Grand Final Reviews – Futsal Premier League All Grades
Sunday’s NSW Premier League Grand Final Day at Valentine Sports Park featured six different winning clubs, three premiership-championship doubles and three thrilling extra-time battles across a glittering day of action.
The trophies were spread as Mascot Vipers collected three, followed by Campbelltown Quake (2), Inner West (1), Eastern Suburbs Hakoah (1), Mountain Majik (1) and Enfield Allstars (1).
12 Boys – Vipers shock Hakoah
Mascot stunned unbeaten 12 Boys premiers Eastern Suburbs Hakoah in a jaw-dropping 4-3 extra-time win after Vipers levelled the scores right on the fulltime buzzer.
Easts started full of purpose and Oliver Sacks fired a low drive across the face of goal to give Mascot a warning shot in just the second minute, Vipers keeper Eddie Mezei saving twice moments later to keep the scoreline unchanged.
Hakoah thought they might’ve taken the lead with two crisp shots at goal eight minutes in but Mezei had both covered, as did Easts custodian Sean Suzuki sticking a leg out to deny a Mascot attack at the other end midway through the half.
To inject a bit of venom into the Vipers strike Mezei started to move forward and create an overlap and the ventures almost paid off with the Hakoah defence scrambling hard to smother several Mascot raids.
The breakthrough finally came in the 13th minute when a swift Vipers counter down the left saw Dylan Nadal lay off for Joshua Falato in the middle of the D and he made no mistake from right in front to give Mascot a 1-0 lead.
Vipers doubled their advantage seconds before the break, a dangerous Nadal drive rounding two Hakoah defenders before a crack at goal from just outside the D on the left deflected off Easts player Suzuki into goal to hand Mascot a 2-0 lead, Mezei with an outrageous reflex-save on the buzzer to keep their opponents at bay.
It wasn’t long after the restart that Hakoah got themselves back into the game with another great Mezei parry landing at the feet of Wardhana who cracked it back low and hard to beat the Mascot glovesman and cut the deficit in half.
And the scores were level again five minutes into the second term after Sacks broke well and sent a grasscutter past Mezei from 5m out, new Easts keeper Dov Baron inspiring his side further with a terrific double-save to stop Mascot regaining the lead a minute later.
But it was Hakoah who instead pushed their noses in front when Sacks and Wardhana combined brilliantly outside the D with a one-two touch that the latter buried in the top corner to suddenly put Easts 3-2 ahead with eight minutes left to play.
Mascot pressed for the remaining minutes but couldn’t find a way through the Hakoah wall of defence as Easts threw everything on the goal-line to protect their lead.
But there was a late twist in the tale as a roaming Mezei cracked one from distance with three seconds on the clock that Baron got a hand to but could only divert it off the upright into goal behind him to send Vipers fans out of their seats and force extra-time.
Nadal then sent the Mascot fans into delirium as he pilfered the ball deep in his own half and went coast-to-coast to drill it under Baron and put Vipers back in front midway through the first overtime period.
There was action at both ends to finish the game, but Mascot held on for a thrilling one-goal win after ending the season third. Vipers hero Mezei was dazed.
“I don’t know how we did it. I knew there was three seconds left [in regular time] so I just cracked it and it managed to go in,” he said.
“But everyone worked hard to get this win. We drew with Easts twice this year, so it was about time we beat them.”
It was the first defeat Hakoah tasted all summer, and they can hold their heads up after more than playing their part in an unbelievable futsal final.
Mascot Vipers: Dylan Nadal, Will Beattie, Willem Hampton, Joshua Falato, Luka Luzaic, Shion Hosaka, Ewan Gasowski, Pedro Hoshina Carter, Eddie Mezei, Rory Reed, Noah Ravel
Eastern Suburbs Hakoah: Alexander Bachmann Cooper, Jaydon Ellis, Troy Megerditchian, Jay Maltz, Ryan Seligsohn, Daanish Wardhana, Sean Suzuki, Gary Basmajian, Dov Baron, Toby Gris, Oliver Sacks
13 Girls – Quake shake Majik
Campbelltown Quake rampaged from fourth spot on the table to claim an amazing 4-1 13 Girls grand-final victory over Mountain Majik.
