Football Matters with Cyclops

Local Football Report

The Burdekin Panthers Premier team travelled to Townsville on Saturday night to face Brothers in the Grand Final.

Backed by a large crowd of supporters, the Panthers were narrowly defeated 3-4 in a thrilling, back-and-forth match.

Although the result didn’t go their way, the Panthers played an outstanding game, and the outcome could easily have been different.

The Ayr Anzac Club team entered the match with a mix of nerves and anticipation for their biggest game of the season.

Having split results against Brothers during the regular season, the Panthers knew it would be a close contest.

However, the game didn’t start well for Burdekin, as Brothers scored within the first few minutes. But just a minute later, after another brilliant run down the wing by Elliott Dal Santo and a perfect cross into the box, Matthew Kolb was left unmarked at the back post, calmly slotting the ball into the net to equalise.

The game continued at a high pace, with Brothers regaining the lead to make it 2-1 after 15 minutes.

Ten minutes later, Matthew Walker delivered a great pass behind the defence to Kolb, who controlled the ball beautifully and struck it sweetly into the back of the net, levelling the score again.

At the 35-minute mark, Burdekin won a free kick just outside the Brothers’ penalty area. Luke Maguire stepped up and expertly curled the ball over the wall, leaving the goalkeeper no chance, putting Burdekin ahead 3-2.

However, Brothers managed to equalise with the final kick of the half, sending the teams into the break tied at 3-3.

The Panthers dominated the opening 20 minutes of the second half but couldn’t capitalise on their chances.

In the 65th minute, Brothers were awarded a free kick just outside Burdekin's penalty area, and from the set piece, they scored with a well-placed header to take a 4-3 lead.

Despite upping the intensity and creating several half-chances, the Panthers couldn’t find a way back, and the game ended 4-3 in Brothers’ favour.

While the young Panthers side would have preferred a different outcome, it was still a highly successful season. With a youthful squad, the Burdekin team is aiming to make Grand Final appearances a regular occurrence in the coming years – and to win a few along the way.

Night Soccer
Week 2 of the Delta Cleaners Night Soccer competition saw an impressive 85 goals scored across 20 games.

Rocky Pond Warriors led the scoring in the Men’s Division, while UDS Ladies topped the Women’s league.

This week marked the end of the trial games, with the competition proper starting on Tuesday.

Juniors
Although the Junior season has come to a close, the Junior Social Soccer season is set to kick off next term, starting on Tuesday, 15th October.

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Contributed with thanks to Cyclops.

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