Grant Koch's stunning late brace inspired Barnstoneworth FC to an incredible, 3-1, upset win over undefeated minor premiers Waratahs FC in Saturday's Orange District Football Association grand final.
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The scores were locked at 1-all heading into the final 10 minutes of the heated decider, the hard-nosed nature of the clash proven by the whopping 12 cards handed out, three of them red.
With Barnstoneworth and Waratahs down to 10 and nine men, respectively, and the clash looking likely to go beyond 90 minutes defensive mid Koch imposed himself, pushing higher in the counter to make the most of his side's one-man advantage.
His first came in the 84th minute on the wet Bernie Stedman Oval and his second just three minutes later, the latter of the two was a thunderbolt into the top corner from 10 metres outside the box.
I just got a bit lucky... I was in the right place at the right time.
- Grand final hero Grant Koch
Fittingly he was named man-of-the-match afterwards, a crown he probably had wrapped up prior to his brace with a stifling performance at the back.
"I think I just got a bit lucky there at the end, good lead-up work and I was in the right place at the right time," the unassuming Koch said.
"I definitely wasn't expecting to win it, I thought Ben Giumelli was outstanding until he got that red card and our goalkeeper Zac Pavy was incredible too, he made some great saves.
"It's brilliant to win the competition, Waratahs are a great side and they pushed us all the way. We were the underdogs and had no pressure on us and I think we played with a lot of freedom because of that."
Luck had zero to do with his second effort, so much so one spectator jubilantly likened the absolute worldie to a Zlatan Ibrahimovic rocket, the first had a touch though.
Koch nailed a shot directly at Waratahs goalkeeper Adam Brakenridge on the half-volley, with an awkward bounce and greasy conditions it slipped through his grasp, between his legs and trickled into the back of the net.
His double came after skipper Brendon Manning incredibly gave Barnstoneworth a 1-nil lead in the seventh minute direct from a corner, the cross curling in, and Eman Rodriguez equalised for Waratahs in the 80th.
Rodriguez equalised eight minutes after Waratahs went two men down, Jack Sinclair's second yellow and resulting red came after Paul O'Brien was given his marching orders with a pair of yellows early into the second half.
Barnstoneworth lost Ben Giumelli just moments after Sinclair was shown red, his send-off also coming as a result of two bookings.
"Waratahs are a physical side and we weren't going to back down, that happens sometimes and we're still bloody stoked," an excited Manning said.
"We didn't want to get caught up in their game and we didn't, we stuck to what we do best and it paid off. I was bloody nervous when they equalised, but Kochy delivered at the end there.
"Winning the title and knocking off the undefeated minor premiers to do it, it's a bit of a double success for us."
Both sides had chances after Manning's opening goal although Barnstoneworth had significantly more, shown in the fact they had 25 shots at goal compared to Waratahs' 11 - the two sides had seven and six on goal, respectively.
Waratahs actually thought they'd equalised before the half-time break too when Rodriguez buried a chance off a through ball, but it was disallowed.
In what looked a shoulder-to-shoulder battle for possession with Barnstoneworth's final defender Rodriguez was called for a foul. The eventual champions didn't allow the sky blues another genuine chance until his equaliser.
Barnestoneworth, meanwhile, created plenty of opportunities and often shot with gay abandon in their bid to push further ahead.
Giumelli almost equalised close to half-time but a diving Brakenridge deflected it into the post, Josh Summerson and Jack McGregor both had a couple of opportunities each and a Koch header just sailed over the bar midway through the second half too.
As you'd expect Waratahs FC skipper Ryan Sinclair was disappointed considering his side were undefeated and red-hot favourites, but he admitted to being frustrated more than anything.
"We didn't execute and it didn't help being down to 10, then nine. We weren't happy with some of the decisions that went against us but at the same time I don't want to take anything away from Barnies," he said.
"We were frustrated and it's disappointing to lose after going undefeated through the season obviously, but they played really well. They're a good, physical side and more than anything they defended really well, so congratulations to them.
"Kochy was outstanding the entire game too and that second goal of his was a pretty incredible strike."
- BARNSTONEWORTH FC 3 (Grant Koch 84', 87', Brendon Manning 7') def WARATAHS FC 1 (Eman Rodriguez 80')
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