 Marcus OOSTERHOFF 14 Noah CARGILL 15 Scott LOCKHART 16 Oliver CLARKE 26 Gurinder SINGH
-By Justin Davies
18 Women
Albion Park prove too strong for City
The 18 Women’s PUMA Champion of Champions final resulted in Albion Park lifting the trophy against Albury City 3-1 in a match worthy of any final.
Albion Park applied all the early pressure and but for resolute defending, Emily Williams proving a rock in defence, should have found themselves in front against a determined Albury City outfit.
With the ball pinging around the box it eventually fell to Rylee McGartland whose left foot shot curled wide of the upright quickly followed up by Park team-mate Madison-Rose Girardot forcing City ‘keeper Jessica Hawkins into a full length stop.
The Albury goal was leading a charmed life when that was followed up by Kristen Gorgieski hitting the bar as the Blues struggled to get out of their own half. Indeed, not until the 14’ minute did they register an attempt on target however Ariel Yap was unable to get any power into the shot leaving Jaymee Elbourne with little trouble.
Yap was at it again when picking up the ball on halfway before running toward goal but with little support the shot was taken from distance.
It was a warning heeded by Albion Park when going ahead from a corner with skipper McGartland finishing off.
Albury drew level three minutes later when a fumble from Elbourne allowed a Mackensy Mathews chip to slip through her hands and bobble over the line. Game on once more.
Shanae Webster put Park ahead for the second time after being set up with some slick passing around the box and only time would tell if earlier profligacy would come back to haunt them after the break.
It didn’t and when Kristen Gorgieski added the third with a powerfully struck right footer in the 57’ minute it appeared the winner had been decided if not the final result.
The strike didn’t break the resolve of City yet it would be a hard fight back if they were to get anything from the final and the icing for Park almost proved their undoing when McGartland, a constant thorn in Albury’s side, left three defenders in her wake before clipping the outside of the post.
Cassie Angeloska almost added the fourth late on but it wasn’t to be and on the day Albion Park showed they were just that little bit quicker, stronger and clinical against a worthy opponent in Albury City.
Match Stats
Albion Park JFC 3 (R.McGartland 27’, S.Webster 41’, K.Gorgieski 57’)
Albury City FC 1 (M.Mathews 40’)
Albion Park JFC: Jaymee ELBOURNE, Lara McGEE, Bree BALFOUR, Emma LANCASTER, Renee CROWE, Ashley CAVANAGH, Avalon ROBB, Stacey WEBSTER, Cassie ANGELOSKA, Kristen GORGIESKI, Madison-Rose GIRARDOT, Rylee McGARTLAND, Shanae WEBSTER, Lily CHRISTIE
Albury City FC: Jessica HAWKINS, Matilda HUNT, Emily WILLIAMS, Ariel YAP, Georgina COMINOS, Bree SREDOJEVIC, Kayla GORKA, Mariah TISCHLER, Emma KLINGSPORN, Megan COLLINS, Natalie RANDALL, Gracie WILSON-COOPER, Mackensy MATHEWS, Brianna KUSIC, Christina STEFANOU, Montanna MATHEWS, Taylah MILGATE
–By Micky Brock
21 Men
Professional North Sydney United secure 21 Mens title
The 21 PUMA Champion of Champions Mens final went to Northern Suburbs Football Association’s North Sydney United as they put in a professional display to put away the Gladesville Ravens 2-0 in a hard fought match.
North Sydney United struck first in a battling first half when Thomas Ascroft skipped past several defenders before cutting it back for Alessandro Pierangeli to force home for the 1-nil lead.
Most of the first half seemed to be a battle between the two numbers 12s as Gladesville’s Nicholas Refenes caused chaos in the box with his run and almost got a defender to poke it into the back of the net.
This came after Refenes went close with a rocket at the near post that North Sydney keeper Matthew Tancred pushed out to keep the clean sheet.
Both sides would hustle through the rest of a willing first half but neither would collect anything further but a few yellows as the whistle blew for halftime.
