Goulburn Strikers Have Struck!

If you haven't caught up with the Federation Cup news, you must have been in a coma.

The Goulburn Strikers won over a terrific Belconnen United side in a penalty shootout!

I missed the game as my team (Woden) were playing a pre-season training game against Tuggeranong United. But I can tell you this, the mobile phones were running hot on the sideline as match updates were reported to us all by friends at Hawker.

Now Belconnen are a terrific Club but I doubt there was one person on the sideline at our training game who didn't hope for a Goulburn victory. Everyone loves an underdog! Belconnen will bounce back you can count on that, but Goulburn are getting better.

This is such a good result for Premier League football and for newcomers, Goulburn Strikers, who I have to say, have delivered on everything their Club President promised when he spoke to the NPL (see earlier posts). They have very reason to be quietly confident - they are the real deal!! Now everyone knows.

Now we have a Fed Cup final that is a little less predictable, before we hit the season proper! Marvellous!!

I'll quote the excellent match report from Capital Football (good one Russ):


Wednesday 24th March 2010
Goulburn Strikers 1 (Brody Willis 59’) defeated Belconnen United 1 (Cameron Reinhart 21’) – 5-4 on penalties, after extra-time

Two superb penalty stops by Goulburn Strikers goalkeeper Jessie Bunt in the shoot-out paved the way for the Strikers to complete a memorable cup upset of Belconnen United at Hawker Football Centre and secure a place in the 2010 Project Coordination Federation Cup Final. Bunt’s penalty shoot-out heroics, where he dived full length to his right to palm Taylor Beaton’s spot kick onto the post before stopping Tai Smith’s effort with his legs, enabled Eddy Harris to convert and send the travelling support into a frenzy. The Strikers had fully deserved their victory after matching the Blue Devils for large periods of the match but, even so, some profligate finishing from Belconnen ultimately cost them dear. It had all looked very much a routine performance from Belconnen after Cameron Reinhart was the beneficiary of excellent approach work from Tai Smith and Danny Macor after 21 minutes, the diminutive midfielder firing home from the angle. But due to the Strikers’ determination and perseverance, coupled with the Blue Devils wastefulness in front of goal, the match was still alive at the interval. Sensing that a place in the final was theirs for the taking Goulburn streamed into the attack and their endeavours were rewarded after 59 minutes when ace striker Brody Willis cut in from the right and smashed a low drive past Ben Cheyne in the Belconnen goal to level the scores. It was the prolific Willis’ fifth goal of the Federation Cup placing him near the summit of the top scorers chart. With neither side able to break the deadlock in normal time the match entered the regulation extra-time period which turned into a cagey affair. Neither side particularly looked like creating the opportunity that would win the match despite half-chances for Daniel Aliffi and Belconnen’s Dustin Wells. And so we went to the dreaded penalty shoot-out. The upper-hand appeared to be with Belconnen after Brody Willis crashed the Strikers’ third penalty against the bar but Bunt’s agility proved more than a match for both Beaton and Smith, leaving Harris with the chance to send Goulburn into the final. This he did with aplomb sparking scenes of ecstasy amongst the Strikers players, officials and supporters whereas the Belconnen bench clumped in dejection.

Belconnen United: 1. Ben Cheyne (gk), 2. Matt Valeri, 3. Dustin Wells, 5. Taylor Beaton, 7. Callum Beaton, 8. Cameron Reinhart, 10. Danny Macor, 11. David Kemp, 12. Tai Smith, 16. Zac Maybury, 18. Michael Reeves
Substitutes used: 6. Jason O’Dwyer, 15. Dean Tomeski

Goulburn Strikers: 1. Jesse Bunt (gk), 2. Edan Wheeldon, 3. Bradley Roberts, 4. Pat Ryan, 5. Josh Phelps, 6. Eddy Harris, 8. Blayne Hudson, 9. Daniel Aliffi, 10 Brody Willis, 11. Nicky Rogers, 17. Andrew Aliffi
Substitutes used: 13. Sam Taylor

Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: 5. Taylor Beaton (Belconnen United)

Match Officials: Richard Naumoski (referee), Greg Taylor, Owen Goldrick