Southern & Ettalong 1 – 0 Budgewoi
After a fast-paced, intense ninety minutes of action, Jack Ellwood’s goal was the only thing that separated these two sides on the grandest stage of them all as Southern & Ettalong’s 28-year wait to be crowned MPL Premiers again comes to an end after their 1-0 victory over League Champions Budgewoi.
Much like their Major Semi-Final meeting, Southern started on the front foot, looking for another early goal against Budgewoi and almost had it two minutes into the contest when a corner found Theo Forsberg unmarked inside the six-yard box.
Forsberg headed the ball goal-bound, beating the opposition keeper, but was cleared off the line by Tahj Werner who stopped a certain goal.
This proved to be an early wake-up call for Budgewoi who started to enjoy more possession. An individual moment of brilliance from Werner saw him link up with Chris Lennon as Werner was placed in on goal, only to be stopped by Forsberg who was seeking revenge and this time denied Werner from scoring a goal.
Forsberg was again involved in the action, forcing Nathan Denton to parry the ball over the post after his shot from distance almost found the back of the net.
In end-to-end action, Chris Lennon now had a chance to open the scoring for his side but was denied at the near post after a fantastic one-handed save from Alex Wardle.
Budgewoi were having success playing between Southern’s attacking and midfield lines, but struggled to penetrate their last line of defence as Southern were quick to counterattack whenever in possession, creating more opportunities with their frantic style which suited the game.
Southern looked extremely dangerous from any set-piece around the box, whether it be a corner, free-kick, or long throw-in, with Jack Ellwood almost heading home before the half-time break with one of their better chances of the opening period.
As the second half commenced, the game remained a back-and-forth affair with both sides desperate to find the opening goal.
Charlie Entwistle was a standout on the night, beating players and creating opportunities whenever he had the ball at his feet, but just lacked that final product in front of goal.
Up the other end, it was again Ellwood who had a great chance for the Lions as he played the ball inside the six-yard box and was able to turn and shoot past his defender from close range, only to fire his shot off target.
53 minutes in and Charlie Polson was able to find some freedom down the right byline, cutting the ball across the face of the goal to Jacob Lepre who hit a clean strike on goal, only to be denied by the crossbar.
Southern started to gain the advantage, enjoying corner after corner which eventually paid off 57 minutes in.
A corner from Jacob Lepre was cleared at the front post back out wide to Lepre. Jacob delivered the ball back into the area as the Budgewoi defence was unable to clear, and Jack Ellwood was on queue at the back stick to fire home first time for the Lions.
Jayke Browne almost doubled the Lions’ lead from the same spot Ellwood found the opening. Still, Browne was unable to direct his shot on target as Southern looked to double their lead.
Not having much to do in the second period, Southern’s keeper was there when they needed him the most as a Budgewoi free-kick fell to Bayley Appo inside the box who rifled a first-time shot at the goals.
Wardle’s quick reflexes saw him get a hand to the ball, saving his clean sheet deep into the second half.
The final minutes were extremely frantic for the Southern players and supporters as Budgewoi threw everything at them in hopes of finding an equaliser in injury time.
But it wasn’t to be for the League Champions as a clean sheet ensured the title of Premiers would head back to the peninsula and back with Southern & Ettalong for the first time since 1997.
“The match was a battle for the full 90+ minutes,” admitted Matt Page. “Grand Finals are ultimately decided by moments and whilst Jacob’s strike that rattled the crossbar came close to being the difference, it was Jack Elwood who produced a couple of bits of class within a few minutes, first winning a corner when not favoured to do so, then tucking away his strike at the back post to give us the breakthrough we needed.”
“And despite not being overly busy in the 90 mins, Alex Wardle came up with a massive save right at the end there to keep the victory in tact. Credit to Budge, they have brought the best out in us all year and Saturday night was no different. They never stopped fighting for the win and should be commended on what was great year for them. We wish Hadyn, Corey and the lads all the best in the Champion of Champions, hopefully they can take it out.”
Page also added, “For my guys, I couldn’t be prouder of their effort both on Saturday and throughout the season. This was a long time in the making and the victory has brought so much joy to all those associated with the club and those that have put in so much hard work building us to get where we are. Committee, coaches, players and supporters all contributed and a special mention to Dale Eggleton, who really built the foundations of what is a very strong program now.”
“We get to enjoy the off-season now, and look forward to next season where we know the target is on our back.”
“Congratulations to Southern on their Grand Final win,” voiced Haydn Appo. “A quality side and deserving champions. We have had some great battles over the course of the season, and Saturday was probably the best of the lot.”
“For our club, having both First and Reserve on the big stage was a huge achievement. Thank you to our players, coaches, volunteers, and supporters for an unforgettable season.”
Match Official – Miles Allen-Scott