North Companions defeat Tamworth FC in women's premier league preliminary final

There needs to be an equivalent phrase for soccer, as the North Companions Black women proved on Saturday.

After finishing the first half of their Northern Inland Football women's premier league preliminary final match against Tamworth FC with the score at nil-all, it was only as the odds were stacked against them that Northies produced their best football to claim a 2-1 win.

"I was very anxious in the second half," Companions coach Pat Warren said.

"When we started getting injuries, and they were running downhill with the wind behind them and scored a goal. I was getting very nervous."

As two of Northies' most experienced and important players, Taleisha Bartlett's ankle injury and Emily Press' hamstring complaint in the second half were ill-timed for the team.

But they conceded the first goal of the game in the 56^th minute, Press showed exactly why she is so highly-rated by her teammates and coaches as she set in motion their response.

"Em Press is one of our best players," Warren said.

"Out there on the left wing she knew that young Lily [Parsons] would be there, and got the ball out in front of her."

Parsons kicked Companions' first goal in the 66^th minute, and they took the lead just two minutes later via another goal from Sonja-Lee Mariner.

That was the last score of the game, despite Tamworth's best efforts, and Warren feels as though the fact of their impending grand final berth is still sinking in.

"It's slowly starting to sink in," he said.

"The girls were very excited after last night, we had a couple of drinks after the game and they were very much looking forward to next week."

They will meet OVA in Saturday's final, where Warren expects their experience playing on Scully Park to be a crucial factor.

"It'll also help that we've had a game on that ground," he said.

"It's a massive ground, and if you haven't got people on the bench, you'll get exhausted quickly ... so that may work in our favour."

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