WATCH LIVE: Queensland Schools Premier League grand finals today
In a huge day of junior soccer, four Queensland Schools Premier League grand finals were livestreamed on Thursday. WATCH REPLAYS AND READ THE DAY’S MATCH REPORTS.
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The Sunshine Coast’s Chancellor State College, Brisbane’s Cavendish Road SHS, Gold Coast’s Palm Beach Currumbin SHS and inner Brisbane school Kelvin Grove State College faced off in Thursday’s Queensland Schools Premier League grand finals.
All four finals were livestreamed and are now available as full replays for those who missed out or just want to relive the action.
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE REPLAYS & MATCH REPORTS
JUNIOR GIRLS
Kelvin Grove SC v Cavendish Road SHS
A brilliant solo goal from Kelvin Grove SC’s Jaci Plumpton helped lift her side above a willing Cavendish Road SHS 3-1 in a high class junior girls grand final of the Queensland School’s Premier League this morning.
Kelvin Grove won 3-1, with Plumpton’s goal in the final 10 minutes of play elevating her side to the brink of victory.
Kelvin Grove overcame the adversity of losing two centre backs on the eve of the game due to injury.
”They arrived today injured and couldn’t play,’’ said Kelvin Grove coach Jess Condon.
“I am really proud of the girls for stepping up into positions they were not familiar with and doing their job around the park.’
It was anyone’s game and the scoreline in no way reflects the closeness of the game.
Indeed Cav Rd had about as many chances as Kelvin Grove in a seesawing encounter.
In the first half Kelvin Grove SHS swept ahead 2-0 on the scoreboard, but Cav Road remained well in contention, particularly after Ella O’Grady slotted home penalty goal on the stroke of halftime to reduce the margin to 2-1.
Earlier in the half O’Grady sweetly struck a shot toward the top right corner, but the ball sailed marginally over the crossbar.
Kelvin Grove opened the scoring when Poppy Barstys launched a kick along the ground into the back of the net, and then Miriam Lowe scored after a lovely in ball by Daisey Bateman. Kelvin Grove almost made it 3-nil, but a shot by Plumpton was saved by Cav Road goalie Ella Percival who did a grand job.
JUNIOR BOYS
Kelvin Grove State College v Cavendish Road SHS
Rylan Brownlie scored a hat-trick as Kelvin Grove SC made it two from two on grand final day of the Queensland Schools Premier League today, toppling Cavendish Road SHS in the junior boys decider.
Kelvin Grove SC won 4-nil in a game featuring mouth-watering skills across both sides.
Earlier Kelvin Grove’s junior girls also won, ironically beating Cav Road.
In the junior boys final, Brownlie scored twice in the first half and then a late penalty goal, while Freddy Babbage also scored a richly deserved goal in the second half to inflate the scoreline in Kelvin Grove’s favour.
But the Cavendish Road SHS crew played their part in a wonderful, fast-paced match featuring razor sharp skills and uncanny execution.
Kelvin Grove SC coach Jason Tobin doffed his cap to Cavendish Road SHS for being so tough to break down.
“Our warm-up set the standard for the game,’’ Tobin said.
“It was intense, a lot of buzzing around.” And it showed in the first five or 10 minutes when the players were hungry for it, won everything, went in and pressed every ball.
“I could not fault the performance.’’
Cavendish Road SHS coach Darryl Cash praised Kelvin Grove’s intensity at vital moments and their execution.
“But we threw everything at them at the end. I said we may as well lose 5-nil going for it than lose 3-nil.
“Every single player put in until the very end. When that final whistle went, we were spent,’’ Cash said.
The dancing feet of Kelvin Grove’s Harry Marshall was threatening along with Orlando Spallek-Caballeroas Kelvin Grove challenged Cav Road in all aspects.
Babbage was another high class performer and Brownlie a superb finisher. Cav Road threw plenty back at Kelvin Grove in the first half as well.
There was also a clutch moment in the second half when Cav Road’s Daniel Gogov threaded his way through, but his shot was saved by the Cav Road keeper. George Plusnin.
Had Cav Rd scored then, they would have set up a grandstand finish.
However, Babbage’s goal came soon after for Kelvin Grove which increased Kelvin Grove’s lead to 3-nil.
Then came Brownlie’s late penalty shot.
SENIOR GIRLS
Cavendish Road SHS v Chancellor State College
A scrambled goal by Courtney Brunner was all that separated Chancellor State College from Cavendish Road SHS in a gripping senior girls grand final on the Gold Coast.
