Canberra Croatia claimed back-to-back Capital Football National Premier League Grand Final crowns with a sensational win by the odd-goal in seven against Tigers FC in a showdown for the ages at Deakin Stadium. A brace from substitute Daniel Colbertaldo, and a double from Daniel Barac securing a dramatic 4-3 victory.
It was somewhat fitting that it was Colbertaldo who sealed the triumph, the diminutive playmaker operating as a false-nine, stabbing home the matchwinner three minutes into the second period of extra-time, as it was the strength of the Croatia bench that turned this match in their favour.
Each of the Croatia substitutes had a major impact on the fixture, but none more so than Colbertaldo, summoned from a self-imposed semi-retirement for the second time in the mid-season transfer window and coming up trumps on the big occasion as he so often has done in the past.
Not that Croatia didn’t ride their luck throughout. Indeed, by their own admission they played their get out of jail free card on more than once occasion throughout a pulsating 120 minutes of entertainment that had a packed crowd living vicariously through every moment.
And it was those clad in orange who would be celebrating early. Already shorn of the suspended Nik Popovich, amiable Tigers Head Coach Ali Efe would have been cursing his luck when talismanic striker Nikos Kalfas was forced off with what appeared to be a hamstring tear in the ninth minute whilst attempting a shot at goal.
However, the Tigers did not bemoan their ill-fortune and with substitute Hristjan Tanoski enjoying a splendid game, forged into a two-goal lead. Young striker Archie McGregor opened the scoring, turning home from close range after Sam Brown had parried away a drive from Nik Taneski.
And when Taneski himself doubled the lead two minutes into first-half additional time, finding his range with a precise finish after being afforded a couple of sighters by the Croatia defence, the team that had ended the regular season in fourth place on the league table seemed in complete control of the destiny of the fixture. But never write off Croatia.
Within seconds came, arguably, the pivotal moment of the match. Croatia hit the attack button and Atiya Waraga crossed for Daniel Sparrow to swing a boot at the ball. It fell kindly for Barac who bundled home from the top of the six-yard box, under pressure from Jakob Cole, with virtually the last kick of the opening act.
What many did not expect was the Tigers response. And glorious it was. Angus Bailey had been in superlative form in recent weeks, and maybe has never scored a better goal than the one he did to restore the two-goal lead eight minutes after the resumption. Bailey collected a pass out wide and cut onto his right foot to curl a stunning shot that bent past Sam Brown into the top corner.
That might have knocked the stuffing out of some teams, but Croatia Coach Dean Ugrinic summoned the cavalry from the bench, and they repaid him in spades. Player of the Match Thomas James, who was simply outstanding throughout, gave them a lifeline with a peach of a free-kick that Colbertaldo, stealing in unopposed, glanced imperiously into the bottom corner.
And, incredibly, the 2023 Grand Final winners, were to salvage extra-time with the final kick of the ninety minutes. James was upended inside the penalty area after some quick feet and Barac was the coolest man in the stadium as he calmly sent his left-footed penalty past Cole for his fourteenth goal of the season.
It was rough on Tigers, and particularly Cole, the Tigers stopper having made a sensational one-handed save to claw over a Daniel Subasic header as Croatia came seeking the equalising goal.
The penalty set-up the extra half-an-hour and Tigers might have taken a momentum shifting lead with the last kick of the first period of extra-time. Awarded a stonewall penalty of their own, the usually unflappable Sam Whithear was forced to wait for the officials to deal with an incident on the bench that led to a second yellow card, and ultimately a red, for goalscorer Taneski.
Whether that delay affected the Tigers skipper, only he may know, but Brown, close to Player of the Match honours himself, guessed the correct way from the spot-kick to make a stunning save to ensure parity remained. And that set the scene for the drama to follow. Colbertaldo reacted quickest in the area to prod home a loose ball for his second and bring Croatia their nineteenth Grand Final success.
MATCH STATISTICS
Saturday 21 September
GRAND FINAL
Canberra Croatia 4 (Barac 45+3’, 90+4’ (p), Colbertaldo 63’, 108’) Tigers FC 3 (McGregor 13’, Taneski 45+2’, Bailey 53’) – after extra time
Canberra Croatia: 1. Sam BROWN, 5. Marco GAYER, 6. Ryan KEIR, 9. Thomas JAMES, 11. Atiya WARAGA (7. Daniel COLBERTALDO), 14. Daniel SUBASIC, 15. David SESELJA (3. Parris BANGWENI), 19. Tony SPASESKI, 21. Michael PICCOLO (10. Nick PRATEZINA), 22. Daniel BARAC, 24. Daniel SPARROW (8. Keegan VUCETIC)
Substitutes not used: 13. Riley ZSUZSA
Tigers FC: 22. Jakob COLE, 2. Noah STEINACKER, 4. Marko MILUTINOVIC, 7. Nikos KALFAS (12. Hristjan TANOSKI, 3. Michael SOUTHAM), 8. Sam WHITHEAR, 11. Nik TANESKI (20 Jack BITANI), 14. Tomohiro OGAWA, 17. Angus BAILEY, 18. Angus PITKIN, 19. Archie MCGREGOR (15. Alessandro PENA), 26. Samson CARR
Substitutes not used: 1. Kristian NEL
DISCIPLINE
Yellow Cards: 1. Sam BROWN, 7. Daniel COLBERTALDO, 8. Keegan VUCETIC, 11. Atiya WARAGA, 14. Daniel SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), 3. Michael SOUTHAM, 4. Marko MILUTINOVIC (Tigers FC)
Red Cards: 11, Nik TANESKI (Tigers FC)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Georgia GHIRARDELLO
Assistant Referees: Adam POWERS, Thomas GELLATLY
Fourth Official: Bruno KEHL
Player of the Match: 9. Thomas JAMES (Canberra Croatia)
