Men's State Cup Final
Maitland FC 1-0 Weston Bears
Maitland FC head coach Adam Hughes understood the significance silverware could have on a season, as the Magpies held on for a 1-0 win over Weston Bears to claim the Northern NSW Men’s State Cup at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday night.
In chilly conditions at Speers Point, the Magpies overcame a fast start from the Bears and then found themselves in the lead in the eighth minute as a quick transition saw Luke Corcoran feed the ball to Regan Lundy, who produced a brilliant finish to get his side ahead.
Any thoughts that the goal might open the game up were quickly put to bed by the Bears, who began to take control of possession, pinning Maitland deep in defence.
But while Weston consistently found themselves in dangerous areas, turning that possession into goals proved easier said than done. Taylor Pate produced a string of fine saves to preserve his clean sheet and ensure the Magpies took their 1-0 lead into half-time.
The Bears continued to press early in the second half, with tensions threatening to boil over on several occasions as both sides tried to find a way to swing the match in their favour.
While Maitland created a handful of chances going forward, their defence was forced to do plenty of the heavy lifting in the second half, with the Bears continuing to dominate territory but unable to make it count on the scoreboard.
As the final 10 minutes began and the mist settled over the ground, fatigue started to open the game up. Maitland searched for a second goal to put the result beyond doubt, while Weston pressed desperately for an equaliser to force the contest into extra time.
Both sides fashioned late opportunities, but it was the Bears who threw everything forward once stoppage time arrived. Despite the sustained pressure, Maitland's defence stood firm throughout the four added minutes to secure the 1-0 victory and lift the Men’s State Cup.
The result marks the first time Maitland have won the Men’s State Cup in its current format, and for Hughes, it marked a much-needed turnaround after back-to-back heartbreaking losses last week to Broadmeadow Magic in the NNSW NPL and Fremantle City in the Hahn Australia Cup.
“It's always a difficult game when we come up against Weston,” Hughes said.
“They're a good team as well, but the stakes are even higher here with the reward of a trophy at the end of it. It's a massive achievement for the group.
“There were moments where it ebbed and flowed with them and us. There were opportunities for both teams to score more goals within the game itself, but the goalkeepers came out on top in certain moments.
“The way the boys ground out in that last five minutes and into injury time epitomised what the performance was.
“[In context of the season], it's very big because we've now faced Weston three times throughout the season. When you start to face an opponent that could be potentially a semi-final opponent as well, it's something that we need to be well prepared for.”
The close nature of the game was echoed by Bears head coach Damian Zane, the match coming with a sense of déjà vu after Weston also went down despite making plenty of chances against Melbourne City in the Hahn Australia Cup.
But with the Bears flying at NNSW NPL level, the chance to put the result behind them quickly looms with three games in the final fortnight, as Zane keeps the bigger picture in mind.
“We didn't take our chances throughout,” Zane said.
“There were a couple of moments where we didn't stay connected. They were pressing, and they went end to end.
“But for the most part, I think we forced them away from how they like to play. [It’s the] same feeling as the last game [against Melbourne City]. If we'd got one [goal], we would have got two but didn't get the one.
“We had a disrupted week, as they had, but it was good some other people got game time.
“We're just focused now on finishing second. If we come second, we've got home advantage. We just want to keep winning.
“The performance wasn't bad tonight, like Melbourne City. We won three in the league before that. We're doing alright.”
The Bears will turn their attention to their round 21 fixture next Saturday against Edgeworth Eagles. While Maitland will travel to Lisle Carr Oval on Sunday to face Charlestown Azzurri.
In the Community Plate final, Football Far North Coast club Pottsville Beach FC claimed a convincing 5-1 victory over Warners Bay FC.
Despite Warners Bay taking a 1-0 lead into half-time through Brett Lancaster, Pottsville dominated the second half, with Fraser Hills scoring a brace as his side stormed home to secure the Community Plate.