The action was fast and furious from the get-go as Mountain keeper Annika Cross charged out of her circle to smother a Campbelltown attack right from the kickoff, and moments later Majik took charge when Avaani Prakash drilled it past Quake keeper Charlotte Stubbs at the other end for a 1-0 lead just two minutes into the contest.
A chess game then erupted as both sides made tactical moves up court only for the final pass or shot to go astray.
Campbelltown had a great chance to equalise as Sienna Baudana went on a canter down the left and her sharp strike tested Cross in goals, who needed two grabs at the ball to nullify the Quake attack.
Sienna Saveska then thought she had the equaliser two minutes from halftime when she rounded a charging Cross and sent a shot right toward the middle of goal only for Prakash to make a gravity-defying leap and knock the ball wide at the last second to keep Mountain in front.
Majik’s Maya Lobo was unlucky not to double the lead just before the break when her freekick from the halfway line cannoned off the crossbar and was cleared to make it just a 1-0 difference in an exciting match at oranges.
As expected Campbelltown came out full of pep in the second stanza and several stabs at goal had Mountain on the back foot, although Lobo might’ve done better with only the Quake keeper to beat after Majik had stolen the ball.
And Stubbs’ brave smother led to team-mate Saveska getting the ball just outside the D at the other end with her stinging drive ruffling the net to make it 1-1 in the 25th minute.
A minute later and Quake were in front with Saveska again making her mark on the game, the dynamo dribbling half the court and burying it under Cross to hand Campbelltown a 2-1 advantage in the blink of an eye.
Sienna Arrate then sent the purple section of the crowd wild when she bobbed up for a well-taken goal not even 90 seconds later, a triple Quake strike in three minutes giving Campbelltown a handy 3-1 buffer.
The Mountaineers got a lifeline when Prakash was fouled on the edge of the D with two minutes left but Lobo’s rocket was blocked superbly by Stubbs who then released Saveska with a full-court throw and her awkward shot somehow bobbled out of Cross’ grasp and limped over the line to seal Campbelltown’s victory, 4-1.
Hat-trick hero Saveska called the win “brilliant”!
“It feels really good to score, but without the whole team it doesn’t work,” she said.
“We came fourth but we had no doubt we could win it [Quake knocked premiers Mascot out in Saturday’s semi-final]… you work hard and play hard – that’s the only way to do it.”
Campbelltown Quake: Charlotte Stubbs, Peta Trimis, Alexia Saltirov, Sienna Arrate, Lotus Lopez, Sienna Saveska, Tegan Bertilissio, Alvina Marie Khoshaba, Tea Mucenski, Olivia D’alessandro, Danielle Cannarella, Sienna Baudana
Mountain Majik: Kiara Bonora, Annika Cross, Mia Golding, Charlotte Hogan, Maya Lobo, Libby Morris, Savannah Murray, Brooke Nestorovic, Avaani Prakash, Abigail Saba
14 Boys – Enfield down Inner West
Enfield Allstars turned the tables on 14 Boys premiers Inner West Magic with a comfortable 2-0 win in Sunday’s top-two decider.
Enfield were able to draw first blood when an Inner West handball inside the D allowed Rhys Youlley to slam home a forceful spot-kick and Allstars led 1-0 after just three minutes.
Enfield were keeping possession and sent a few meaningful strikes toward goal, but Inner West keeper Lachlan Linards was holding them well to keep the margin at one, and slowly but surely Magic worked their way forward, a Lucas Craus snap at goal stinging the hands of Allstars glovesman James Husoy.
A quick Inner West break needed a great Husoy clearance nearing the end of the half, but Enfield headed to the dressing sheds with their early 1-0 lead still in-tact.
A more measured Magic started stronger in the second term but still needed Linards to smother two Enfield breaks to stay in the Allstars’ shadow, and the Inner West custodian was sharp again three times in quick succession moments later to again keep Enfield at bay.
The Allstars were the highest scoring outfit of any premier league grade this summer (79 regular-season goals) and their continued pressure took its toll as they doubled their lead midway through the half when Youlley was on hand to slam home a Linards rebound save.
Inner West never gave up but Enfield looked in control all the way to a solid two-goal win.
