O’Connor Knights 1 (Aldrich Cummins 76’) def. by ANU FC 5 (Tim Lopez 26’, 47’, Jan Wojna 43’ Maximillian Mottl 45+2’, Chase Deans 88’)

By Declan Smith

ANU FC have won the inaugural NPL2 Grand Final, with a dominant 5-1 win over the O’Connor Knights at Deakin Stadium on Sunday afternoon. 

After going ahead in the 26^thminute through a Tim Lopez penalty, ANU never looked back, making it an afternoon to forget for the Knights.

After an even opening to the match, Lopez was brought down in the box with the referee pointing straight to the spot.  

The ANU striker would step up and smash the ball into the top corner, giving keeper Jason Denham no chance to make a save. 

ANU would take control from this point, with Captain Jan Wojna heading the ball home off a free kick to make the score 2-0 in the 43^rdminute. 

O’Connor’s chances were made more difficult seconds before half-time, as Maximillian Mottl shot from range and buried the ball into the top corner to give ANU a 3-0 lead heading into the break. 

The Knights resistance would be ended shortly into the second stanza when Lopez bagged his second and ANU’s fourth. 

Andrew Manley ran down the left flank and his ball into the box would go past everyone and find Lopez, who was ready for the tap in at the back post. 

With the result all but wrapped up, the Knights would score a consolation goal through Aldrich Cummins. 

Some tense pressure saw Cummins rob an ANU defender of the ball and slot the resulting shot past the keeper from the edge of the box. 

With less than five minutes to play, Chase Deans put the icing on the cake for ANU, scoring his sides fifth of the afternoon. 

Nelson Carey played a lovely ball through the defence, with Deans beating Denham to the ball to tap it over the keeper and into the net.

The goal rounded out a superb afternoon for ANU and captain Wojna, who was awarded the best on ground medal following the match.