Anthony Pasquale thought he drew level for the Ravens but it cannoned into the side netting despite the celebrations of his team and the crowd.
United struck for the second half shortly after the resumption when Maximillion Zekulich finished a nice move that prompted raucous celebrations from their fans as they moved 2-nil ahead.
As the game opened up, Gladesville tried to prise open the North Sydney defence to no avail as Conrad To played a starring role at the back – the defender mopped up everything that came close to preserve the clean sheet.
Gladesville tried to find a late consolation through a series of set pieces but the United defence was dogged as they confirmed the clean sheet.
Match Stats
North Sydney United 2 (Pierangeli and Zekulich)
Gladesville Ravens 0
North Sydney United: Matthew TANCRED 2 Dominic COOPER 3 Jerry YU 4 Nicholas SPILLANE 5 Joshua MARTIN 6 Adam ROBINSON 8 Samuel DE ANGELIS 10 Martin WOOD 11 William BAINOU 12 Thomas ASCROFT 15 Conrad TO 17 Benjamin HUGH 27 Nicholas KALOGEROU 31 Alessandro PIERANGELI 33 Maximilian ZEKULICH 40 Alexander (Tig) KALOGEROU
Gladesville Ravens: 1 Jason CUMBERLAND 2 Nicolas MORFUNI 3 Hudson SHAYISHAYI 4 Nicholas MAZAR 5 Anthony PASQUALE 6 Jacob SALEH 7 Vincent CARAVELLA 8 Vince SIMETI 9 Gregory FRELINGOS 10 Gabriel LIUCCI 11 Anthony MEAGHER 12 Nicholas REFENES 14 Mathew RUGGIERO 15 Luis FACCHIN 16 James TALEVSKI 17 Luke ROVELLA
-By Justin Davies
21 Women
Epping’s Wood and Axe outshine Thirroul in impressive style
The 21 Women PUMA Champion of Champions final was settled by a Caitlin Wood hat-trick and a Mia Axe performance of some quality for North West Sydney Women’s Epping FC although in reality it could have been more.
The long ball over the top almost caught Thirroul out when speedster Mia Axe ran on but was unable to lob Thirroul ‘keeper Matilda Davis-Raiss in the opening minutes. This opening move showed intent from the girls in white and when she broke through again as Davis-Raiss could only palm the ball into the path of Caitlin Wood who managed to bundle the ball over the line to give Epping the lead.
Thirroul were certainly under the pump from the get go, unable to find their rhythm and passing game to get forward on the counter and when Wood added a left-footed second they looked a little lost.
Epping proved unrelenting in their pressure giving the Blues no time on the ball and forcing them back into their own half from where they were finding it difficult to break or counter.
Samantha Farquhar curled a left footed effort just wide of the upright before Axe brought another save out of Davis-Raiss that couldn’t be put away by Kate Bradley following up in what was essentially one-way traffic.
Kirsten Ward responded and broke the White’s line but her effort bounced back of the post with the ball rebounding to the striker off the back of a defender – but the second attempt wouldn’t come down and was scooped onto the roof of the netting.
With the clock winding down to half-time, Thirroul were at last finding their feet and getting into the game.
After the restart, it was that girl Wood again who forced another magnificent out of Johnson almost as if the interval had never taken place and she completed her hat-trick in the 51’ minute with a sweet angled shot beyond the despairing reach of the stopper.
For good measure, she also hit the post late on immediately after coming on from a rest break before both Axe and Lauren Evans forced a double save from Johnson however Axe deservedly found the net late when adding the fourth and putting the result beyond any doubt
Sarah Hanlon picked up a caution for the Blues before the final whistle for a tired clumsy rather than malicious challenge.
Thirroul made a decent fight of it in the end but on this day it was a game too far to bridge and to the victor, Epping, the spoils for a marvelous team performance and stunning hat-trick.
