Live stream: Peter Mulholland Cup preliminary finals feature Pats Blacktown, Central Coast, Erindale, Endeavour
After Endeavour won the opening Peter Mulholland Cup semi by two points, Pats Blacktown and Central Coast then needed a drop goal to separate them in an absolute classic. See the REPLAYS.
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Patrician Brothers Blacktown are widely regarded as the favourites to take out the Peter Mulholland Cup title, but Central Coast Sports College gave them an almighty scare on Wednesday.
In a brilliant semifinal that went to golden point extra time, Pats Blacktown playmaker Jared Haywood landed the winning drop goal to send his side into next week’s grand final.
They will face Endeavour Sports who powered home from a 14-0 halftime deficit to pip Erindale College 16-14.
Read on for the match reports.
PATRICIAN BROTHERS BLACKTOWN 23 d CENTRAL COAST SPORTS COLLEGE 22
Patrician Brothers Blacktown is into the final of the Peter Mulholland Cup after an extra time thriller, downing Central Coast Sports College 23-22.
With scores level at full-time both Jared Haywood and Chaice Bayley had shots at field goal in golden point, spraying them wide.
It was Haywood’s second shot that would end the game, hitting it sweetly off his right foot to send the Pats Blacktown fans into raptures.
Despite coming in as underdogs, it was Central Coast who had the perfect start with a powerful Joshua Fesolai able to break through tackles out wide to score in the corner.
There was plenty of niggle between the two sides as tensions threatened to flare up on more than one occasion.
Blacktown threatened the line with an incredible passage of play that saw Chas Riddle twice held short and Fine Fale tackled over the tryline in a strong showing of the Central Coast defence.
Back-to-back penalties gave Patrician Brothers another chance to attack and this time they were able to take full advantage, with a Cameron Bamblett cut-out pass allowing Riddle to dive for the corner to score.
With all the momentum headed one way, Central Coast back-rower Caleb Fesolai did his best to try and wrestle it back with a huge break that saw him dragged down just short of the line.
Just as it looked like the two would remain tied at halftime, Jacob Halangahu showed his strength to barge over defenders and reach out to score to give Blacktown a 10-4 halftime lead.
Halangahu looked poised to score his second of the afternoon just minutes into the second half, only to be denied by the best try saving tackle of the season from Joshua Fesolai to chase him down and hold the ball up.
It was all in vain for Central Coast with Charlie Elaro scoring just a play later on the opposite side of the field to stretch the lead to 12.
With less than 20 minutes to play, Central Coast needed a spark and Joshua Fesolai provided it in controversial circumstances as the winger scored his second.
When coming in to improve his position he slid towards the dead-ball line, but the officials cleared it as the margin was cut to six.
Blacktown didn’t have to wait long to respond, with Jared Haywood putting in a perfect grubber for Byron Laupepa to score with ease.
Once again CCSC worked their way back to within a converted try with Cooper Gibbs scoring out of dummy half with eight minutes remaining.
It was Fesolai who produced the moment of the match inside the final five minutes, breaking through four defenders and desperately reaching out to complete his hat-trick and give Chaice Bayley a shot to tie the game up from the sideline.
The halfback slotted it to level scores at 22-all to force extra time.
ENDEAVOUR SPORTS 16 d ERINDALE COLLEGE 14
Endeavour has survived an almighty scare to advance to the Peter Mulholland Cup grand final, overturning a 14-point deficit to defeat Erindale 16-14.
A stroke of luck had Erindale in front inside five minutes with Zane Walker spilling a kick from Jonah Anderson, with the crumbs falling to Luke Tuiali’i to score out wide.
The ensuing kick-off saw Campbelltown Stadium shaken to its core as Billy Hollands ran it off the back fence and into a huge shot from Natane Haunga.
Erindale kept its momentum rolling and soon after their lead was extended to 10 on the back of a strong effort from lock Sam Green, who shrugged off one defender and carried another two over the line.
Endeavour’s best chance of the half came in the 20th minute after Koby Lillis made a clean break on the back of a Jamie Curran offload, only to be brought down by Troy Codey.
A near-flawless first half from Erindale was completed just minutes from the break with Anderson taking on the line and succeeding to give them an imposing 14-0 halftime lead.
Endeavour needed the perfect start to the second half and they got just that, firstly through Codey being unable to contain a grubber and Blake Watman getting through a huge hole created by a nice Lewis Sargent-Wilson pass to get on the board.
Endeavour SHS v Erindale College - Peter Mulholland Cup preliminary finals
They went back-to-back in quick fashion, with Sargent-Wilson busting through the line near halfway and finding Walker on his inside to bring the margin back to two just six minutes into the half.
Erindale inexplicably put the restart out on the full to gift Endeavour the chance to take the lead, only for Tye Bursill to drop the ball just before the line.
He had more luck just minutes later, getting out of dummy half and taking advantage of some sloppy defence to give Endeavour its first lead of the game inside the final 20 minutes.
A heads-up play by Johan Alaia almost paid dividends as Erindale looked to chase the game, with the replacement forward putting in a grubber for Kruger Roach, only for a desperate defensive effort to deny him seven minutes from full-time.
Again they got close to re-taking the lead as Harry Hudson got first grab at a bomb, only to spill possession before bringing it to ground, in what would prove to be their last throw of the dice.
PREVIEW
To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.
It’s a saying as old as time and presents a challenge Central Coast Sports College is embracing as they prepare for their biggest test in the Peter Mulholland Cup.
Catch the two preliminary finals LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on Kommunity from 12.40pm on Wednesday. Check the full finals LIVE STREAM schedule below.
Endeavour Sports High kick off proceedings against Erindale College before Central Coast take on the might of Patrician Brothers Blacktown.
Pats Blacktown are widely regarded as the favourites to take out the title, and while CCSC coach Michael Sullivan knows the task will be tough, he believes his side can do what no other team has done this year and knock them off.
“There’s no doubt they’re (Pats Blacktown) talented and physical. They’re the favourites with the team they’ve got,” he said.
“Our point of difference is you don’t know where we’re coming from. They will try and get us through the middle.
“It’s an interesting match-up. It’s one we’re eager for, and to be the best we have to beat them.”
Sullivan identified the opening period as key to victory and knows his side has to weather the storm to be in with a shot of victory.
“We know they’re going to come out physical. The first 10-minute period will be huge,” he said.
“They blew Erindale off the park early (in their qualifying final). We know if we can keep it close and be competing after 10 or 15 minutes (we’ll be in the game).
“We’re in for a cracking game of footy, and we back our fitness and speed when games go deep.”
Central Coast comes into this contest on the back of a huge 36-6 defeat of Holy Cross Ryde at a wet Kirkham Oval, something they had prepared for.
It served as a breakout game for halfback Chaice Bayley, with the representative young gun controlling the game from the outset, and Sullivan has praised his growth over the course of the tournament.
“Chaice was exceptional. He’s really matured over the course of the Schoolboys Cup,” he said.
“When his running game is on he’s at his best. He’s realised how good he can be and how he can control a game through his kicking.
“I looked back at his effort (to score against Holy Cross). The way he anticipated the break and the effort to get to where he did, he does all the little things right.”
Originally published as Live stream: Peter Mulholland Cup preliminary finals feature Pats Blacktown, Central Coast, Erindale, Endeavour
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