The Minor/Major Premiership double is up for grabs tonight for Hillvue Rovers in the Tamworth Local 4th Grade competition, but standing in their way is North Companions hot off a two-game elimination final streak.
Hillvue Rovers have been the team to beat this season, finishing on top of the league and gliding through the Major Semi-Final 3-0. Tonight, they head into the decider looking to replicate their earlier 5-2 win against North Companions during the season and send off the year with the double.
Hillvue Rovers player/coach, Dwayne Marshall is feeling good about the competition this season and the team moving into the Grand Final.
“It’s been pretty good. Boys have had a good chat in our group, and I think they’re just keen to get out onto Scully Park and have a good game”
“Just doing what we’ve been doing all year.” Marshall said on the game plan. “We have the old heads in midfield with Amine and Aaron Follington and a couple older fellas up front. Just doing the same and don’t change anything.”
“We’re actually missing one of our main midfielders this year with Tim Stackman out, but we have a very similar line-up to the rest of the year. We have a couple of young fellas who have been playing all year with us come in and be fresh legs throughout the game.”
On the other end, North Companions finished the season in 4th and have fought their way through the Minor Semi-Final beating Oxley Vale Attunga (2-1) and then the Preliminary Final beating Moore Creek (3-0). There’s no surprise in this competition seeing 4th place take out 2nd & 3rd when there was only the five points between 1st and 4th.
Season standings and prior results are all in the past and Grand Finals come down to whoever wants it the most on the day.
North Companions player/coach, pat Warren said that the team atmosphere going into the game was “Pretty positive, even though Hillvue beat us in the regular season. We’re pretty confident this evening because we have made a couple of appearances (finals) in the past couple of years, and we’ll be able to just play the field and play the team.”
“Our goalkeeper hasn’t faced off against them.” Pat commented on the difference between their last outing. “Craig Russ is a pretty good goalkeeper. He reads the play really well from the back and has saved a couple of penalties against other teams. I think he will be one of the deciding factors.”
“Our big strength is a couple of our younger players like Radley Wilks, along with his father Mark Wilks, who just push up and play off each other. Along with Martin Rae in our defensive line, helping out there and spreading the line.