Match Stats
Thirroul FC 0
Epping FC 4 (Wood 6’,11’,51’, Axe 82’)
Thirroul FC: Matilda DAVIS-RAISS, Mae GIBBESON, Amy PANTELLI, Sarah HANLON, Emily PANNELL, Jenna ROSE, Bryony LOOSEMORE, Arlena MACKENZIE, Beth GREW, Zoe GREW, Veronica CALDERON, Kirsten WARD, Ashleigh WALTER, Cara BAKER, Shahne HOCKING, Lily CLARKE, Chrissie FEDELE, Ebony STARLING
Epping FC: Taylor JOHNSON, Alice GRIERSON, Lauren EVANS, Caitlin WOOD, Emily DE FREITAS, Chloe BOUDIB, Samantha FARQUHAR, Maddison SMAIL, Mia AXE, Julia TIMMINS-SMITH, Jasmin BOUDIB, Carmen FONG, Kathryn RAMSAY, Kate BRADLEY, Katherine GALLAGHER, Clare LAWRENCE, Kirra-Lee SCOTT
-By Micky Brock
All Age Men
Narrabeen FC win in nine goal thriller
Manly Football Association’s Narrabeen FC edged a truly epic contest in a nine goal thriller that rounded off a wonderful day of Champions of Champions action in their 5-4 victory over Northern Suburbs’ West Pymble.
The action started early as West Pymble had a shot within the first few seconds of the contest that sailed wide of the mark.
Despite the early pressure from Pymble, it was Narrabeen that got on the board first. A cross-cum-shot from Joshua Lawson floated just away from the keeper and nestled inside the net. 1-0.
West Pymble put together a nice passing movement which unlocked the Narrabeen defence – Keunike Maralit finished off the movement with a nice sliding finish to make it 1-1.
Set pieces were the special of the day as it delivered the third goal of the contest for West Pymble. Jack Gilbert’s delivery was pinpoint enough to catch the head of a Narrabeen defender that nodded it past his own keeper for 2-1.
Narrabeen were gifted a golden chance to equalise as the clock ticked into the final ten minutes of the half.
Jakub Sklenar was brought down in the box.
He dusted himself off but Pymble keeper Clem Burgmann guessed right, dived to the same side and kept the score-line at 2-1.
After his earlier miss, Sklenar had to make amends – it took 25 minutes into the second half but it came as the forward latched onto a good cutback to drill the equaliser home for Narrabeen.
The heat started to ramp up the contest as both teams pushed for the winner but Narrabeen struck a decisive blow. Justin Hayward swept home for 3-2.
It wasn’t over yet though – West Pymble were awarded a penalty in the 75th minute. Jack Gilbert stepped up and restored parity at 3-3.
The twists kept coming in what was one of the matches of the Final and once again in the 83rd minute Narrabeen wrestled the lead back again – Joel Glassman the man of the hour putting the goal away to possibly decide it.
West Pymble FC refused to give up despite being down to ten men.
A last minute free-kick for Jack Gilbert somehow snuck in and miraculously extra time was needed.
The game had to have a loser unfortunately and after 105 minutes of football – Narrabeen were crowned All Age Men champions in a 5-4 thriller.
Match Stats
Narrabeen 5 (Lawson, Sklenar, Hayward, Glassman
West Pymble 4 (Maralit, own goal, Gilbert 2)
Narrabeen FC: 1 Timothy WEST 5 Joshua LAWSON 7 Mark FEMIA 8 Oliver SKELDING 13 Jakub SKLENAR 18 Rocco PAPALIA 21 David GUZZO 22 Romualdo GULLA 24 Michal PREISLER 25 Nenad JELACA 26 Justin HAYWARD 29 Joshua COLEMAN 32 Bojan BASARA 37 Joel GLASSMAN 38 Adriano PAPALUCA 40 Thomas BOLAND 80 Charlie SMYTH 88 Adam FOTI
West Pymble: 1 Clem BURGMANN 2 Matthew OUTHRED 5 Robert TALL 6 Jamie WALL 8 Robert STANDING 9 Samuel CHARLES 10 Keunike MARALIT 11 Karlo MARALIT 14 Jordan MATTHEWS 15 Daniel HEPWORTH 18 Matthew LAMING 23 Raymond LEE 24 Jack GILBERT 26 Michael REECE 35 James LAMING
-By Justin Davies
All Age Women
Dunbar Rovers win in thriller
The All Age Women PUMA Champion of Champions final might have been one of the day’s later kick-offs between Dunbar Rovers and Tarrawanna FC but a dramatic turnaround saw the Rovers home 2-1.
