Britt Parker conjured a golden strike for South United as they doused Flames 1-nil in a pulsating 85 minute marathon to claim their maiden Tamworth women’s first grade premiership on Sunday.
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It took extra-time to split the two sides, Parker receiving a nice lay-off and dragging the ball to her left before, on her backstick, hammering the ball into the net with around four minutes remaining in the second half of the first period of golden goal extra-time.
Souths coach Andrew Davy could only laud his sides character with Flames having the better of the play for much of the game, and creating more of the chances.
They twice in the first period of extra-time hit the sideboard.
“I said to them after the game, they played the better game than us today but we just hung in there,” Davy said.
Flames were as expected a much tougher proposition than in the major semi-final two weeks ago, Davy commenting that they played probably as well as he has seen them play this season.
In the end Souths’ defence got them over the line.
Workies were then brilliant in defence as they downed Tudor Wests 4-nil to capture their ninth first grade men’s title in 10 years and avenge last year’s disappointment against Kiwis.
Issac Farmilo put them ahead with a nice flick finish on his backstick only a couple of minutes into the game and from there the pressure they asserted on Tudors was relentless.
Ehren Hazell made it 2-nil with 18 to go in the first half, only some brilliant keeping from Sam Holt and a couple of wayward shots preventing Workies from burying Tudors before half-time.
As he did in the first half, Farmilo struck again early in the second half, unleashing a powerful strike on the backstick to effectively seal Tudors’ fate.
The striker added a third for good measure – a brilliant tomahawk from the baseline – as Workies ran out resounding victors.
“It was a pretty solid performance. I thought we defensively we were unbelievable,” Workies coach Andrew Farmilo said.
