YERRINBOOL-Bargo beat Patris 5-4 on penalties in the second grade men’s minor semi-final to keep their season alive.
Both sides finished third and forth respectively with the loser of this match bowing out of the competition and the winner going on to play Hill Top in next week’s preliminary final.
The Bushrangers won 5-4 on penalties, but not before the referee nearly ended proceedings with only eight penalty shots taken.
Patris opened the scoring in the 15th minute off the back of a freakish free kick from defender Matthew Milltanyi, 35-metres out from goal.
The ball somehow found its way through the sea of diving bodies to crash into the back of the net.
Yerrinbool/Bargo hit back not long after and both teams went goal for goal again before the break to leave the score at 2-2.
It took another twenty minutes into the second half before for the scoring got underway again.
Milltanyi struck an even sweeter free kick from 40m out and on a considerable angle. It kept low and curled around the wall before bouncing out of the keeper’s reach and snuck in near the far post.
The Bushrangers struck back again with an unplanned equaliser that ended in the ball rolling off a Yerrinbool chest and dribbling into the goal mouth.
Patris took what almost seemed a safe lead with nine minutes to go after an excellent through ball saw a spectacular goal alongside with a lot of calls of offside from the crowd.
The officials were not swayed and Patris where up 4-3.
With only two minutes remaining Yerrinbool were deep inside the Patris half looking to keep their season alive with a late equaliser when an illegal challenge drew a penalty.
Captain Daniel Brierley slotted the penalty under pressure, to make it 4-4 and the game was headed for extra time.
Thirty minutes of extra play could not separate either side despite multiple opportunities from both teams to shatter theiropponents’ season and it was time for the dreaded penalty shoot out.
Both teams nailed their first three penalties but Patris’ forth penalty shot was the catalyst. It sprayed wide and sailed over the crossbar to the shock of the Patris fans and players alike.
Yerrinbool-Bargo got their fourth and premature celebrations erupted to the sound of an early fulltime whistle.
After a quick conversation with the captains, Patris equalled the shoot out at 4-4, leaving Bushranger Dave Calvin with the unenviable task of kicking the final penalty to keep the season alive.
It was a sluggish looking kick that went low to the left and bounced off the post to roll into the goal.
Two-inches further to the left and who knows who could have been playing Hill Top in the preliminary final next weekend.
Bushrangers captain Daniel Brierley said, “It was an exceptionally tough and physical game where we just kept going goal for goal.”
“We can’t wait to take on Hill Top next week for a place against Bowral in the grand final as we have built a great rivalry with our neighbours over the past seasons.”
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