In a tense opening spell for supremacy in midfield, the honours were even until Tarrawanna took the lead in the 8’ minute with the unlikeliest of own goals when the ball hit the cannoned off a defender and ballooned beyond the grasp of Rovers’ ‘keeper Maja Tellstrom.
It was an early setback for the light blues yet didn’t affect their stride.
Dunbar, to their credit, probably had the better spell after conceding and made the Tarrawanna Blueys defence work extremely hard to keep them out.
Midway through the half and the fight for midfield control continued as neither was able to break the other down so chances created were limited until a cutback from the right for Helena Dorczak was comfortably held by Tellstrom.
Kahlia Muilwyk skipped down the right flank and into the area only for a last ditch tackle, that had to be perfectly timed by Sarah Ferris, prevented Tarrawanna adding to their slender lead with Jasmin Pearce lurking with intent in open space at the back stick awaiting the pass for a simple tap in.
Pearce came close again before the break with a dipping curling shot from the angle of the box that grazed the bar the wrong side from her opinion and skidded over with Tellstrom well beaten.
Dunbar exerted the early momentum at the resumption and came close a couple of times without finding the equaliser they craved, including a penalty appeal waived away, yet the signs were good they were on the right track.
Kylie Layland, between the sticks for the Blueys, was called into action on a number of occasions and not found wanting as Rovers began to find cracks in their opponents armour, particularly down the flanks.
The equaliser duly arrived in the 58’ minute when Mindy Freiband fired home with an expertly placed shot to cap off the pressure they had been building.
Muilwyk responded flashing a drilled shot across the face but having outstripped her support no-one was on hand to tap home.
Francesca Fernandes couldn’t get the ball under control at the other end under close scrutiny from the Blueys defence and another opportunity on the day went begging.
Pearce should really have restored Tarrawanna’s lead in the 70’ when clean through with only the ‘keeper to beat slid the ball under the custodian’s body but wide of the framework. The frustration was mounting and received a caution for a rash challenge less than 2’ minutes later.
The tension was palpable and growing in intensity by the minute as the game was calling for a cool head and steady nerve to see it through.
Kaylie Chaplin brought out a fine save from Tellstrom who again had to push the ball over the bar and when Belinda Seers rounded the ‘keeper, it was good cover defence that saved the day.
However, with Tellstrom, perhaps harshly deemed to have picked up the back pass, it was an indirect free-kick to the Rovers inside the box that was hammered home in the 79’ minute by Fernandes after being set-up by Poppy Waterford.
It was wretched luck for Tarrawanna who went up the other end to make Kylie Layland tip the ball around the post at full stretch and were unlucky when the ‘keeper misjudged a shot that slipped through her hands but away to safety around the upright for a Blueys corner that amounted to nought.
Tarrawanna threw everything at Dunbar in the closing stages but the light blues kept their shape and composure to hold on for the win in a thoroughly enjoyable game of football from two very well balanced teams.
