ANU FC set up a Capital Premier League Grand Final against Canberra Olympic with a 3-1 success over Belconnen United at Deakin Stadium in the fading afternoon sunshine Preliminary Final.
A tense first-half saw few opportunities for both teams, ANU FC defending well to keep the Blue Devils at bay, but it was the University team who managed to find the breakthrough after just five minutes.
It came from a mistake at the back by Belconnen goalkeeper Jamie-Lee Guo. The custodian was caught in possession by ANU FC forward Alasdair Moore who took the ball away from the ‘keeper and slid it into the empty net.
Shortly after, ANU FC might have had two, after Jack Gibson was denied by a smart save from Guo, midfielder Jacob Hart ought to have done better than see his follow-up cleared off the line by the covering Izach Clements.
The University side could have doubled the lead in the second-half when they were awarded a penalty, but Jacob Hart saw his spot-kick saved. Hart made amends moments later as he stabbed home at the end of a flowing move.
Michael Rinaudo pulled one back, squeezing home at the third attempt, before ANU sealed it in stoppage time. As the Blue Devils sought an equaliser, they were caught on the break, Gibson robbing Guo to slide into the open goal and send his team into the Grand Final again.
In the under-23 Preliminary Final, ANU FC sneaked past Belconnen United with a 1-0 victory at Deakin Stadium.
ANU FC struck gold just before half-time in an even contest, as they took the lead when Sachin Sirkari found space to fire home past Belconnen United goalkeeper Rory Dahlerup. It was a goal that allowed the University team to take a narrow advantage into the changing rooms.
The Blue Devils hopes of a response weren;t helped by a red card in the second stanza, ANU wasting numerous chances to put the game to bed, but they were not unduly troubled by Belconnen and the first-half Sirkari goal proved decisive.
RESULTS
PRELIMINARY FINAL
Sunday 13 September
Belconnen United 1 (Rinaudo 60’) ANU FC 3 (Moore 5’, Hart 57’, Gibson 90+8’)
UNDER-23
Preliminary Final: ANU FC 1 (Sirkari 41’) Belconnen United 0
TOP SCORERS
20: Jack GIBSON (ANU FC)
19: Curtis SCHAEFFER (Brindabella Blues)
14: Kade LYONS (Wagga City Wanderers)
12: Cristian BARRESI (Canberra Juventus), Mate BARISIC (Canberra Olympic), Sergio LINDNER (White Eagles)
11: Jake BISHOP (Belconnen United)
10: Julian BORGNA (Canberra Olympic), Dustin WELLS (Belconnen United), Thomas YONGAI (Wagga City Wanderers)
8: Juan DIAZ-TELLEZ (West Canberra Wanderers), Jayde JAMES-WARD (Belconnen United), Zac STEELE (Wagga City Wanderers)
7: Michael RINAUDO (Belconnen United), Own GOALS
6: Remi GACHET (Canberra Olympic), Jacob HART (ANU FC), Adrian MACOR (Canberra Juventus), Maxwell PREST (Wagga City Wanderers), Antoni TIMOTHEOU (Canberra Olympic)
5: Micheal ADAMS (Canberra Juventus), Hassan ALNUWAYSIR (Canberra Olympic), Luca FLOREZ (Canberra Olympic), Nicholas HOPE (ANU FC), Jak MATIC (Canberra Juventus), Zachary MILCZAREK (Canberra Olympic), Tupaia RINGI (Belconnen United), Ali SOHANI (White Eagles)
4: Zac CHADWICK (ANU FC), Abderrahim DELLAHI (White Eagles), Ramon LINDNER (White Eagles), Max MOTTL (ANU FC), Adam NEOU (Canberra Olympic), Andre OLIVEIRA (ANU FC), Mark SHIELDS (Canberra Olympic), Henry WILKS (Brindabella Blues)
3: Tom COSENTINI (Canberra Juventus), Juan DIAZ-BURGOS (Wes Canberra Wanderers), Finn HARMER (Brindabella Blues), Jonathan JOHN (Brindabella Blues), Orlando JEFFERY (ANU FC), Samuel LYE (ANU FC), Luca MACOR (Canberra Juventus), Alasdair MOORE (ANU FC), Van NGUYEN (West Canberra Wanderers), Riley WILLIAMS (Brindabella Blues)
2: Dylan BARRETO (Canberra Juventus), Harry BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Adam BROOKS (Canberra Juventus), Izach CLEMENTS (Belconnen United), Josh GASPARI (Canberra Juventus), Oliver GRIST (ANU FC), Marcus GRZIC (West Canberra Wanderers), Christopher JOHN (Brindabella Blues), Tony MADAFFARI (Canberra Juventus), Jasper MILIN (Canberra Juventus), Jack MURRAY (White Eagles), Patrick O’ROURKE (Belconnen United), Zac OWERS (Wagga City Wanderers), Babin PAUDYAL (Canberra Juventus), Patrick SHORE (Canberra Juventus), Bailey SORENSON (Canberra Olympic), Regan WALSH (Belconnen United), Oliver WIRTZENS (Brindabella Blues)
1: Andrew AITCHISON (West Canberra Wanderers), Deng ALEER DENG (Brindabella Blues), Joel BAIRD (Belconnen United), Nikolas BLASKOVIC (Brindabella Blues), Elijah BROOKER (Wagga City Wanderers), Isaac BROOKER (Wagga City Wanderers), Eliseo CASTRO (Canberra Juventus), Eddie COGGAN (Belconnen United), Lewis DOBBIN (ANU FC), Nick FAUST (Canberra Olympic), Daniel FOX (West Canberra Wanderers), Geordie FREEMAN (West Canberra Wanderers), Monteagh GRACE (ANU FC), David GURNEY (Brindabella Blues), Benjamin HADFIELD (ANU FC), Ben HICK (White Eagles), Tom HUIZENGA (ANU FC), Morris KADZOLA (Wagga City Wanderers), Abraham KEMP (Canberra Olympic), Damien KENNEDY (White Eagles), Tomas KRKLEC (Canberra Olympic), Ethan KRUG (ANU FC), Daniel LINSTEAD (Canberra Olympic), Tyler LOCHNER (Canberra Juventus), Daniel MAKENY (Brindabella Blues), Goran MILUTINOVIC (White Eagles), Daniel MUNOZ (Brindabella Blues), Nik NOVESKI (White Eagles), Jacob OCHIENG (Wagga City Wanderers), Riley PATTERSON (West Canberra Wanderers), Noah PRAIL (West Canberra Wanderers), Max RAWLINSON (ANU FC), Ferney RENTERIA (White Eagles), Ilies SAADI (West Canberra Wanderers), Pedro SERRANO (Belconnen United), Kye SMITH (Belconnen United), Naser SMOQY (Wagga City Wanderers), Ethan STAMATIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Ethan TUDEHOPE (ANU FC), Liam VICKERS (West Canberra Wanderers), Oliver WIEDERKEHR (Canberra Olympic), Kyle YEATES (Wagga City Wanderers)
