{"id":119480,"date":"2015-09-07T03:39:38","date_gmt":"2015-09-06T17:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=119480"},"modified":"2020-11-10T14:25:12","modified_gmt":"2020-11-10T04:25:12","slug":"grand-finals-provide-a-day-of-upsets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/09\/07\/grand-finals-provide-a-day-of-upsets\/","title":{"rendered":"Grand Finals Provide A Day Of Upsets"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kieran Mangan and Kieran Askin hold the First Division Grand Final trophy up for the crowds after a knife-edge match the Panthers finally managed to win in the last few minutes of extra time<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

September 6, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday’s Grand Finals of the 2015 South Burnett Evolution Solar Football League competition provided some of best soccer seen on local parks this season.<\/p>\n

It was a day of upsets and surprises, with Wests emerging as winners in two of the region’s three Divisions.<\/p>\n

Nanango, who won all three Divisions in 2012 and both the First Division and Women’s Division in the 2013 and 2014 Grand Finals, were pruned back to just a First Division win this year.<\/p>\n

But the near-capacity crowd that filled almost every parking space at Kingaroy’s Tom Alford Oval got to enjoy an afternoon and evening of hard fought, exciting, edge-of-the-seat football.<\/p>\n

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The 2nd Division Grand Final clash between Gunners and Wests was so evenly matched it had to run to a penalty shoot-out after neither team could score<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Wests captain Russell Hatfield accepts the trophy from Evolution Solar’s Steve Tilley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The day began with the 2nd Division clash between Wests and Gunners, which wound up in a nil-all draw by the time the final whistle blew.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both teams appeared very evenly matched, but neither side were able to find the back of the net.<\/p>\n

On balance – given how often they stressed Wests’ defence near the goal-mouth – Gunners appeared the slightly better side on the day.<\/p>\n

But while each team had several chances to score, neither could capitalise on them.<\/p>\n

Since a draw is not an option in a Grand Final, 20 minutes of extra time were allotted after the full-time whistle was blown.<\/p>\n

And when both sides remained scoreless, the game then moved to a tense penalty shoot-out which was ultimately won by Wests 5-4.<\/p>\n

After the match, both captains said they thought a penalty shoot-out was a very unsatisfying way to end a match and said they’d prefer to play until they dropped.<\/p>\n

But they paid tribute to one another for a tough but fair match that tested both sides to their limits.<\/p>\n

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Wests’ 2015 2nd Division Grand Final-winning team were happy with their victory<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Coach Trevor Litzow and Captain Danielle Maudsley accept the Women’s Division Grand Final trophy from chief sponsor, Evolution Solar’s Steve Tilley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The need to go to extra time and a penalty shoot-out delayed the second match of the day – the Women’s Division clash between the Nanango Panthers and Wests – by 45 minutes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Panthers arguably went into the match as favourites.<\/p>\n

The female Panthers had demolished Wests every time the two teams met this season, sometimes by a very large margin.<\/p>\n

But Wests, who have improved steadily as the year progressed, were happy to show they weren’t easybeats. Nor were they going to be intimidated by the Panthers’ impressive track record.<\/p>\n

And this soon became apparent as the game unfolded.<\/p>\n

Panthers – many sporting the traditional blue hair dye the women’s side wear at every Grand Final – threw everything they could muster at Wests, launching one formidable attack after another.<\/p>\n

But this time, unlike previous matches, they were unable to penetrate Wests’ defence. And by half-time the teams were tied at nil-all.<\/p>\n

Four minutes into the second half, though, Tammy Rose found the back of the net for Wests and the on-field dynamic immediately changed.<\/p>\n

The Panthers became ferociously eager to find an equaliser, and rather than dropping their heads the team’s energy seemed to visibly ramp up.<\/p>\n

But Wests calmly matched them at every step, and when the full-time whistle sounded Panthers had been unable to improve on their position.<\/p>\n

Wests, who lost to the Panthers at last year’s Grand Final due to an own goal, were understandably elated at the reversal in their fortunes this year.<\/p>\n

And Panthers, who led the ladder throughout the season with some excellently played football and fought bravely throughout the game, were just as clearly devastated by their unexpected loss.<\/p>\n

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Wests’ winning Women’s Division Grand Final team were elated to win this year’s competition against the formidable Panthers side after an own goal had cost them victory in 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The fatal goal … Harry Sterling’s goal in the dying minutes of extra time put paid to Gunners’ 1st Division hopes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Panthers’ coach Lauren Mangan and team-mates erupt with delight as Kieran Mangan scores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The main game – the First Division clash between the Panthers and Gunners – was almost a mirror-image repeat of the earlier tussle between Gunners and Wests.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both teams remained scoreless by the time the full-time whistle sounded, despite furious and fast-paced football which saw the ball repeatedly pass from one end of the field to the other, along with many on-field collisions and spills.<\/p>\n

Once again, a nil-all score pushed the game into extra time.<\/p>\n

And when the situation hadn’t changed by the second 10-minute half, Panthers supporters were clearly on a knife’s edge.<\/p>\n

But in the 109th minute, a Kieran Mangan missile finally found the back of the net for the big cats and the terraces erupted with the cheers of relieved fans.<\/p>\n

And when Harry Sterling repeated this result for the Panthers barely a minute later, Gunners’ hopes were completely dashed.<\/p>\n

Afterwards both captains paid tribute to each other’s teams.<\/p>\n

While Gunners were understandably disappointed to have had their game come to such a rapid end in the dying gasp of the match, they were pleased they pushed the Panthers to their utmost.<\/p>\n

The Panthers, too, said they were impressed by Gunners’ tenacity and skill, and appreciated being stretched to their limits to secure victory on the day.<\/p>\n

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The Panthers’ winning First Division side show their claws after securing a stunning 11th-hour victory against Gunners at Saturday’s Grand Final<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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2015 South Burnett Evolution Solar Grand Final Results:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Division 1 <\/strong><\/p>\n