Match Stats
Dunbar Rovers 2 (M.Freiband 58’, F.Fernandes 79’
Tarrawanna FC 1 (own goal 8’)
Dunbar Rovers: Maja TELLSTROM, Sarah FERRIS, Charlotte BISLAND, Aleshea BIRD, Francesca FERNANDES, Wmma SCHILLER, Mindy FREIBAND, Poppy WATERFORD, Belinda SEERS, Katie NIZIO, Sophie FRENDA-BRIGGS, Rosemary JONES, Lorraine CUICKSHANK, Zoe BARTLEY, Amy JAMESCUTLER, Malin Lilleskare
Tarrawanna FC: Kaylie LAYLAND, Leah CARLON, Kerry MATTHEWS, Frances HALLOWAY, Kahlia MUILWYK, lauren GILBERT, Camille AUGUSTYN, Helena DORCZAK, Gretchen WEBB, Jasmin PEARCE, Annie McKEAN, Bonnie MACDONNELL, Kaylie CHAPLIN, Elise BATTIN, Elizabeth LAWSON, Lynie HERBERT
By Micky Brock
30s Women
Marton win by slenderest of margins
The Over 30 Women PUMA Champion of Champions final might have been the last of the day’s kick-offs on VSP 1 between Wakehurst FC and the Marton Hammers, but it was thoroughly absorbing.
As expected it was a sedate but full bloodied beginning especially after Marton suffered a couple of early set-backs through injury, but what lacked in pace was more than made up for with commitment.
Sue Alagich broke the shackles in the 13’ minute and toe-poked toward the Hammers goal that Kylie Gandy, perhaps showing nerves, fumbled but regathered at the second attempt.
Elisa Stewart showed a good turn of pace down the right flank for Marton on a number of occasions however no-one was able to keep up and the decent crosses put in the area were squandered.
Marton opened the scoring through Amanda Duncan in the 29’ minute after great work down the left flank through Katrina Faulkner resulted in a tantalising centre that deceived Kylie Darkiewicz and found Duncan unmarked at the back stick to bundle home. It remained to be seen if they could hammer home their advantage.
With no further scoring the match went to the break with the Hammers holding the slenderest of leads.
Stewart again showed blistering pace down the right in ghosting past her marker before unleashing a shot that skimmed across the face of goal as Marton looked to seal the victory very early in the second period. Wakehurst looked totally bemused and without answer to the nippy winger problem.
Vicki Cerny was forced to head clear off the line from another Stewart effort as the Hammers pressed for a second and possible match winning goal.
Wakehurst did ride the onslaught and were able to wrest the match away from Marton for brief periods but were unable to mount any sustained pressure of their own and soon found themselves on the back foot once more.
Both hung in until the end with a myriad half-chances produced but not taken as the final few seconds dwindled away and when Faulkner scooped her shot over the bar it was more a sign of tired legs than anything else.
The 90’ minutes were played with good grace, everyone playing their part in a fiercely contest game only won by the smallest of margins by Marton and a special mention to Donna Stuart of the Wakehurst team who was a standout with her control and tireless running for the cause. Well played, outstanding effort.
Match Stats
Wakehurst FC 0
Marton FC 1 (A.Duncan 29’)
Wakehurst FC: Kylie DARKIEWICZ, Vicki CERNY, Dianne GUZZO, Catriona ORMOND, Nyree LOVETT, Sue ALAGICH, Debbie DAVIDSON, Georgie MEAKIN, Julie SHUGG, Melissa ORD, Rebecca JUNGHANS, Mary MURPHY, Deborah MAHER, Donna STUART
Marton: Kaylie GRANDY, Megan LAVENDER, Amanda DUNCAN, April JONES, Katrina FAULKNER, Jennifer DOSSETTO, Johanna BOYD, Jeanine PAYNE, Joanne ROGERS, Elisa STEWART, Jill DANES, Leah SPELTA, Louise VANDERGRAAF, Tracey KIRKLAND, Sharon SCULLY
-By Micky Brock
Over 35’s Men
Late charge sees Cronulla claim victory
An arm wrestle between two superb outfits capped off a stellar day at Valentine Sports Park.
Contesting the Over 35 PUMA Champion of Champions title, Cronulla Seagulls of the Sutherland Shire Football Assoication and North Sydney United of Northern Suburbs Football Association left it all on the park during an intense battle.
Ultimately it was the Seagulls who came out on top thanks to a flurry of late goals.
The composure of the two sides was impressive, as the settled into an evenly matched contest.
After a string of silky passes, North Sydney pressed heavily inside the 18-yard box only for the striker to fall to the ground in a heavy tackle. Despite the pleas from the men in red, the referee was unmoved.
