RELIVE THE INAUGURAL EMUS FIRST GRADE VICTORY

Grand Final vs Penrith Panthers - 16th September 2006

Emus won 4-2

The drama unfolded before the game with Penrith Panthers attempting to have one of our forwards banned from the game due to a red card last week. This was quickly resolved before the game and he was free to play.

The Emus took to the field expecting a tough game and this was to be the case. The Panther side struck first at the 7 minute mark, after the referee failed to detect the ball ricocheting off a Panthers shin. This stunned the Emus and the panthers took advantage of a defensive error at the 12 minute mark to post another goal.

The Panthers were successfully shutting down our attack and making it hard for us to get the ball out of our half and they seemed confident that they could take the game from here. However, as shown last week, the Emus can't be counted out. We stuck to our game structure and went on the attack to earn a penalty corner. A fast push out was delivered to the top and distributed right to Harvey. His flick from 10 yards was brilliantly saved by a diving keeper.

A few minutes later another corner was awarded to the Emus. Space was identified behind the Panther runners and the receiver at the top dummied a drag flick to put the ball back to Allan Jamba (who pushed the ball out) on the left post. He coolly deflected the ball under a diving keeper to see the Emus trailing 2-1.

At the 25 minute mark, Tony Stojcevski intercepted a transfer from a Panther 16 yard hit, drew the keeper and a defender to present Allen Jamba with an uncontested goal and level the game at 2 goals a piece. The Panthers then attacked strongly until half time with the Emus successfully holding out a succession of short corners.

At half time the team talk centred around continuing our game plan and not being eliminated in one on one contests.

At the resumption of play, the game was in the balance for the first 15 minutes, with both teams probing for a goal. Then, from within the Emu half, a pass found Allen Jamba in some space near the half way line. He evaded a defender and ran the ball to the oppositions “D” and passed the ball to Tony Stojcevski, who was positioned seven yards from goal on the back line. He first timed a slap shot on the tiniest of angles that threaded the needle and beat the keeper at shoulder height. The Emus were now leading 3-2 and the Panther supporters were very, very silent (yes, even Noelene).

The Panthers then tried to draw level and almost did after some near misses from short corners and timely saves from our keeper Mitchell.

With 9 minutes to go, the Emus were attacking strongly with lots of vocal support from any of the non-panther crowd, and earned a penalty corner. The first shot, a low flick, was stopped by a defender, but in the resultant scramble was only cleared to Ian Russell at the top left of the "D". Ian then rifled a shot at goal that was deflected by a defender up into the net to make it 4-2 to the Emus.

Panthers mounted a few more attacking raids, but the Emus structured defence broke these down without drama and the Panther team seemed to accept that their 7 year grip on the premiership was at an end.

The game ended with the Emus again on the attack and earning 2 short corners. Unfortunately no more goals resulted, the siren sounded and the Emus had won their inaugural PDHA First Grade Mens Premiership.

The PDHA award for player of the grand final went to our Zimbabwean International, Allen Jamba.

Goals: Allen Jamba 2, Tony Stojcevski, Ian Russell