Elimination Final
Edgeworth Eagles 3-2 Belmont Swansea United
Edgeworth Eagles head coach Peter McGuinness has praised the fight shown by his players and a resurgent Belmont Swansea United, after the hosts came from two goals down to win 3-2 at Jack McLaughlan Oval.
Playing in a top division final for the first time in 40 years, the visitors flew out of the gates. A free kick in the fourth minute finding Reece Newton with an open goal in front of him, the skipper making no mistake off the header to give his side a 1-0 lead.
The score shell-shocked the hosts, with Edgeworth well met by a compact, disciplined BelSwans defence.
With the visitors dangerous on the transition from deep, Edgeworth put themselves under pressure with uncharacteristic errors in their own back third, giving away possession twice without being punished.
A third error in the 27th minute proved costly, with BelSwans making it count as Dean Pettit pinched the ball from Xander Woweries before being set up by Marco Gueli to double the lead.
The hosts had a mountain to climb, but as the half drew to a close, greater patience in attack began to expose cracks in the resolute BelSwans defence. The visitors held firm to take a 2-0 lead into half-time.
Edgeworth emerged for the second half as a more patient, composed outfit, knowing they needed to score next to salvage the game. The approach proved effective, with BelSwans defending resolutely but being forced into long periods without the ball.
After a bombardment of shots on goal, the hosts finally broke through in the 58th minute, when a Reece McManus cross found Tyler Harrison, who headed over goalkeeper Nathan Archbold.
BelSwans looked to restore their two-goal advantage, with Marco Gueli coming close in the 74th minute to put the game beyond doubt.
As the match wore on, though, the Eagles found more ways through the BelSwans defence. After several outstanding saves from Archbold, the pressure eventually became too much, particularly as Edgeworth turned to its bench.
In the 82nd minute, reserve Jarryd Sutherland found his way into the bottom corner to give the hosts the equaliser.
Sensing a chance to snatch a late winner, Edgeworth struck again two minutes later. A Flynn Goodman cross found the ever-reliable head of Aaron Niyonkuru, with the midfielder nodding the ball past Archbold to complete an incredible comeback.
Post-match, McGuinness was quick to praise the achievements of his counterpart, Michael Stafford, as well as his side’s ability to find a way to win.
“I thought Belswans were really good today. Mick's had a great year with them,” McGuinness said.
“Where he's put them on the table and the effort they've had, outstanding. Hats off to him.
“I'm happy we got the result because we made a couple of mistakes in the first half which led to goals.
“They're a hard enough team to beat when you're 0-0. I thought we had a lot of ball [and were] a little bit wasteful in the front third.
“I told them that at half-time [that] we're either going to lose 5-0 or we're going to win the game. We just spoke about getting rewards for the work that you do and going out there and changing the game.
“All credit to the boys, they fought. I held off longer [on the impact players] than I wanted to and I'm really glad I did.”
Despite the disappointment, Stafford was proud of what his players achieved and is excited by what BelSwans can do in 2027 after an impressive year as the league’s big improvers.
“It's [been] a great year. We went well above our expectations as a team and a club,” Stafford said.
“[When we] take away the moment now and we look back on it, it's great. The goal is now to continue building. That's all you can take out of that.
“We let ourselves down with little details we spoke about during the week, but credit to Edgeworth. They're a good team, and every time we got the ball, they were on us.
“They did well. I think they earned that win. We made them earn it, and I think if you look at it that way, that's the best way to be, and I wish them all the best on the run-in.
“I wanted them [his squad] to keep playing together; they're a pleasure to coach, and they should be proud of themselves. I'm back next year, and we're going to build again. People are backing us.
“If we can build on a fifth-place spot in just our second year, it's a good place to be at. It's a long road, but we'll keep going.”
Edgeworth will progress to the minor semi-final, travelling to Cooks Square Park to face Maitland, while BelSwans’ season comes to an end.
Qualifying Final
Maitland FC 0(4) - 0(5) Weston Bears
Weston Bears head coach Damian Zane was impressed by his side’s effort, as the Bears secured the tightest finish of the 2026 season so far, defeating Maitland FC 0(5)-0(4) at Cooks Square Park.
The El Clasicoal derby added plenty of colour to a significant finals clash, with the Bears starting with intent as they looked to make amends after going down 1-0 to Maitland in the Men’s State Cup final.
The result was an intense midfield battle, with the Magpies’ defence proving up to the task as they absorbed four shots on goal and six corners from the visitors.
The hosts managed several attempts of their own after weathering periods of pressure, but neither side could find a way through, with the score locked at 0-0 at half-time.
Maitland continued to build into the game after the break, creating several chances and spending more time in the Bears’ territory. Much like in the first half, though, the visitors’ defence held firm, particularly as both sides looked to win the physical battle, resulting in several cards.
After five minutes of stoppage time, neither side could break the deadlock, sending the match into extra time.
The sides would not give an inch despite the fatiguing conditions, the Bears absorbing a lot of attacking pressure from the Magpies across the first 20 minutes, the hosts clicking into another gear and looking to find something to produce a goal.
The Bears returned fire with another passage of play deep in the Magpies' half, looking to find a late winner, but after over 120 minutes of play, neither side had found the back of the net, setting the stage for a thrilling penalty shootout right in front of the home fans.
It would be the goalkeepers who would step up, with Maitland’s Taylor Pate and Weston’s Gerard Roebuck producing several brilliant saves; however, once Nelson King scored the first, the penalty shootout went shot-for-shot, going to sudden death.
After the lead changed hands several times, with both sides on four strikes apiece, a dramatic match would have a dramatic conclusion, with Matthew Smale’s strike hitting the woodwork, giving Mana Iwasaki the chance to win the match.
With the Maitland crowd in front of him, the centre back drilled it down the middle past Pate, sending the away side into pandemonium.
Zane was quick to praise both keepers but ultimately praised his side’s ability to find a way to pick up a result against a formidable Maitland side.
“I've actually never lost in men's football a penalty shootout as a coach. It's sort of out of your control,” Zane said.
“As a coach, you've got so much to worry about that you just start to pick and choose what you can control and what you can't.
“The first half was fairly tight; Taylor Pate made a few saves. They were unbelievable. They came at us the last 20 minutes, and I think the performance had a bit of everything in it.
“There were patches of dominance from each team, but I thought we were deserved winners. In the end, a super effort from our goalkeeper [Gerard Roebuck] and Mana [Iwasaki] kept his cool at the end there to win it.
“We were all hands on deck, and we got through to extra time. It could have gone either way, one of those games, but I thought we shaded it and we were good for the win.
“We get a free swing [against Broadmeadow]. We're under no pressure. They're the premiers that are expected to win. If we get more troops back [in ChrisHatfield and Luke McCormick], I think it's only going to be a good thing for us going forward.”
The Bears will now head into the major semi-final when they play Broadmeadow Magic for a spot in the grand final, while Maitland FC will play in the minor semi-final against Edgeworth, the losing side being eliminated.