1st Grade
Edgeworth FC 2 def. Hamilton Olympic FC 0
Sun 6 September, 3.00pm
Magic Park
Grand Final

The biggest game of the year in the Northern NSW PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues (PS4 NPL) took place yesterday in front of over 3,000 vocal fans at Magic Park.

Both Edgeworth Eagles and Hamilton Olympic deserved to take their place in the match after dominant seasons in the league.

Edgeworth finished the season as Premiers on 40 points after 13 wins, and Hamilton were third after ten wins.

Both sides entered the game without a key player. Hamilton was missing Matthew Swan who has moved to Western Australia for work, and Edgeworth were without Aaron Pritchard who was sent off in the Semi-Final against Broadmeadow.

Hamilton could have been without one of their biggest stars early on as Danny Ireland took a huge knock in a collision with Brody Taylor on the half hour mark. Bren Hammel fired in a dangerous cross to the near stick from the right and both Taylor and Ireland came sliding in for the ball. Ireland stayed down but got back up shortly after and continued.

The sides went into the half time break locked at 0-0, however the match was highly entertaining. Both sides were physical in the first half, and were moving the ball around nicely. Chances were few, however the second half would bring more about as the sides tired and play opened up.

The first goal of the game came in the 55th minute from the penalty spot. Bren Hammel played a pinpoint long ball to Brody Taylor on the right who charged into the box. He was stood up by Andrew Swan so laid a pass back to Ayden Brice who was fouled by Kyle Hodges. Hammel stepped up to the spot and buried his shot into the bottom left hand corner.

Eagles coach Damian Zane made his third and final substitution in the 66th minute with the introduction of Aaron Mcloughlin. His intent to go after the win rather than sitting back and defend could not be clearer.

In the 85th minute time was running out for Hamilton and they knew it. Cody Lucas whipped in a brilliant cross from the left which was met by Simon Mooney, however his header flew over the cross bar.

Three and a half minutes later the Eagles put the game to bed as Brody Taylor finished off an amazing season for both him and his club with a second for the side. Brenton Olzomer had a shot from inside the box saved by Danny Ireland, however it bounced back to him and he squared it across the box to Taylor who blasted it in off the post to make it 2-0.

With just a minute left Edgeworth skipper Luke Walker was sent off for a second bookable offence, however that could not spoil the party as Edgeworth finished as 2-0 winners and Walker picked up the Dave Williams Medal for player of the Grand Final.

The win capped off a successful season for the Edgeworth club who this year won the Premiership, had all three sides feature in the Semi Finals then the Grand Finals, took Melbourne City right to the final whistle in a 2-1 Westfield FFA Cup loss and finished as club champions.

Congratulations to both Edgeworth and Hamilton on great season, and for producing a highly entertaining 2015 Northern NSW PS4 NPL Grand Final match.

 

22 Years
Edgeworth FC 3 (6) def. 18 Years Emerging Jets 3 (5)
Sun 6 September, 1.00pm
Magic Park
Grand Final

League leaders Edgeworth Eagles took on second place 18 Years Emerging Jets in the Grand Final of the Under 22s competition, and produced one of the most entertaining Grand Finals in years.

It was a match that had everything; six goals, an offside goal, two comebacks, a stunning volley, a red card, and penalty shootouts.

The match began at an extremely high pace, with both sides desperate to open the scoring for the match.

The Emerging Jets thought they had it as Kristian Brymora struck the ball into the back of the net from close range after a goal mouth scramble however he was offside.

The goal did not come until the 39th minute of the 40-minute half, on the back of another scramble. Eagles’ Josh Carroll sent in a cross that eventually fell to the feet of Dom Bizzarri who drove the ball into the bottom right hand corner of Jez Murray’s goal.

A minute after the half time break Jackson Burston charged into the box and was fouled by Jets’ Cal Bower, gifting the Eagles winger with an opportunity from the spot which he buried to make the score 2-0.

15 minutes into the second half the Jets got one back as Regan Lundy drove a cracking strike into the bottom left hand corner from outside the 18 yard box to make the score 2-1.

In the 65th minute the Jets equalised in incredible fashion as Adam Cawley struck a thunderous left foot volley from outside the 18 into the back of the net, and it was game on.

Bizzarri got his second from a free kick in the 72nd minute, but it was cancelled out as Brymora equalised for the Jets.

The Jets were reduced to ten men after Reece Petit was sent off for two yellow cards in a short period of time, but they held on as the match finished 3-3 and went to penalties.

After five penalties each it was 4-4. Dom Bizzarri missed his penalty for Edgeworth, as did Jets keeper Jez Murray who was his side’s third kicker. Adam Cawley missed the Jets seventh then Eagles skipper Brady Carr stepped up and slotted his home to win the Grand Final for the Edgeworth Eagles.

 

19 Years
Broadmeadow Magic FC 4 def. Edgeworth eagles 0
Sun 6 September, 11.00am
Magic Park
Grand Final

The day began with the 19 Years fixture, which was contested between second placed Broadmeadow and fourth placed Edgeworth.

Magic were the only Broadmeadow side to play in a Grand Final after it returned to their home ground in 2015, whereas the Eagles were one of three Edgeworth sides competing on the day as they looked to complete a clean sweep.

Magic began the game to better of the two sides, however Edgeworth created the first two clear opportunities although Riley Ferguson and Bailey Garland could not put their shots in the 15th and 17th minutes respectively from close range on target.

They were made to pay as Magic opened the scoring in the 18th minute as Tyson Cummings charged onto a through ball into the 18-yard box and found the bottom right hand corner.

They took the 1-0 advantage into half time, and ten minutes into the second half they found themselves 2-0 up as a brilliant Cummings flick pass teed up Jayden Saetta who made no mistake with his shot, finding the bottom right hand corner.

Five minutes later in the 55th minute they had a third as Justin Micallef easily finished from close range after a Trent French cut back from the right hand side.

Brodie Williams completed the scoring in the 73rd minute as he ran onto a Micallef through ball and shot past Eagles keeper Jake Fairhall to make the score 4-0.

That is how the match finished, with Magic completing a successful season with a Grand Final win, after losing the Premiership on goals scored after finishing equal with Premiers Weston on points and goal difference.