WATCH THE REPLAYS: Schools Premier League football grand finals (Schools Premier League Finals)
The state’s best young soccer players battled it out for glory at the Schools Premie League finals at Lions FC in Richlands. WATCH THE REPLAYS!
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Cavendish Road (intermediate boys) and Kelvin Grove State College (junior boys and girls) were victories in today’s Schools Premier League grand finals at Lions FC, Richlands.
Watch The Replays of all the matches.
THE MATCHES
Junior boys, Kelvin Grove SC v PBC SHS
Four goals by Kelvin Grove State College striking ace Zac Fowler laid a down payment on victory this morning.
Fowler scored in the first half and then three times in the second half to elevate his side to a 4-1 advantage late in the second half.
When he scored his fourth goal, Fowler clinched his left fist and looked skyward in celebration, knowing the grand final was won for Kelvin Grove SC.
When Fowler was approached for a photo after the game, the bashful striker reluctently raised four fingers to signals his deads.
“He is a lovely kid, so modest,’’ praised coach Jason Tobin.
But it was a team effort.
“I am a little lost for words,’’ said coach Jason Tobin.
He said swinging Aiden Courtney into a defensive role onto one of PBC SHS’s better players played its part as did Fowler’s finishing, but it was just such a fine team effort.
“Their goal just before halftime hurt our momentum, and I said they will have their tails up so go out in the second half and just keep the ball for 10 minutes and take the sting out of the game,’’ Tobin said.
“And eventually once you take the sting out of the game, the heat will take over and the gaps did open.’’
Onlookers were blessed to see two of the best youth strikers in the business, Fowler (Kelvin Grove State College) and Forbes Porter (PBC SHS), striking gold in the junior boys shootout.
Porter delivered a glancing blow on their rivals second before halftime when he expertly glided a delicate left foot shot beyond the grasp of Kelvin Grove keeper Jake Watson-Roddy.
The ball bounced awkwardly high, but Porter finished superbly.
That levelling goal (1-all) came after Kelvin Grove SC young gun Fowler had brilliantly opened the scoring after being set free on a run by his midfield.
But Kelvin Grove SC’s Fowler then struck a second time, this time in the second half.
There was a quick play on by the PBC SHS keeper which saw Kelvin Grove SC’s No.11 Sayre Lotstutter apply pressure, leading to a turn over that presented Fowler with a sneaky left footed chance.
Fowler executed perfectly and his team led 2-1, and then he found the back of the net for goal No.3 as Kelvin Grove SC led 3-1.
Earlier in the match, Kelvin Grove SC keeper Watson-Roddy reached high above his head to tap a lofted shot over the crossbar.
If Watson-Roddy had not stretched like he did, PBC SHS would have scored for sure.
Junior girls grand final, Helensvale SHS v Kelvin Grove SC
Kelvin Grove State College made it two premiership from two when they followed in the junior boys footsteps to clinch the junior girls title 5-1.
A Kate Morrison goal midway through the second half extended her team’s advantage to 3-1 and in the near heatwave conditions, it was a bridge too far for their gallent rivals Helensvale SHS.
“I am most proud of the way the girls handled themselves in the heat,” said Kelvin Grove SC junior girls coach Jess Condon.
“They were nervous coming into it and it was hot conditions, but they maintained their standards in the tough conditions.
“We always expected Helensvale SHS to be tough and we expected we had to work hard, but credit to the girls they came back from that one goal down.
“These girls have worked so hard all year and it is fantastic to see them get the reward that they deserve and walk away with a gold medal.’’
Helensvale SHS had opened the scoring when goal scoring machine Olivia Driene finished wonderful build-up by her side.
It was a snap goal just minutes into the match which must have stunned Kelvin Grove State College.
But by halftime Kelvin Grove SC were level, 1-all, after JC Plumpton got her team on the board.
The talented Keisha Blaauw then joyfully added her team’s second goal and Kelvin Grove State College had hit the front under the midday sun.
Blaauw was engulfed by celebrating team mates who must have sensed it could be a key moment in the conditions.
Then came Morrison’s goal and Kelvin Grove SC could see the finishing line in the distance.
Kelvin Grove SC then added another two late goals - by Blaauw and Plumpton.
Helensvale SHS assistant coach Alex McKean said it was a fabulous season for his squad after they also finished fourth in the state-wide Bill Turner Shield.
“We have had a fantastic year with our performance in the Bill Turner and then making the SPL grand final,’’ McKean said.
He said if someone at the start of the season said his team would have had the year they have had, then “I would have been over the moon’’.
Intermediate boys grand final, PBC SHS v Cavendish Road SHS
Cavendish Road SHS survived a red wave which threatened to engulf them to claim the Intermediate Boys premiership.
Cavendish Road won 2-1, with a Jamie Button goal two-thirds of the way through the second half enough to edge their side ahead.
But Cavendish Road had to survive an inspired finale by PBC SHS who upped the ante and pushed hard for victory.
