Adamstown Rosebud 3-2 Toronto Awaba FC
Toronto Awaba FC coach Jarred Hiles says his side are gutted to go down late to Adamstown Rosebud 3-2 at Jack McLaughlan Oval in the promotion/relegation play-off final on Saturday afternoon.
It was heartbreak for Toronto as the HIT106.9 Northern League One side were less than two minutes away from promotion but had it ripped from their grasp at the death.
Adamstown survived in another thriller as almost 1500 people watched on as two stoppage-time goals saw them score a 3-2 victory and secure their NPL Men's NNSW survival in the most incredible of fashions.
For the second time in as many weeks, Adamstown trailed 2-1 when the clock ticked over to 80 minutes in the promotional/relegation play-offs and they looked down and out. But just as they did eight days earlier against West Wallsend, Rosebud found a way to get the job done.
The score was locked at 0-0 at half-time after both sides’ defensive units and goalkeepers were up to the task in the opening 45 minutes.
It was Adamstown that had come closest to opening the scoring in the 19th minute when a Kaleb Smith strike had the Stags’ keeper Drew Olsen beat but bounced away off the left post.
There was nothing to deny the Rosebud from finding the back of the net in the 52nd minute with their main man Dino Fajkovic, got the job done.
Adamstown’s captain and player-of-the-final got onto a Nicholas Rich cross from the right sideline at the back stick and headed the ball home to make the score 1-0.
But the lead was short-lived as the Stags equalised 90 seconds later when Damon Green burst onto a Blake Arthur ball into the box and pinched the ball off Adamstown defender Baxter Ashbourne before he finished off his one-on-one strike past Stuart Plant.
Toronto then took that momentum to go in front for the first time in the match 11 minutes later.
Green found the back of the net again after charging onto a loose ball in the box following a Plant save that had denied a Jarrod Purcell strike.
The Stags were still in front 2-1 when it was announced that there would be four additional minutes after 90 had been played.
There was just one minute and 50 seconds left to play when Adamstown’s Ryan Rooke curled a free kick into the box and Aiden Halpin tapped it in from close range to lock the score up at 2-2.
The game looked certain to go into extra time when the clock ticked over to 94 minutes but Adamstown substitute Josh Haines had other ideas as he fired the ball into the back of the net after a goal-mouth scramble to secure the Rosebud’s NPL NNSW survival.
Hiles was proud of his men and what they have achieved this season, but was disappointed with the way they let promotion slip away.
“Gutted. To concede two goals in two minutes like that obviously is just not good enough,” Hiles said.
“Credit to Adamstown though. They never threw the towel in and they fought hard and got the win they needed.
“The boys have done really well this year. They just keep stepping up. Where we’ve come from over the last three-and-a-half years has been great.
“It’s disappointing with how close we were today, but it just wasn’t to be.
“Promotion is a goal in the future for us. We proved today we can be competitive in the NPL. We’ll keep going and we’ll be thereabouts next year.”
Adamstown coach Chris Moylan described the game as a roller coaster of emotions.
“I’m still coming to grips with it. With 10 minutes to go I thought we were done,” Moylan said.
“It means everything to the club, to the young boys in the crowd supporting, to the boys who played today, to everyone at the club.
“It’s a different feeling. It doesn’t feel like we’ve won a grand final. It was just about surviving and we’ve done that.
“Credit to the boys, they kept fighting and got the result.
“Toronto Awaba kept fighting all game too. Well done to them.
“There’s a belief in our group that will help us for next season. The hard work starts now for us though.”
Earlier in the afternoon Belmont Swansea United was crowned champions in the HIT106.9 Northern League One reserve grade grand final after a 2-0 victory over Kahibah FC.