A late penalty from Zachary Ilijoski was enough for Tigers FC to claim the silverware in the OPC National Premier League under-23 Grand Final, giving his team a 2-1 win over Canberra Croatia at McKellar Park.
The final started with both teams starting at a rapid pace, but neither able to trouble the respective goalkeepers, with the midfield duel relatively even in the opening half-an-hour of the match.
James Godding tried his best to influence proceedings for Croatia, having done exactly that throughout the finals series in which his team had scored ten goals, whilst top scorer Olivier Hawkins saw a shot cannon back off the outside of the post, Jason Matesa in the Croatia goal probably having it covered.
At the other end, Jake Fattore blazed wide under pressure, as Tigers sought the opening goal, but in the main opportunities were at a premium, few and far between as the half drew to a close at 0-0.
The deadlock was broken twenty seconds into the second-half. From the kick-off Croatia sent Hawkins in behind the flat Tigers FC defence and the forward took a touch, composing himself, before finishing beautifully across Josh Smith and into the top corner of the net.
The lead did not last long as, barely two minutes later, Tigers were level. A right-wing cross found Fattore on the penalty spot and his header was spot on, angled low and firm beyond the reach of Matesa.
It was Tigers who were to get the crucial breakthrough with four minutes remaining. Awarded a penalty after a clear foul inside the box, Ilijoski calmly placed the ball and struck a precise finish to claim the trophy for his team.
RESULTS
GRAND FINAL
Saturday 20 September
Tigers FC 2 (Fattore 48’, Ilijoski 86’ (p)) Canberra Croatia 1 (Hawkins 46’)
TOP SCORERS
18: Anthony ANTONIAK (Tuggeranong United)
16: Zachary ILIJOSKI (Tigers FC)
13: Cooper HEAGNEY (Tigers FC)
12: Oliver HAWKINS (Canberra Croatia)
10: Fabian OLIVARES (Gungahlin United), Own GOALS
9: Jebediah JEFFERY (Canberra Croatia)
8: Rocco DI PLACIDO (O’Connor Knights), James GODDING (Canberra Croatia), Owen LEARMONTH (Canberra Croatia), Anthony RAKIC (Canberra Croatia)
7: Alexander EVANS (Queanbeyan City), Luka JUKIC (Canberra Croatia), Ayham NASSER (Monaro Panthers), Marko RATHOUSKI (O’Connor Knights)
6: Leo DONALD (Tuggeranong United), Thinley DORJI (Tigers FC), Jake FATTORE (Tigers FC), Darcy MIDDLETON (Canberra Croatia)
5: Elliot ALBERTO (Tigers FC), Daniel ANDERSON (O’Connor Knights), Ivan DZAJA (O’Connor Knights), Daniel GALIC (O’Connor Knights), Jack JANKE (O’Connor Knights), Ivica MAJETIC (Canberra Croatia), Sebastian MUNOZ (Gungahlin United), Andrija RAKIC (Canberra Croatia), Luka USLJEBRKA (O’Connor Knights)
4: Samuel ABA (Queanbeyan City), Zia BAIRD (Monaro Panthers), Thomas BARBATANO (Gungahlin United), Xavier BONNETT (Queanbeyan City), Kaide CASTLE (Yoogali SC), Stephen CERNI (Gungahlin United), Marcus LAU (Gungahlin United), Samuel PALIC (Queanbeyan City), Leo VANDERPOL (Monaro Panthers)
3: Jack BITANI (Queanbeyan City), Fabian CACOPARDO (Yoogali SC), Zachary COLSON (Tigers FC), Kye COSSETTINI (Tigers FC), Sivamsh DEEVI (Gungahlin United), Stefan DONADEL (Yoogali SC), Jacob KITE (Gungahlin United), Ahmed MUBAIDEEN (Tigers FC), Daniel OBST (Queanbeyan City), Samuel RACITI (Yoogali SC), Timothy SANTOS (Tuggeranong United), Sam SHEEDY (Tuggeranong United)
2: Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (Tigers FC), Joshua AMOAH (Tigers FC), Seth BONNETT (Queanbeyan City), Marcus CRISPE (Tigers FC), Marcos DA SILVA (Canberra Croatia), Ethan DONETTO (Yoogali SC), Jack ELLWOOD (Monaro Panthers), Aston GOODWIN (Canberra Croatia), Mitchell JERVIS-HAMILTON (Monaro Panthers), Lemar KATAWAZAI (Canberra Croatia), Alexander LULIC (Monaro Panthers), Kyah MILIN (O’Connor Knights), Hamish MOYLE (Gungahlin United), Nikola PERINOVIC (O’Connor Knights), Kris RAAD (Tuggeranong United), Ethan SAUNDERS (O’Connor Knights)
1: Marcus AGNELLO (O’Connor Knights), Joshua AMOAH (Tigers FC), Cos ARENA (O’Connor Knights), Luke ARMANINI (Yoogali SC), Daniel BARBATANO (Queanbeyan City), Nico BULJAN (Queanbeyan City), Tanatswa BVIRAKARE (Tigers FC), Samson CARR (Tigers FC), Alexander DAVIDS (Queanbeyan City), Aleksandar DORDEVIC (Queanbeyan City), Tomer DORON (O’Connor Knights), Jydon FIELD (Tuggeranong United), Michael GALIC (Queanbeyan City), Dominic GALLUZZO (Yoogali SC), Joshua HEDDITCH (Monaro Panthers), Joshua KEENAN (Yoogali SC), Jure LEMEZINA (Monaro Panthers), Jack MARJORIBANKS (O’Connor Knights), Alexei MARDIYANTS (Monaro Panthers), Mohammad MAZRAEH (Tuggeranong United), Leon MCLEAN (Canberra Croatia), Joseph MIKAHEL (Monaro Panthers), Ibrahim OBEID (O’Connor Knights), Nicholas PIVA (Yoogali SC), Nicolas PULCIANI (Tigers FC), Jayden RIPPON (Gungahlin United), Abdin SAID (Tuggeranong United), Ali SOHANI (Monaro Panthers), Coen STORER (Tuggeranong United), William TWEEDIE (O’Connor Knights), Josip UJDUR (O’Connor Knights), Archie VARNES (Tuggeranong United), Angus WALES (Tigers FC(), Shandon WHITEHEAD (Tigers FC), Ryan ZANATTA (Yoogali SC)