Corner kick after set shot after throw in after corner kick came the way of PBC SHS as the Cav Rd defenders dug deep to deny their fast finishing rivals.
“When you are up, you expect the opponents to come at you and toward the end of the game they threw everything at us and we just had the ticker to hang in,’’ said Cav Rd coach coach Darryl Cash.
PBC SHS coach Luke Morley said his team was a little off the pace early, but there was a lot fo like about his team’s effort.
“For an 80 minute game we lacked a little bit of composure in the first half,’’ he said.
“In grand finals you have to take your opportunities when they come.
“I am proud of the way we pushed right through until the final whistle. We had a couple of chances where we threw everything at them.”But I am proud of their effort.’’
“We learnt from last week and PBC threw challenges at us and we were constantly changing things throughout the game.
“It is testimony to the boys to have that tactical flexibility to not only defend well, but also go for it at the end.
“It was a fantastic game. I am very proud of their efforts.’’
PBC SHS’s midfielder Justin Handisides scored a sensational set shot goal to open the scoring.
Outside the box, his right foot strike with the wind behind it beat the keeper who was coming off a clean sheet in the semi-finals.
But Cavendish Road SHS struck back hard when, midway through the first half, semi-final hero Novak Kljajic was at it again, blazing home a goal. It was 1-all.
THE PREVIEW
In last week’s semi-finals, Sierra McCaffrey scored a goal from wideout next to halfway to send her junior girls team storming into Thursday’s grand final - one of three deciders to be livestreamed by www.couriermail.com.au, the Gold Coast Bulletin and News affiliates.
WATCH A REPLAY OF HER STUNNING GOAL HERE
McCaffrey’s stunning effort was even more remarkable given she launched her audacious attempt into a stiff breeze.
It broke a 1-all deadlock - and must have eroded the spirits of opponents Chancellor State College.
“She is an incredible young player and it is great to see her have moments like that,’’ said Kelvin Grove State College junior girls coach Jess Condon.
“She is not afraid to step up when the times get tough.’’
Asked does she do it at training, Condon replied: “Absolutely, she shows all the boys up.’’
Condon said McCaffrey, a QAS player who represented the Queensland under 15s this season, was a big moment player.
“There have been a couple of moments when she has pulled out a big shot and got us a win.
“I think it was in last year’s semi-finals or grand finals she did something similar.’’
McCaffrey’s Kelvin Grove State College junior girls will now play Helensvale State High School in the decider.
WHAT THE COACHES SAY:
Junior girls, Helensvale SHS v Kelvin Grove SC
Kelvin Grove SC junior girls coach Jess Condon said: “It is exciting to be in the grand final and I know it will be another really quality game. I am hoping the girls can maintain that quality and maybe push to be just a little bit more eager to get the ball.
In the semi-finals, probably due to the weather (mid-30s), the girls were a little bit slow in parts so we are hoping to pick-up the speed and get some really sharp football.’’
Helensvale SHS junior girls coach Alex McKean said: “When the possession is with the opponent, I’d like to see us try and win that ball a little bit earlier, a bit higher up the pitch.’’
Junior boys, Kelvin Grove SC v PBC SHS
Kelvin Grove State College junior boys coach Jason Tobin said: “For our boys it is about doing the simple things again. We got into far too many battles last time against Palm Beach.
And they are a physical team and you can’t get into battles with a physical team because a physical team will win that.
“So it will be more of the same for us - get the ball down, play our game and work on using the pitch, one of the biggest pitches in Queensland which is a fantastic facility (Lions FC). We want to use the space we can create across the park. It is going to be a great game, a great game for the neutral anyway.”
Palm Beach Currumbin SHS junior boys coach Nick Alidenes said: “We are really excited about going into this game. It will be a rematch as we played them in the pool games and it was a very tight game. We got up with a 3-1 win but it could have gone either way. We know the way we have to play. When we play fast football we generally do pretty well and Kelvin Grove have some very good players. But we also have a very talented bunch of boys here who work the ball well.”
Intermediate boys, Cavendish Road SHS v PBC SHS
Cavendish Road SHS coach Darryl Cash said: “Hopefully we can play a bit more of an attacking brand of football. Obviously conditions change so we just play to those conditions and see what we have to do. But the boys have the tactical know how to be able to switch through tactical structures so we will use all our bags of tricks in the final.’’
PBC SHS coach Shane Robinson: “I was really proud of the intensity off the ball (in the semi-final against Chancellor State College). Going forward we need to be able to absorb that pressure and maintain a little bit more possession. We have proved we can handle the pressure when it gets tough and at the end of the day they did get on top and win the game (semi-final). That is what finals’ football is all about. It is not always about the best team with the best players, but who handles the occasion better.”
TODAY
Grand finals, junior, intermediate
Lions FC Stadium, Richlands
Junior boys
10am: Palm Beach Currumbin SHS and Kelvin Grove State College
Junior girls
11.30am: Helensvale SC v Kelvin Grove SC
Intermediate boys
1pm: PBC SHS v Cavendish Road SHS
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