NEWS: Barwon takes out Men's Div 1 Grand Final with penalty shootout triumph over Rangers
BARWON SC took out the 2017 Geelong Region Men’s Division 1 Grand Final title after defeating old foe Geelong Rangers 4-2 on penalties, after the game was tied 1-1 following extra time at Stead Park last night.
Played in wild, wintry weather throughout the 120 minutes, both teams struggled at times to cope with the gale force winds, which blew directly down the field during the entire duration of the contest.
Nonetheless, the clash dubbed the battle of the experienced veterans and the energetic youngsters lived up to pre-game hype and produced a thoroughly absorbing contest in front of a packed and vocal gallery.
Ben Noble opened the scoring for the Rangers in the 22nd minute before Sean Mahon found the equaliser just before the half time break.
Rangers’ goalkeeper Troy Hardy was in the thick of the action following the resumption in proceedings. His audacious free kick from 15 metres inside his own defensive half was carried by the tsunami-like wind and almost swirled into the back of his counterpart Matty Bray’s goal.
Both sides had plenty of chances to take the lead, with Matt Long and Scott Davison coming close for the Rangers, while Adam Leather hit the upright late in regular time
The sides could not be separated after extra time and the season’s showpiece ended in a penalty shootout.
After successfully converting four penalties and conceding only two, the league champions were sent into a wild celebratory frenzy when Ashley Dafter hit the back of the net to ensure Barwon captured the coveted league/final double for 2017.
Barwon goalscorer Sean Mahon was understandably elated after the game.
“It was a tough one today, the wind really played havoc with both sides. But in the end our fitness kept us in the contest as well as our desire to win today,” he said.
Despite the defeat, veteran Rangers’ defender Brian Conn was nonetheless extremely proud of his ageing team, which had just participated in its fifth consecutive local league Division 1 Grand Final.
“The boys just keep pumping through and they just find something else. Sometimes I think we don’t know how we do it. But we do, and then we end up paying for it for the next week,” he laughed.
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