All the latest results and wrap from the National Premier League Boys age grade competitions as Grand Final places were up for grabs!
NPL14
Gungahlin United will play O’Connor Knights in the NPL Boys under-14 Grand Final after a pair of riveting semi-finals at Kambah 2 playing fields on a bright Saturday morning. Gungahlin United were pushed all the way by the Blue Devils in an exciting match that went all the way to extra-time. The moment of the match arrived three minutes into extra-time, Belconnen having earlier missed a penalty, as Sarjak Pathak struck the goal that made the difference. The O’Connor Knights will meet them there as a goal in each half did for Canberra Croatia. Lachlan Bogaart opened the scoring twenty minutes in, and Nikolas Eskinja made sure of the Knights progress with the second after the break.
RESULTS
Semi-Finals
Gungahlin United 1 (Pathak 83’) Belconnen United 0 – after extra-time
O’Connor Knights 2 (Bogaart 20’, Eskinja 44’) Canberra Croatia 0
NPL15
NPL15 League Champions Canberra Croatia eased to a Grand Final with a 3-1 victory over Woden Valley. Leon McLean opened the scoring for Croatia after eighteen minutes of the contest, with Roley Sloane adding to the scoreboard just before the half-hour mark. Cooper San Juan made sure of progression with 62 minutes gone as Croatia flexed their muscles, a late goal from Alex Naumovski for Woden Valley just a consolation. Belconnen United, who finished the season in third place on the ladder, surprised second-placed O’Connor Knights, with a stunning 2-1 victory at Kambah 2. The Knights hit the front inside ten minutes as William Gostelow opened the scoring, and all seemed set fair until the Blue Devils hit back. Ryan Sluce levelled the scores on twenty minutes, before Chimdiebube Ogbonnaya struck what would prove to be the winners six minutes before the break.
RESULTS
Semi-Finals
Canberra Croatia 3 (McLean 18’, Sloane 27’, San Juan 62’) Woden Valley 1 (Naumovski 80’)
O’Connor Knights 1 (Gostelow 8’) Belconnen United 2 (Sluce 20’, Ogbonnaya 39’)
NPL16
Canberra Olympic secured an upset win in the NPL16 semi-finals, as the team that finished fourth knocked out the League Champions O’Connor Knights with a 2-0 victory at Kambah 2. Both goals came in the second-half as Benjamin Booth and Alisa Lwaboshi struck, with Knights ending the game with nine men following the late dismissal of two their cohort. Canberra Croatia await Canberra Olympic in the Grand Final as the team that ended second in the league table narrowly defeated the team one place below them, prevailing 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Lemar Katawazai had put Croatia ahead in the twentieth minute, but the lead did not last long, Sam York pulling Belconnen level nine minutes later. Neither side were able to find a winner in normal, or extra-time, and so the match was decided on spot-kicks.
RESULTS
Semi-Finals
O’Connor Knights 0 Canberra Olympic 2 (Booth 47’, Lwaboshi 69’)
Canberra Croatia 1 (Katawazai 20’) Belconnen United 1 (York 29’) – after extra-time, Canberra Croatia won 4-2 on penalties
NPL18
Brindabella Blues stunned League Champions Belconnen United in the NPL18 semi-finals at Kambah 2 as the Blues thumped the Blue Devils 5-0 to progress to the Grand Final. Fourth placed Brindabella led at the break as Mithun Naveen netted early on, but it was two goals in ten minutes in the second-half as Denis Zimba struck a brace of goals. As Belconnen sought a way back into the match Brindabella killed them off on the break as Shankar Patil struck from the penalty spot and sealed the win a minute later. Blues will now face Gungahlin United in the Grand Final after a first-half goal-fest saw the Gunners defeat Tigers FC 4-2. An even opening saw Noah Hewitt put the Gunners ahead, only for an own goal from Mohammad Zahir to level matters in the 27th minute. Parity lasted just a minute, Nicholas Spirovski edging Gunners ahead, but it was two goals in two minutes that were to change the dynamics of the match as Hewitt and Kristian Aleksic netted to increase the lead. Tyler Andreatta pulled one back for Tigers, but Gungahlin had done enough.
RESULTS
Semi-Finals
Belconnen United 0 Brindabella Blues 5 (Naveen 11’, Zimba 51’, 61’, Patil 88’ (p), 89’)
Tigers FC 2 (M. Zahir 27’ (og), Andreatta 55’) Gungahlin United 4 (Hewitt 14’, 35’, Spirovski 28’, Aleksic 37’)