In a half with limited opportunities to score, it was Cronulla’s Wright who had the best chance, his low strike deflected centimetres away from the North Sydney post by Tu.
Both sides were guilty of poor ball control in the opening exchanges of the second half, the costly errors amounting to little pressure.
The Seagulls sound found a consistent rhythm, with Green almost breaking the deadlock after a lovely through ball put him one-on-one with the goal-keeper.
A clever flick back to Murray saw him charge into the box and despite hitting his strike well, it ricocheted off the post.
It was turning into that sort of game where nothing seemed to be going right for the strikers.
Bowler pulled off a spectacular save in the 70th minute to deny North Sydney, diving at full stretch to tap the ball out.
The goal to break the deadlock was worth the wait, Oliver’s strike from one metre inside the right touchline curling into the top left corner to put Cronulla ahead.
Condon doubled the lead minutes later, dancing around the keeper and smashing his shot into an open goal before icing the game with two late goals to cap off an emphatic win.
Match Stats
Cronulla Seagulls 4 (Oliver 75’, Condon 79’ 89’ 92’)
North Sydney United 0
Cronulla Seagulls: 1 Jason BOWLER . 2 Adam TOFFOLO . 3 Darren SMITH . 4 Shane DUNN . 5 Stephen WOOSNAM . 6 Chris GORMAN . 7 Jeff PARKIN . 8 Matthew LUMB . 9 Trevor BROWNSDON . 10 Ben CONDON 12 Peter OLIVER 15 Simon MURRAY 17 James McMURRAY 19 Russell GREEN 23 David JOHNSON 28 Jayson WRIGHT 29 Craig ANDERSON 30 Darren BURGESS
North Sydney United: 1 Cuong TU 2 Steve ANDERTON 3 Brendan MURRAY 4 Alan MCGREGOR 6 Gary PARKER 8 James O’REILLY 14 Khalid TAHIRI 15 Marcus BENNETT 16 Philip WHELAN 23 James ANTIFILIOTUS 26 Ben COOK 29 Colin WILLIAMSON 33 James SNEDDON 35 Michael KROGER 37 Graeme NEILLY 38 Tim CULOVIC
-By Harry Easton
Over 45’s Men
Minotaurs record famous win
It was a physical encounter in the Over 45 Men’s PUMA Champion of Champions, the experienced sides giving no inch as they fought for the title.
The match between St George Football Association’s Hurstville City Minotaurs and Gladesville Hornsby Football Association’s Epping Eastwood saw some heated battles across the field, but it was the Minotaurs who emerged victorious
Dunn almost scored in the opening minute for Eastwood Epping, a delightful low cross finding the striker metres from goal. However, a scrambling effort from Chatzis kept the ball out.
The Minotaurs seemed content with blasting the ball up field, Epping Eastwood controlling possession from the back.
A long cross from Cooper on the left edge again saw Dunn in the thick of the action, a contest in the air falling in favour of the Minotaurs.
Former NSL legend David Barrett then began to find some space in the midfield for Hurstville City with Eastwood Epping having to make some hard, physical tackles to keep him in check.
The Mintoaurs continued with their composed play, pressing on the counter attack.
A break up the right edge for Barrett led to the opening goal, after his final shot was deflected off a defender into the net.
Barrett soon found himself on the end of some heavy contact again, but brushed it off with ease.
After 30 minutes, the game swung in favour of the Minotaurs, Epping Eastwood appearing rattled after finding themselves behind on the scoresheet.
As the first half entered its conclusion, the game became even more physical as play was halted while player sought treatment.
Some brilliant play from Barrett saw two quick fire chances nearly doubling Minotaurs lead, but the teams hit the sheds with the score still at 1-0.
A few brilliant saves from Thornton kept Epping Eastwood in the match as the Minotaurs ramped up the pressure in the second half.
A pinpoint corner in the 53rd minute saw the big frame of Nick Plataniotis conjure a beautiful header, extending the lead to two goals.
