North win second leg 4-1 to take series against South 8-1 on aggregate
Match Summary for Saturday, 20 September 2008
By Walter Pless
North beat South 4-1 in the second leg of the intrastate men’s series on a wet and windswept Windsor Park in Launceston on Saturday.
The result means North won the series 8-1 on aggregate, having beaten the South 4-0 in Hobart the previous weekend.
With surface water an impediment to both sides, North shrugged off the conditions and showed more commitment and better team-work than their southern counterparts.
North striker, Chris McKenna, was man-of-the-match.
Alex Holmes could not subdue him and McKenna scored twice and made the other two goals following corners, which caused all sorts of difficulties for the South defence, including keeper Ben Peter.
David Cooper put South ahead in the 6th minute, but McKenna made it 1-1 three minutes later with a pile-driver from 25 metres.
A McKenna header from a corner in the 18th minute put North in front, while Bobby Eaves made it 3-1 for the home-side on the half-hour after a knock-down by McKenna from a corner.
South had little to offer in the second half and Todd Hingston’s goal, following yet another corner, made it 4-1 with 11 minutes remaining.
In the women’s second-leg intrastate match, a penalty by Kendall Brazendale 10 minutes from the end gave North a 1-0 win over South, who had been victorious 2-0 in Hobart the previous weekend and so took the series 2-1 on aggregate.
Christian United with the Division One Knock-out Cup
In Saturday’s Division One Knock-out Cup final at Wellesley Park, Christian United celebrated their 10th anniversary by collecting the trophy with a 2-1 win over Beachside.
Beachside squandered several good chances and trailed 1-0 to a goal which looked suspiciously off-side by Ashley Page on the quarter-hour.
Christian’s Tim Wierenga (right) shuts down Beachside’s Andrew Reason
Only good goalkeeping by Adam Smee denied Christian another couple of goals in the first half as Page and Jesse Arnold threatened.
Christian’s second goal was magnificent and came from a volley on the turn by captain Tim Wierenga in the 39th minute after Beachside failed to clear a corner.
Brian Roberts hands the trophy to Christian captain, Tim Wierenga
The heavens opened up in the second half and, together with the strong wind, made conditions difficult for both sides.
Christian had to fight hard but hung on for victory, despite Adam Direen pulling a goal back for Beachside in the 50th minute.
Beachside’s Cup Final squad