August 22, 2016
Last weekend Wests were on top of the world … they had won all three of their minor semi-finals matches and seemed set to secure a berth in this season’s Grand Finals on Saturday, August 27.
But football can be a cruel mistress.
And it was particularly cruel to all three Wests sides on Saturday.
They went from a clean sweep of wins the weekend before last to a total wipe-out, bringing an abrupt end to a season where they had worked hard and played well.
While their opponents were understandably elated with their preliminary finals wins, Wests players and fans could be forgiven for thinking that 2016 really hadn’t turned out to be their year.
* * *
In the 2nd Division preliminary final at the Burnett Street soccer grounds in Nanango on Saturday, Wests squared up against Barambah.
Barambah had gone down 2-nil to the Panthers in their major semi-final on August 14.
This result left Wests notionally ahead on the season’s points table.
And after Wests’ own 2-1 victory against Gunners in their divisional minor semi, supporters felt confident the red and blacks had the necessary firepower to blast the Bears’ side onto the benches for the season’s penultimate matches.
But it was not to be.
On Saturday, knowing it was all or nothing, the determined Bears showed their claws and delivered a breath-taking 4-0 drubbing to Wests in the first half.
Sam Kemp, Daure Moses, Rob Smith and Ryan Sommerfeld all peppered the back of Wests’ net at roughly 10-minute intervals, cutting through the red and black’s defence like a hot knife through butter.
This sudden turn-around in their fortunes clearly deflated Wests, who must have known by the break their chances of a Grand Final berth had just been obliterated by the Bears’ unexpected powerhouse onslaught.
To their credit, Wests refused to let their heads drop and came back onto the field determined to at least halt the Bears’ advance, and maybe land a redeeming goal or two themselves.
They succeeded in managing to hold the Bears scoreless in the second half, which was a triumph of sorts in itself.
But they were unable to put any points on the table.
And when the final whistle sounded, Wests knew they would be watching this year’s 2nd Division Grand Final between the Panthers and Bears from the terraces.
* * *
In the Women’s Division clash, Wests also faced off against Barambah.
On August 14, Barambah had narrowly lost their major semi against the Panthers 1-0 after a scoreless game was pushed into extra time.
Wests, by contrast, had won their minor semi against the Gunnettes 2-0.
However the lady Bears have been sitting higher up the points table than Wests all season, and that didn’t change when the two teams met on Saturday.
All the same, the second Wests-Barambah clash proved much more of a cliff-hanger than the first game of the day.
In the match, Taylah Berlin nailed one for the Bears and Danielle Maudsley did the same for Wests.
But with the score tied 1-1 at the final whistle, the match had to be pushed into extra time.
And when that failed to show any change in the scoreline by the time the next whistle sounded, it was time to turn to a dreaded penalty shoot-out.
This time around the gods favoured the Bears, who managed to get 4 into the nets against Wests’ 2.
Barambah Women will now play the Panthers in the Grand Finals, while Wests Women look on and ponder what might have been …
* * *
In 1st Division, Wests faced off against fellow Kingaroy team Gunners.
On August 14, Wests had won their minor semi against Barambah, while Gunners had gone down to the Panthers in the major semi 3-0.
Wests’ victory against Barambah was not as astonishing as it might seem, because Barambah’s 1st Division has struggled to find form all year.
Gunners’ loss to the Panthers was not entirely surprising either, given that Nanango’s formidable 1st Division squad have yet to lose a match this season.
But out on the park, Wests and Gunners seemed much more closely matched.
In the end, Gunners secured a Grand Final spot for themselves by downing Wests 1-0 after goalkeeper Alex Firman was caught out too far from the net to prevent a Gunners strike.
This was a big disappointment for Wests, who have played hard all season and were probably looking forward to a 1st Division Grand Final berth after some time out of the frame.
But it has offered a chance for Gunners to avenge their cliff-hanger 2-0 loss to the Panthers in last year’s Grand Finals, as well as the opportunity to break the big cats’ perfect scoreline … and do so at the worst possible time.
* * *
2016 Preliminary Finals Results
- Second Division: Barambah 4 (Sam Kemp 4th, Daure Moses 12th, Rob Smith 24th, Ryan Sommerfeld 34th) – Wests 0
- Women’s Division: Barambah 1 (Taylah Berlin) – Wests 1 (Danielle Maudsley); at end of extra time game was drawn 1 all; Barambah won in penalty shoot out 4-2.
- First Division: Gunners 1 – Wests 0
* * *
2016 Grand Finals
The Grand Finals will be played on Saturday, August 27 at the Kingaroy Senior Soccer Grounds in Oliver Bond Street, Kingaroy.
- Second Division: Nanango v Barambah (2:00pm)
- Women’s Division: Nanango v Barambah (4:00pm)
- First Division: Nanango v Gunners (6:00pm)
Note for fans: Wear your team’s war paint!