Scorer of both goals Youlley said it was an important victory for the club considering it was its only grand final berth this summer.
“We knew what we had to do and the boys worked hard; we really came to play today,” he said.
“It was a big game for the club as we didn’t get the results we wanted this season, but this win still gives us a good name.”
Enfield Allstars: Alexander Badolato, Rhys Youlley, James Husoy, Mason Hartnig, Drew Maxwell, Jai Wright, William Freney, Filip Dimovski, Jaden Gasking, Michael Asprou, Dean Bosnjak, Nicholas Badolato, Bashir Alameddine, Dominic Cordi, Filip Dimovski
Inner West Magic: Daanish Awaz, Maisam Awaz, Lucas Craus, Frans Deli, Miguel Di Pizio, Mansour Elmasri, Sebastian Kiceec, Steven Kriezis, Lachlan Linards, William Mcintosh, Tiago Quintal
15 Girls – Mascot tip Inner West
Mascot Vipers got the better of 15 Girls premiers Inner West Magic following a nail-biting 2-1 trophy win.
A bright start from both sides saw Inner West keeper Bianca Musumeci snuff out an early Mascot probe, but she could only watch on as Enfield’s Isabella Chidiac sent a drive across goal that whispered to the post as it travelled over the byline.
As Mascot got on top a goal against the run of play lifted Magic in front as Alyssa Thomson bolted up-court, rounded advancing Vipers keeper Ivana Rozman and side-footed into an empty net from outside the D to give her side a seventh-minute lead.
Clare Holder then latched onto an Inner West freekick from near the halfway line that Rozman tipped over the bar, Magic’s Renee Houliaras also going close with a slice across goal moments later.
Vipers had the next say when a well-worked move freed up India Breier on the left who fired a rocket past Musumeci to level the scores at one-apiece six minutes from halftime.
Mascot had Rozman to thank for keeping the scores locked as she charged out to smother at least four Inner West attempts outside the D, three of them while she was on the ground, and perhaps Vipers could’ve taken the lead when Tess Quilligan’s shot from in front ricocheted off the post with Musumeci beaten.
Magic’s Thomson also fell victim to the woodwork seconds from the break when she found the ball at her feet with only Rozman to beat, and she did get it past the Vipers keeper only to see the shot rebound off the inside of the past and slew across the goal-face clear of danger, the two teams swapping sides at 1-1.
Inner West started the second half with the three best chances but it was Mascot who stole the lead as Quilligan broke free and Musumeci missed her chance to smother outside the D, the Vipers attacker slotting home for a 2-1 advantage with 12 minutes left to play.
Rozman then pulled off a miracle save as Holder’s freekick missile bounced off the wall and her follow-up hit the post, the Vipers keeper sucking the rebound into her gloves.
A desperate Inner West finished with a flurry of chances but a resolute Mascot held on grimly to take the trophy 2-1 from third position on the ladder, and Vipers spearhead Chidiac was overjoyed at the triumph.
“It’s an amazing feeling for all the team; we just wanted to win so bad,” she said.
“Time just seemed to go so slow at the end, but we did what we had to for each other.”
Mascot Vipers: Emily Brewster, Tess Quilligan, Elizabeth Bieri, Isabella Chidiac, India Breier, Adelaide Wyrzynski, Vicky Konstantinidis, Riley Welsh, Erin Diavatiotis, Daniella Naeimi, Ivana Rozman
Inner West Magic: Annaliese Batshon, Emily Brcic, Taylor Brookes, Clare Holder, Renee Houliaras, Kalize Jarvis, Christina Kiceec, Daniela Mandile, Bianca Musumeci, Jessika Nash, Keira Schwereb, Alyssa Thomson
16 Boys – Campbelltown edge Easts
Campbelltown Quake sealed a brilliant 16 Boys premiership-championship double with a last-second 10m penalty handing them an absorbing 3-2 victory over a gallant Eastern Suburbs Hakoah.
It didn’t take long for Campbelltown to get the ball rolling with Joel Bertolssio advancing up-court and slamming home the opener after just three minutes.
