Bree White was named best on ground for St Albans on Saturday in the club’s four-point loss to Diamond Creek. 80242_02 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By KATIE LAMBESKI
THE premiership dream is over for the VU St Albans Spurs after being kicked out of the Victorian Women’s Football League finals by Diamond Creek on Saturday.
It was a case of back-to-back, nail-biting finishes for the Spurs who went down by just four points, one week after being defeated in extra time in their first final.
Once again St Albans was on the wrong side of a last-minute goal with Diamond Creek’s Stephanie Chiocci the hero, kicking the match-winner with less than a minute remaining to give her side a famous victory.
Nothing could separate the two sides throughout the day as the Creekers and St Albans traded goals, with the margin hoovering in the single digits.
The desperation from both sides hit premium levels going into the final quarter however, disaster struck for the Spurs at the 12-minute mark when ruckman Lauren Bazeley was yellow carded, leaving her side one player down for the rest of the match.
The next 10 minutes of play was filled with repeated stoppages and a number of key defensive efforts from both side as St Albans tried desperately to hold on to its two-point lead.
Late in the match the Creekers surged forward after a quick kick into the 50-metre arc where Chiocci was awarded a free kick for high contact.
With just seconds remaining on the clock she calmly walked back and nailed the goal to ice the game and send her side into a grand final.
Diamond Creek now play Darebin in the grand final this Saturday at Mantello Holden Oval in Coburg.
It’s not all bad news for the Spurs, whose reserves side will contest the grand final this week.
