August 20, 2012
By Martin Stern
Football South Burnett
The Evolution Solar South Burnett Football League played all six Semi-Finals at Murgon on Sunday, the first game starting at 9:00am and the last kicking off at 7:00pm.
It was an amazing day for Nanango who qualified directly for the Grand Final in all three grades.
Nanango club spokesman Steve Mangan said he was thrilled his vision was coming to fruition but there were still the Grand Finals to win.
Club President Alan Downey said it was the first time that he could remember that the club had made it to all three grand finals.
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Second Division Elimination Semi Final
The first match of the weekend was the Minor 2nd Division Semi-Final between Wests and Gunners.
Wests took the lead early on with Jack Fleming scoring in the 5th minute.
In the 30th minute Sam Gray scored Wests’ second.
Five minutes later Gunners’ Brendon Young pulled one back with a long drifting shot from out wide.
In the 37th minute Wests were awarded a penalty but Jack Fleming could not convert the chance and the keeper Ryan Kelly made a comfortable save.
In the 65th minute Sam Gray collected his second goal and it was enough for Wests to hang on.
The match was fairly even throughout but Wests made the best of their opportunities.
Best for Wests were Jack Fleming and Gary Lenkeit while Shane Hall and Brendon Young were Gunners’ standouts.
Wests 3 (Sam Gray 30th 65th, Jack Fleming), Gunners 1 (Brendon Young 35th)
* * *
Second Division Qualification Semi Final
In a hard fought and scrappy match, Nanango and Barambah took the game into extra time.
Both teams had several chances to score in regulation time; Barambah dominated the first half while Nanango picked up their act in the second.
After the score was 0-0 at full-time, extra time was needed and it was only one minute into the first period when Nanango’s Daryl Adams found himself in front of an open goal and made no mistake giving his side the lead.
A few minutes later Karl Pinchlis scored Nanango’s second and Barambah found themselves two goals down.
Barambah threw everything at Nanango but the score remained 2-0.
Best for Barambah were Dan Kelly, Brendan Kelly and Brad Vanderkolk while Trevor Adams, Elliot Mangan and David Ashby were Nanango’s best.
Nanango 2 (Daryl Adams 81st, Karl Pichlis 83rd), Barambah 0 after extra time
Women’s Elimination Semi Final
In somewhat of an upset Gunnettes pulled off a 1- 0 win over Barambah.
The match never really hit any great heights while both teams battled in the midfield. After the scores were locked at 0-0 at full time, Gunnettes took the lead in the second half of extra time through a great run by Katrina Parsons.
Barambah were without two of their more experienced players with Megan Sippel and Elle Mollenhauer out through injury.
Gunnettes 1 (Katie Parsons 82nd) Barambah 0 – after extra time.
Women’s Qualification Final
Wests and Nanango, the two form teams stepped up for this match.
The match was a real battle with both sides very evenly matched.
Nanango struck first through Kerrie Thompson to give her side the lead after 9 minutes.
Wests seemed to lack the usual attacking flair they have been known for this season and 4 minutes into the second half Kerrie Thompson scored her second after taking advantage of a spilled ball from the Wests keeper.
Both sides battled on and in the 54th minute Hayley Hunter pulled one back for Wests, however Nanango held on to make their way to the Grand Final.
Nanango 2 (Kerrie Thompson 9th, 39th) Wests 1 (Hayley Hunter 54th)
1st Division Elimination Semi Final
This promised to be a very close game and it lived up to it in intensity.
With both sides’ season on the line neither side gave an inch.
Barambah had a huge opportunity to go ahead with an open goal but David Eagleson’s close range shot was miscued.
The second half was just as intense: while Wests started to pick up in attack, Barambah’s dogged effort in defence made for a very exciting game.
Most of the Barambah, and many of the Wests, players had played in the 2nd Division games but not one player clocked off.
Four minutes from full-time Brandon Smith ran on to a beautifully timed pass to give Wests their first goal and what proved to be the winner.
Aidan Maher was brilliant for Wests as was Joel Cooper and Skipp Litzow.
Best for Barambah was young Luke Holland, Chris O’Laughlin and David Eagleson.
Wests 1 (Brandon Smith 86th), Barambah 0
1st Division Qualification Semi- Final
This game was to be a test for both sides. Would Nanango choke under finals pressure or would Gunners suffer stage fright through inexperience?
In fact neither happened and the game turned out to be a very entertaining match.
In the 4th minute, Nanango attacked down the left flank. A beautiful through ball to Chris Walters from Elliot Mangan saw him cross into the box for Justin Mangan to bury the shot and put Nanango ahead.
However the young Gunners side never let their heads drop and six minutes later were awarded a free kick on the centre of half way when Ryan Mooney was fouled.
Anuwat (Ike) Silillat stepped up to take the free kick and the ball sailed over the Nanango keeper, who was off his goal line, into the back of the net.
The match took on a different dimension with Gunners matching Nanango’s attacking football with their own; however Gunners only had Ryan Mooney up front and was managed well by the Nanango defence.
When Gunners did push more players forward they looked far more dangerous.
The score was locked 1-1 at halftime and Nanango had to work hard in attack while Gunners defended grimly.
Nanango was awarded a free kick just outside the penalty box when the Gunners keeper over-stepped the line. Brendan Stern stepped up and swung the ball past the wall into the back of the net to once again give Nanango the lead.
Nanango scored again a few minutes later when Chris Walters sliced through the Gunners’ defence to make it 3-1.
Nanango had picked up their game and were looking good however that is how the game finished.
Gunners coach Debbie Ovens can be proud of her young team’s effort. They will now play Wests next weekend in the Preliminary Final while Nanango go straight into the Grand Final.
Best for Nanango were Chris Walters and Elliot Mangan while Shane Hall and Ryan Mooney were the pick from Gunners.
Nanango 3 (Justin Mangan 4th, Brendan Stern 62nd, Chris Walters 65th) Gunners 1 (Anuwat Silillat 10th)
* * *
Semi-Final Results
- 1st Div Elimination – Wests 1 (Brandon Smith), Barambah 0
- 1st Div Qualification – Nanango 3 (Justin Mangan, Brendan Stern, Chris Walters), Gunners 1 (Anuwat Silillat)
- 2nd Div Elimination – Wests 3 (Sam Gray, Jack Fleming) , Gunners 1 (Brendon Young)
- 2nd Div Qualification – Nanango 2 (Daryl Adams, Karl Pichlis), Barambah 0 – after extra time
- Women’s Elimination – Gunnettes 1 (Katie Parsons), Barambah 0 – after extra time
- Women’s Qualification – Nanango 2 ( Kerrie Thompson), Wests 1 (Hayley Hunter)
Next Week
The Preliminary Soccer Finals will be played in Nanango on Sunday, August 26:
- 11:00am: 2nd Division – Barambah v Wests
- 1:00pm: Women’s – Wests v Gunnettes
- 3:00pm: 1st Division – Gunners v Wests
[UPDATED with corrections August 20, 2012]