But it was all squared up midway through the half when Hakoah’s Sebastian Cerecedo lined up and drilled home a 6m freekick that left Quake keeper Tomas Butkovic grasping at the ball’s slipstream.
Nothing much separated the sides with chances going begging at both ends, but there was nothing definitive on goal until Quake’s Callum Powell flew up the left flank just before the break, drove hard at Easts custodian Lucas Pezzano who saved well but only back at Powell who finished off his second attempt to restore Campbelltown’s lead.
It could’ve been further damage for Quake who had a short-range freekick cleared off the line 30 seconds into the second half, and new keeper Sammy Rose was inspirational in a superb string of saves that kept Easts’ hopes burning.
Campbelltown only had themselves to blame when a neat one-two left Rose stranded but the wall once again refused to ask questions of the net as the placement clipped the post on the way out.
Hakoah also had a shot blast straight back off the post at the other end and Quake’s Butkovic was called into action with a sharp reflex-stop, but the scoreboard wasn’t being troubled and Campbelltown was by far the guiltier side.
The missed chances would haunt Quake when Hakoah’s Samuel Tzanekes ghosted through the D and slammed home to level the scores at 2-2 inside the final five minutes.
Butkovic was also having a solid game between the ‘Towner sticks and charged out bravely to defuse successive Easts attacks to help send the game into extra-time.
Hakoah keeper Rose snuffed out two late Quake breaks but, as a dreaded penalty shootout loomed, a sixth-foul penalty for a midcourt Easts handball presented Bertolissio with a 10m spot-kick to win the game, which he duly dispatched for an epic last-gasp Campbelltown win.
“That was a crazy, tight game,” he said after being mobbed by his Quake team-mates.
“If I scored it I’d be the hero, but I just wanted to make up for my earlier [open-goal] miss.”
“We’ve worked hard all year for this and I think we deserved it.”
Campbelltown Quake: Tomas Butkovic, Jaidyn Dunn, Callum Powell, Lucas Kotevski, Corby Fowler, Joel Bertolissio, Lee Thoroughgood, Jett Mccue-Shore, Reynen Lancaster, Joshua Kermond
Eastern Suburbs Hakoah: Sebastian Cerecedo, Alen Harbas, Alvin-John Khoshaba, Marcus Mallard, Jordan Mikhael, Lucas Pezzano, Sammy Salcedo Rose, Harry Skotadis, Samuel Tzanakes, Michael Vakis
17 Girls – Majik break Quake
It was a double-trophy for 17 Girls premiers Mountain Majik as they also won their grand final 3-2 against a stubborn Campbelltown Quake.
Mountain were clear-cut favourites to win this match and drew first blood through Jess Rocchetto who delivered a well-placed strike into the onion bag that lifted the unbeaten premiers 1-0 in front after nine minutes of building action.
Majik were impressive all summer and only conceded 16 regular-season goals (the least amount leaked by any premier league team over every grade) and they were giving away little to a Campbelltown side that just couldn’t put the finishing touches on any of their raids, and they remained behind at the changeover.
Quake keeper Ryna Prasad was called into action early in the second term and that led to a Campbelltown near-miss as Keira Danes went close with a good strike at the ball.
But it was Mountain who tightened the screws as Monique Holder left a Quake defender sprawled on the ground with a merry dance into the D and great finish under Prasad for a 2-0 buffer.
The Campbelltown keeper came to her side’s rescue when she produced a double-save in the face of a green wall of three players descending on her goal, and she was superb in denying Holder a point-blank goal moments later as Quake desperately tried to stay in touch.
Sheridan Gallagher almost pulled off a stunner of a goal when her cheeky backheel from inside the D smacked the paintwork with 10 minutes left and team-mate Darcey Malone breathed life into Campbelltown’s chances when she finally completed a rare Quake penetration with a neat goal to make it 2-1.
But the two-goal Majik margin was immediately restored following Greta Kraszula’s close-range finish less than a minute later and Mountain capped off a deserved victory despite a Campbelltown powerplay goal seconds from the fulltime buzzer.
Majik leader Annabelle Daczko said a championship trophy was three years in the making.
“We lost in the grand final two years ago and were knocked out in the semis last year, and we just had a really strong season this time and got what we deserved,” she said.
