Match of the Round
Coffs City United 2-1 Urunga FC
Coffs City United coach Nathan Silvy said going behind early helped spark his side into action in their 2-1 win over Urunga FC in the UNE Regional Super League semi-final at Coffs Coast Synthetics on Saturday.
Two sides that missed out on the semi-finals in the 2025 season had everything to play for and that was evident from the opening whistle.
Urunga struck first in the 11th minute when Breanna Martin charged into the box and fired the ball past goalkeeper Siobhan Murphy, who was caught off her line to open the scoring.
Coffs City United responded quickly and their pressure paid off in the 20th minute when Zarli Vandenberg launched a free kick from well outside the box towards goal. The effort narrowly avoided the goalkeeper’s reach and found the back of the net to level the scores.
The sides appeared destined to head into half-time locked at 1-1, but Coffs City United had other ideas.
Vandenberg delivered another free kick into the box and as the goalkeeper attempted to collect the ball, it spilled into the path of Georgia Silvy, who reacted quickest to fire home in the 39th minute and give her side the lead.
The second half saw the teams battle for control, with possession and momentum continually shifting, but Coffs City United held firm to secure a 2-1 victory and book their place in the grand final.
“We hadn’t had a game for a couple of weeks, so the slow start was probably due to that. Then when we went behind, I think that kicked them into gear,” Silvy said.
“They realised they had to really switch on and get back into the game, and I thought the response was really good.
“I think both halves were pretty similar. The effort was really there, and that was what pleased me most.
“We just kept hanging in there, doing the hard work, backing each other up and doing all the small things right. That was the main thing.”
Silvy admitted it was not the cleanest contest but was pleased his side was able to handle the conditions and find a way through.
“It wasn’t a real pretty game of football. It was a bit of a scrappy affair from both teams,” Silvy said.
“The weather conditions were pretty difficult to play in, with the wind howling and the rain coming down, so it was a tough set of circumstances, but we pulled through.”
Coffs City United will now face reigning champions Lake Cathie at Coffs Coast Synthetics on Saturday 8 August in the UNE Regional Super League grand final.
Lake Cathie FC 4-0 Alstonville FC
Reigning champions Lake Cathie FC will have the chance to go back-to-back after defeating Alstonville FC 4-0 in the UNE Regional Super League semi-final at Coffs Coast Synthetics on Saturday.
The Raiders hit the ground running, with Chelsea Hall opening the scoring in the eighth minute.
Despite the early breakthrough, Alstonville held Lake Cathie to a one-goal lead at the break with a strong defensive effort.
Lake Cathie controlled the majority of possession throughout the opening half, but Alstonville found opportunities in patches, testing the Raiders’ defence when they pushed forward.
The defensive resilience from the sides saw Lake Cathie take a 1-0 lead into half-time, but the reigning champions continued to push for more after the break.
In the 69th minute, Emilee Franklin latched onto a Hall through ball and raced down the pitch alongside Alstonville defender Camryn Anderson.
Franklin managed to break away from her defender before calmly placing her finish into the bottom-left corner to double Lake Cathie’s advantage.
Evie Bobilak extended the lead just two minutes later, charging into the penalty area unmarked before finding the back of the net in the 71st minute.
Lake Cathie continued to search for another goal and found it in the 79th minute when Olivia Mara made a well-timed run beyond the Alstonville backline before entering the box unmarked and finishing into the bottom-left corner.
The goal capped off a dominant 10-minute spell from the Raiders, who secured their place in the grand final and a chance to defend their title.
Lake Cathie will travel to Coffs Coast Synthetics on Saturday 8 August to face Coffs City United in the grand final.