BY ADAM BLUNDEN
Finals Week 1
FIRST GRADE SCORES –
| Kanwal | 2 | Terrigal | 1 |
KANWAL WARNERVALE ROVERS FC 2 – TERRIGAL UNITED FC 1
Unity Bank Women’s Premier League finals action started this weekend as the minor semi saw 3rd place Kanwal take on 4th place Terrigal in a do or die match. Terrigal finished the last round of the year with a disappointing 3-0 lost to 2nd place Umina while their opponents Kanwal were coming off a great win the week against league champions Gosford. Despite heading into the match, a very confident Kanwal side. Terrigal were the ones who got the better of the two sides when they beat Kanwal on the only occasion the faced this year with a 2-1 win. Kanwal started the better of the two teams as they had more of the possession with Terrigal looking to counter-attack when they had the chance. Terrigal looked dangerous when going forward with their explosive strikers causing problems to the Kanwal defence. Eventually after controlling the game with their possession, Kanwal opened the scoring as Mel Young brilliantly headed home a Hayley Green cross to put her side up 1-0. The rest of the first half saw the game be played between the two 18-yard boxes as both sides defended expertly to repel any attack as the first half finished with Kanwal up 1-0. The second half continued as the 1st half ended with chances proving difficult to come by, with any half chance being handled well by the keepers at both ends of the park. Terrigal where handed a golden opportunity when they were awarded a penalty, Terrigal’s Emma Power stepped up and levelled the score with a very well taken dot shot. Despite their efforts, neither side was able to find a winner in normal time as the full-time whistle was sounded and the teams where bounded for extra time. Terrigal started the first half of extra time the better of the two teams and almost went ahead but brilliance from Kanwal keeper Kimberley Burke parried a Terrigal effort before the ball was scrambled off the line by Hannah Pratt. Both teams tried very hard to find a winner as fatigue started to set in both squads, but the score would remain level after the first half of extra time. The second half of extra time saw Kanwal start to take over, their efforts were rewarded when a great individual goal from Hayley Ballard gave Kanwal a 2-1 lead with very little time left. Hayley’s effort would be the winner as Terrigal where unable to find an equaliser in the closing minutes of the game. Kanwal will now face the loser of Gosford and Umina who face this Sunday at Pluim Park where the winner of that match will book their place in the grand final. Congratulations to Terrigal United’s WPL squad on a fantastic year.