“It was a long time coming, but we earned it.”
Mountain Majik: Emma Bates, Pene Bonovas, Annabelle Daczko, Chloe Gordon, Aimee Hall, Monique Holder, Greta Kraszula, Isabella Sciberras, Alexis Tan, Scarlet Thomas
Campbelltown Quake: Luisa Rocchetto, Sheridan Gallagher, Jess Rocchetto, Maddie Malone, Caitlin Orridge, Kate Duffy, Darcey Malone, Olivia Sloan, Rachel Bagot, Aurelia Collins, Keira Danes, Eliza Pereira, Ryna Prasad
19 Men – Mascot beat Easts
The 19 Men championship match went Mascot Vipers way following a 5-1 defeat of Eastern Suburbs Hakoah at Valentine Sports Park.
Mascot were full of early zip and forced Easts keeper Noah Feilich into an excellent leg-block to deny Ethan De Melo the opener, and he was in the thick of it moments later to parry away an even closer-range effort.
Feilich was instrumental in keeping the scoreline at nil-all as he thwarted multiple Vipers raids, but he couldn’t prevent Mascot from finally netting the opener as Thomas Quilligan drove home a 12th-minute strike seconds before team-mate Emmanuel Tzanakes also broke through to make it 2-0 in a heartbeat.
Easts did start to get things moving forward toward the end of the half and Alessandro Da Silva had a stinging drive pushed clear by Vipers glovesman Oskar Beck, and the custodian was being called into play more and more by a threatening Hakoah.
The last say of the half went to Mascot however as De Melo’s full-court canter saw him push his one-on-one shot past Feilich against the post just as the buzzer sounded for oranges.
It only took 30 seconds for Mascot to increase their margin to three goals after Tim Scott landed a second-half killer-blow past Feilich.
Easts weren’t packing it in and a powerful Da Silva freekick went through everyone and almost the net as Hakoah cut the margin back to 1-3 down.
But that’s all Mascot captain-keeper Sasha Chilas would allow them as he dealt with everything else while team-mates Scott and Yanni Plataniotis added further goals to push the result beyond doubt in a 5-1 win.
Chilas applauded his side’s tenacity and determination to get the job done.
“It was a very complete performance and something we have been building toward for a few years,” he said.
“We’re one big family at the club and it was a great effort from everyone, the staff and all the boys to get this title.”
Mascot Vipers: Sasha Chilas, Joshua Aruna, Oskar Beck, Tanna Bellear, Sasha Chilas, Ethan De Melo, Fenn Hodgson-Yu, Dylan Kanjo, Yanni Plataniotis, Peter Politis, Thomas Quilligan, Timothy Scott, Emmanuel Tzanakes
Eastern Suburbs Hakoah: Milos Anic, Jake Besser, Sebastian Cerecedo, Alessandro Da Silva, Noah Feilich, Guy Lee, Jake Lees, Elliot Lipschitz, Jordan Mikhael, Lucas Pezzano, Jeremy Siarakas, Harry Skotadis, Samuel Tzanakes
Open Women – Inner West overturn Campbelltown
Inner West Magic came from behind twice to steal one of the most hair-raising women’s final from Campbelltown Quake, Rhianna Pollicina scoring the matchwinner just 20 seconds away from a penalty shootout.
It was a gut-wrenching result for Campbelltown who were so brave in their efforts, but it’s also full applause to a dominant Inner West dynasty that shows no signs of relinquishing anytime soon.
Magic’s Tori Tumeth tested the waters first as Inner West launched a series of raids, Quake keeper Brianna Clarke more than up to the task, while Campbelltown’s Kylie Ledbrook decided to do the same at the other end with her shot also well saved by Magic custodian Sophie Magus.
Clarke was on-point and courageous in a number of blocks and smothers that kept the score at 0-0, but the ‘Towners were struggling to get anything meaningful in front of goal for themselves other than a few half-chances from distance while an Inner West goal seemed to be brewing.
