Brindabella Blues upset the applecart for the second weekend in succession to defeat ANU FC in the Capital Premier League Preliminary Final and earn a shot at League Champions Queanbeyan City in the Grand Final following a heart-stopping, and epic, encounter that went the way of the Blues in a mammoth penalty shoot-out.
Ultimately, it was one wayward penalty from ANU FC substitute Max Rawlinson that sent the Blues to the Riverside Stadium and a Grand Final date, but to pin everything on one shot would be churlish and not in keeping with what was a tremendous advertisement for the second-tier.
Indeed, young Rawlinson had more than played his part in the fixture, appearing to send his team into the decider three minutes into the second period of extra time when he rose through the chaos in the area to nod in a magnificent header and give the University side a narrow lead.
That goal seemed to be the one that would settle an absorbing contest, but somehow the ten men of the Blues, who played a man down for the entirety of the extra half-an-hour following the dismissal of Isaac Weekley in regulation stoppage time, lifted themselves off the canvas and secured a penalty shoot-out with a last-gasp equaliser.
The stadium clock had ticked over into two minutes of added time at the end of the additional period before Brindabella struck with the final kick of the match. It might not have been the prettiest of goals, centre-back Ollie Witrzens bundling home his eighth goal of the season at the end of a spell of bedlam inside the ANU FC area, but it was the most crucial.
That didn’t even tell half the tale of this classic match. Blues striker Curtis Schaeffer struck the woodwork in the opening-half, and later skewed a superb chance wide of the post from in front of goal, whilst Witrzens had a header cleared off the line by Nicholas Hope.
Hope himself tested Rhys Flissinger at the other end with a fierce drive, but the game sprung into life in the 67th minute. Henry Wilks, on as a substitute, broke between the ANU FC defence and calmly slotted his finish beyond Ashley Collins to break the deadlock.
ANU FC responded immediately. From the kick-off Marc O’Neill sent in a cross that broke for Jack Gibson who prodded a pass into the path of Alasdair Moore and the forward slid a composed finish past Flissinger to level the scoreboard.
After Rawlinson has headed ANU FC ahead the favourites had a glorious chance to settle matters when they were awarded a penalty close to the final whistle. Flissinger though guessed correctly and denied Moore from the spot with a magnificent save to set up Witrzens last-gasp leveller, and the penalty drama that was to follow.
RESULTS
Saturday 14 September
PRELIMINARY FINAL
ANU FC 2 (Moore 68’, Rawlinson 108’) Brindabella Blues 2 (Wilks 67’, Witrzens 120+2’) – after extra time, Brindabella Blues won 7-6 on penalties