On the hour mark, the Minotaurs began to tire in defence, inviting Epping Eastwood back into the match.
The men in yellow finally found their way onto the score sheet courtesy of a spectacular Grinham strike from 25 yards out that brought the crowd to their feet.
With the score at 2-1 entering the final stages, the match turned into an arm wrestle with no side giving an inch.
Epping Eastwood pushed relentlessly in attack, but the Minotaurs played smart marshalled by their inspirational skipper Peter Papoythis and buoyed on by their experienced coach in Peter ‘The General’ Sarikakis and held on for an epic win.
Match Stats
Hurstville City Minotaurs 2 (Barrett 25’, Plataniotis 53’)
Epping Eastwood 1 (Grinham 61’)
Hurstville City Minotaurs: 1 John CHATZIS 2 George SOURIS 8 Spiros HANTZIS 9 Steve KARAVATAKIS 10 Tom PONTIDAS 12 George GANIATSAS 13 Nick PLATANIOTIS 14 Billy PILOVSKI 15 Manny SPANOUDAKIS 16 Louie DOUNIS 18 Peter XENOS 25 David BARRETT 28 Michael BERRIS 31 Leo LYKOYRENTZOS 32 Peter PAPOYTHIS 36 John PANTAZIS 37 George KALOGERAS 42 Terry PALAPANIS
Epping Eastwood: 1 Craig THORNTON 2 Anthony MITCHELL 3 Richard CELARC 4 Ian DUNN 5 Mark COOPER 6 Michael TAYLOR 7 Peter WHITESIDE 8 Paul HENSON 9 Steve FRENCH 10 Dave FRENCH 11 Scott GRINHAM 12 Mark JANSON 13 Ian MACLENNAN 14 Jim PSARADELLIS 16 Gary CAGE 19 Mark ANNESLEY 20 Roy PLEDGER
-By Harry Easton
PUMA Champion of Champions Results
12 Boys – Hanwood FC (Griffith) 2 v Hornsby RSL Youth (Northern Suburbs) 1
12 Girls – Shellharbour JFC (Football South Coast) 4 v Cooks River Titans (Canterbury) 0
13 Boys – Forest Killarney FC (Manly) 4 v Wahroonga (Northern Suburbs) 0
14 Boys – Mt Pritchard (Southern Districts) 2 v Connells Point Rovers FC (St George) 0
14 Girls – Avalon FC (Manly) 1 v Cronulla Seagulls (Sutherland) 4
15 Boys – Mt Pritchard (Southern Districts) 5 v Lourdes (Blacktown) 2
16 Girls – Gladesville Ravens (North West Sydney Womens) 1 v Northbridge FC (Northern Suburbs) 1 Gladesville Ravens won 4-3 on penalties
16 Boys – Kemps Creek (Southern Districts) 0 v Riverstone Schofields (Blacktown) 2
17 Boys – Winston Hills Bears (Granville) 2 v Epping FC (Gladesville Hornsby) 2
Winston Hills Bears won 5-4 on penalties
18 Women – Albion Park JFC (Football South Coast) 3 v Albury City FC (Albury) 1
18 Men – Mt Pritchard (Southern Districts) 0 v Wakehurst FC (Manly) 5
21 Women – Thirroul FC (Football South Coast) 0 v Epping FC (North West Sydney Womens) 4
21 Mens – North Sydney United (Northern Suburbs) 2 v Gladesville Ravens (Gladesville Hornsby) 0
All Age Women – Dunbar Rovers (Eastern Suburbs) 2 v Tarrawanna FC (Football South Coast) 1
All Age Men – Narrabeen FC (Manly) 5 v West Pymble (Northern Suburbs) 4
Over 30 Women – Wakehurst FC (Manly) 0 v Marton (Sutherland) 1
Over 35 Men – Cronulla Seagulls (Sutherland) 4 v North Sydney United (Northern Suburbs) 0
Over 45 Men – Hurstville City Minotaurs (St George) 2 v Epping Eastwood (Gladesville) 1