Yet still Campbelltown resisted and nearly turned the game on its head a few minutes from halftime when a clever Linda Dudek freekick almost got the touch it needed from Darcey Malone at the back-post, and then it happened…
With 10 seconds left in the half and Magic getting frustrated from not finding the back of the net despite a growing number of chances, Dudek grabbed the bull by the horns, left two Magic players in her dust and managed to get her toe to the ball before Magus could fully charge out, and it literally rolled in slow motion over the line with a desperate lunge from a chasing Inner West keeper just behind it – Campbelltown up 1-0 at oranges.
Quake had a good opportunity at the start of the second period when Dudek rounded Magus, but the angle narrowed too much for a clear shot at an empty net.
Magic’s first second-term crack was much closer as a neat one-two between Tumeth and Clare Holder saw Tumeth’s drive bounce off the bottom of the upright, and moments later Clarke dropped well to stop Inner West weapon Pollicina’s thunderous strike and again soon after to smother the dangerous player’s thrust into the D.
Next it was Luisa Rocchetto to Quake’s rescue as Tumeth had a 7m freekick bounce back to her and a second attempt looped over Clarke only to be headed off the line and then cleared by Rocchetto.
With time clicking under eight minutes left, Inner West were given a massive boost when two yellow cards to Ledbrook in a couple of minutes – the first for dissent and then for charging into Magus – saw the former W-Leaguer dismissed from the court, Magic taking full advantage of the extra player when Bianca Galic finally found the back of the Quake net to level the scores.
Magic were full of steam and Pollicina went close on a cross-face strike with a few minutes left and Galic had a similar outcome to her effort from the opposite side, and amid the pumping action the buzzer sounded for a trip into extra-time.
Campbelltown got a dream start in the first extra period when Dudek capitalised on an innocuous possibility, the ball getting past Magus, bouncing off the upright and into goal for a stunning 2-1 Quake lead.
But it was locked up once more a minute later when an Inner West cross deflected off Renee Rollason past Clarke and over the line… and in the most dramatic of circumstances Pollicina was left unmarked on the left with 20 seconds left, the league’s record high-scorer step inside and scorching matchwinner past Clarke completed an incredible come-from-behind victory.
Pollicina launched herself into the net to celebrate with the Magic fans, but there was one in particular she was aiming at.
“Amy Dahdah had a send-off yesterday, so the celebration was for her,” she said.
“But full credit to the girls; we’re a special team that just keeps fighting and fighting, and it was a massive performance to get it done in the end.”
“It’s always a good battle with Campbelltown and you have to credit their keeper {Bree Clarke], she was incredible today.”
Through gritted teeth Quake coach Mel Keith knew they would have their day against Inner West, but she refused to take anything away from the champion side.
“There’s a reason they keep winning, they play for 50 minutes, play together, and fully deserve every respect as this is their time,” she said. “But we will get them…”
“I’m super proud of my team though, also heartbroken for them as they were good enough to win it. We’re getting closer…”
It’s the first time Inner West have won seven league games in a row but, more importantly, victory completed a successive triple-trophy summer (premiership, championship, cup) for Magic’s all-conquering women’s side.
Inner West Magic: Ceyda Cambaz, Amy Dahdah, Bianca Galic, Gemma Gray, Courtney Halpin, Clare Holden, Sophie Magus, Ailish McDonagh, Ashleigh Palombi, Rhianna Pollicina, Gillian Raymond, Olivia Schembri, Tori Tumeth
Campbelltown Quake: Racehl Bagot, Brianna Clarke, Renee Rollason, Kylie Ledbrook, Linda Dudek, Claire Walsh, Melissa Walsh, Toni Sharp, Zoeie Redman, Darcey Malone, Olivia Sloan, Caitlin Orridge, Luisa Rocchetto, Eliza Pereira, Sheridan Gallagher
Open Men – Hakoah cast off Magic
Eastern Suburbs Hakoah won an incredible see-saw extra-time battle against Inner West Magic 4-3 to claim a premier league open men’s trophy in their very first try.
The result sparked jubilation among the club’s faithful fans and many were pinching themselves following an absolutely entertaining contest.
The match wasn’t even five seconds old when a collision on the Inner West goal-line saw team leader Robbie Maiorana go down clutching his, ahem, groin and it took a few minutes for the glovesman to adjust for the game to get back underway.