Cavendish Road SHS edged out Chancellor College on the stats sheet, but not where it countered most – the scoreboard – with the winner coming midway through the second half.
Brunner got enough boot onto the ball after it had ricocheted around like a pinball in a fun parlour. The score was 1-nil.
With minutes remaining, Cav Rd raided deep inside Chancellor territory to pepper the opposition, but somehow Chancellor survived.
There was no more relieved person on the pitch than Chancellor keeper Murphy Sheaff who felt the brunt of Cav Road’s attacking prowess.
The match was like a good murder mystery, full of intrigue which left observers hanging, unsure of the outcome, until the death.
A calm, composed defensive effort underpinned Chancellor’s victory as Cavendish Road SHS probed dangerously looking for an equaliser.
Chancellor State College coach Jeremy Stewart could not have been more proud of his girls.
“We said from the start it was going to be an 80 minute effort from all 15 girls that we brought down,’’ he said.
“We were probably the second best footballing team on the pitch, but I suppose the heart of the girls, running for 80 minutes. we said we would get the job done and it worked out in the end.’’
The grand final started as a dead heat contest, but as the first half progressed Cav Road shaded their rivals, although the Chancellor defence was unrelenting.
There was a controversial moment when April Smith appeared to score for Chancellor College, but the referee denied the goal for off-side play.
It was a pity because of Smith’s gallant effort in refusing to give up on her run, chasing hard upfield and poking a left footer into the right hand corner off the goalpost – but it was all to no avail.
Into the second half and Cav Road’s Shannon Docherty was creative in the midfield and Emily Roach dangerous in attack as Cav Road rebounded from defensive situations into attack.
But the Chancellor’s defence remained well organised and composed.
SENIOR BOYS
PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN v CHANCELLOR STATE COLLEGE
The debate is never ending. Which is the best coast - Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast?
Well when it comes to the senior boys Queensland Schools Premier League, Palm Beach Currumbin SHS can claim bragging rights as the best after a desperately fought grand final over Chancellor State College this afternoon.
PBC won 1-nil and gee it was a high class affair with some outrageous skills on show, including from Chancellor’s Matt Becker and PBC’s Eli Hughes, while the goalkpeeing of Chancellor’s Josh Morwood was magnificent.
PBC led 1-nil at the break, and almost 2-nil straight after halftime but Jake Skinner’s right foot rocket cannoned over the top of the goal keeper - and also over the top of the crossbar and into the carpark.
One of Chancellor’s best chances came when Becker almost backheeled a cross into the net, and then right at the death they almost snared an equaliser.
Chancellor upped the ante in the second half, clearly trying to take the game to their opponents rather than sitting back and waiting for PBC to snare the initiative.
But PBC dropped back a wall of defenders and would not crack. It was then PBC who almost put the final to rest when firstly Hughes and then Enzo Edge blazed away at the goals, but the Chancellor keeper was up to the task and Chancellor clung to a 1-nil deficit.
Then Edge was again the focal point in an attack which saw the Chancellor keeper beaten, only for the ball to be driven into the brave Chancellor defender Connor Demerutiswho stood defiantly in front of the goals.
It was desperation worthy of a grand final.
“There were a few nervous moments, but I was confident in our squad and that included the guys on the bench as well,’’ said PBC coach Luke Morley. “They all hard their part to play.
Morley said the win was all about the squad, not just the players who finished the match on the field.
He said they had to weather the storm when Chancellor fought back hard after halftime and he praised Chancellor keeper Morwood.
“But true our character, we pride ourselves on grit and determination and roll our sleeves up.’’
Chancellor coach Jeremy Stewart said his side fought hard. “We had a great chance to equalise at the end there, but that is footie.’’
PBC’s Finn Tewson opened the scoring in the first half when he patiently waited for the ball to drop after watching it loop up and over the defence.
He launched his right foot at the ball as it came back to earth, hitting it flush past the Chancellor goalie.
Before that PBC were most threatening in the first half, with a number of chances thwarted by their opponents. Most promising was Eli Hughes’ chip to Jake Skinner from a set shot, but Skinner was hustled by the Chancellor defence and could not get a clean shot away.
PBC left back Travis McKenzie and winger Kody Wright, a real speed merchant, also honed in on scoring, but again could not finish as the Chancellor defence converged.