By TANIA PHILLIPS
BURRINGBAR-Mooball Club Waratahs will have teams in both the men’s and women’s hockey grand finals after wins over Kingscliff at Murwillumbah’s Barrie Smith Hockey Field.
Waratah Falcons had to fight all the way against a determined Kingscliff Siren’s to win 2-1 in the women’s preliminary final on Saturday afternoon. They will now take on Tweed Coasters Casuarina in the grand final on Saturday afternoon.
Falcons started strongly and took control in the first half, with a clever deflection goal to Emily Hetherington and a short corner hit from Stacy Butters to go to the break at 2-0 up.
However knowing their season was on the line Kingscliff came out playing more like a team and had several scoring opportunities but were denied by Waratah’s keeper Carly Paron who was at her best for this game. However Paron could not stop a determined Joanne Tunstall who scored, midway through the half to keep her side in the game. But tight Waratah’s defence was able to hold on and snare the finals spot.
The men’s game on Saturday afternoon saw an identical scoreline with Waratah Bobcats becoming the first team into the grandfinal with a 2-1 victory over Kingscliff.
Kingscliff got the start they where after with a clever goal to Jordan Wilson from a Henry Prichard pass too see them lead for most of the half.
However with three minutes on the clock in the first half a Tim Willis pass back inside to a vacant Dwayne Newell saw Waratah’s equalise.
It looked like Kingscliff would hit straight back when with 36 seconds on the clock a shot from Kingscliff Marcus Holt was saved and then a quick turn around by Waratahs saw a shot from Dwayne Newell hit the uprights in the dying second of the half.
Kingscliff had another great opportunity to score in the second half with a open net and three Kingscliff players on the ball but a seemingly easy shot some how went wide as the game went from end to end. Finally it was Waratah’s that scored through the dependable Dwayne Newell who sent a shot onto Tim Willis for him to score the winning goal and put them straight into the grand final in two weeks time.
Kingscliff will now play Central Comets in the preliminary final next week after the Comets disposed of fellow new-comers East Coast Sharks in a thriller.
Locked at 1-1 at full-time, the game went into sudden death extra-time for the full 20 minutes. With the scoreline still deadlocked at 1-1 the game went to Comets who had finished higher on the ladder. The Sharks really came home with the wind in their sails over the past four weeks and after leading this game one-all all the way until the final 50 seconds, the match was theirs for the taking.
However the equalising goal to Comets Ryan Farrell from a short corner drag flick put the game into extra time and ultimately saw the Sharks out of the race.
This weekend we see the women and junior girls playing their grand finals and the men and boys playing their preliminary finals.
The grand final program for the women starts at 8.30am on Saturday with under-11 girls Pippies v Starfish, at 9.45 am under-13 girls Cas Black v Cas Aqua and then the under-16 girls at 11am Kingscliff Dolphins v Casurina Black. After the junior presentations they then move into the women’s grand finals where at 12.45pm Division 3 Kingscliff Sinkers take on Pottsville and then at 2.30pm Division 2 it’s Murwillumbah v Waratah Wrens and then the big one Division One Women Casurina v Waratah Falcons. Then after all the women presentations, for the first time ever, the men Division One final match between the Central Comets and Kingscliff Stingers.
Traditionally the men’s finals are held on the Sunday but for the first time the men’s main game will be played after the women’s final.
The women’s grand final Division One game will be between Waratah Falcons: Carly Paron, Perra Martian, Casey Paron, Patria Flint, Stacy Butters, Bobbie Philip, Kate Stewart, Tara Rockchester, Ebony Young, Tiarny Prichard, Emily Hetherington, Stacie King, Kirsty Paron and player coach Candis Henry and the Casuarina team: Sarah Franklin, Abby Vantiaggio, Tara Fitzpatrick, Allie Farrell , Vanessa Robson, Margie Coleman, Maddison Fitzpatrick , Debbie Dolan , Hannah Raftery, Kim Tuckwell captain, Brooke Hawkey, Celeste Murray, Gracie Pollock, Tahlia Grace, Jade Prestwich.