A bright start from both sides saw the action swing from end-to-end before a clear-cut opportunity opened for Magic’s Jonathan Barzel on the break, but Hakoah custodian Laith Al-Shdifat pulled off a sensational save as the last line of defence to deny Magic an opener.
Maiorana was just as incredible at the other end with a cat-like reflex to palm away an Easts player at point-blank range, and it was clear this match could go either way.
Rhys Buck tried from distance for Inner West on the quarter-hour and Al-Shdifat had to guide it over the bar before smothering the set-piece cross as well.
Then Easts spearhead Robbie Ezekiel went on a great burst down the right and launched a stinging missile that was spectacularly pushed away by Maiorana, a second Ezekiel strike moments later whistling over the bar.
It was Inner West who struck first, Andrew Luttringer winding his way into the D to finish across goal and place the game’s first marker just two minutes from the break.
Al-Shdifat had to be alert to take care of Suleyman Bangura’s deflected-shot to start the second term but then relied on the woodwork to stop Daniel Fogarty’s blistering attempt a minute later, the cross-goal blast smashing the top-left corner of the goal and bouncing away to safety.
Easts made themselves level once more in the 35th-minute when Lucas Vidal played his way around a couple of defenders on the left and placed his cross perfectly past Maiorana for Thomas McGowan to tap into an open net.
James Reed then broke for Hakoah and only had to get his shot past Maiorana, but the Futsalroo keeper was deft enough in his block, and within a minute Inner West was in front again as Daniel Fornito wound up an absolute screamer into the top-corner to re-engage Magic’s one-goal advantage.
The Inner West joy didn’t last long however as Easts turned the tables when Cesar Perego broke loose and buried a nicely-placed shot just seconds before Vidal also snapped a net-burster that suddenly gave Hakoah a 3-2 lead with five minutes left on the clock.
Jonathan Barzel almost pulled Magic level but his powerplay strike from an acute angle cannoned off the upright back into play, and he should’ve done better with Fogarty’s great look inside the D but Barzel blasted over the bar from a metre out, team-mate Fornito also coming close with another poster inside the final 90 seconds.
Fornito turned out being Magic’s saviour with a terrific strike that rifled into the back of the net to even up the scores again 24 seconds from time, and he almost found a matchwinner but instead Al-Shdifat came to Hakoah’s aid with an awesome drop-save that sent the match into extra-time.
The best overtime chance fell Fogarty’s way as his booming strike smashed off the woodwork and fell in front of Fornito who could only lift it over the bar, and within a jiffy Hakoah had found a way up court and McGowan rounded Maiorana for a 4-3 Easts advantage a minute away from the end of open play.
Inner West probed for a late equaliser but the siren sounded on an amazing Hakoah victory, the players immediately embracing and celebrating with fans on court.
Spiritual Hakoah leader Ezekiel took his time to thank every Magic player for an excellent challenge, with joy written all over his face.
“You never know how these things will go but you can only focus on what you can do next,” he said about the yo-yo battle.
“You have to have a mental and physical belief and this is exactly the place we have been building toward for a lot of years.”
“We had to push so long and hard to get into PL1; we had to build the club, then a men’s team, bring in the right people and keep trying – there’s a long, proud history at this club, so this is for a lot of people who have done so much work over the years.”
It’s an outstanding season-finish for fourth-placed Easts who knocked off premiers Mascot in Saturday’s semi-final before finding a way against foundation club veterans Inner West in Sunday’s decider.
Inner West Magic: Jonathan Barzel, Jamal Belkadi, Rhys Buck, Mohammad Dubdub, Daniel Fogarty, Daniel Fomito, Anthony Haddad, Hassan Jalloh, Andrew Luttringer, Roberto Maiorana, Matthew Mazevski, Rhys Osmond, Massimo Saro, Christopher Zeballos
Eastern Suburbs Hakoah: Laith Al-Shdifat, Dylan Basger, Riley Battle, Alessandro Da Silva, Robert Ezekiel, Edilson Farias, Yuma Hosoe, Ryuji Kagiya, Mitchell Lowe, Thomas McGowan, César Perego, James Reed, Joshua Shubitz, Gilad Swartz, Everton Vendrasco, Lucas Brandow Vidal
-By Dan De Nardi
