Willowburn chases hat-trick
FOOTBALL: New chapters will be added to traditional Toowoomba Football League rivalries tomorrow.
The senior grand finals kickoff tomorrow with Willowburn keen to secure a premiership hat-trick.
The Magpies feature in three of the four deciders at Clive Berghofer Stadium and can consider themselves as strong chances in all three matches.
In the Premier Women’s match, long-time powerhouses Willowburn and Rockville clash, with Willowburn looking to retain the title they secured with a 2-1 win over Rockville last year.
Willowburn booked their spot in the grand final with a convincing 6-2 win over Rockville in week one of the finals.
With their season on the line, Rockville advanced to the final with a measured 3-1 win against Highfields.
Goals to Danielle Jeffcoat and Melony Baker inside 12 minutes all but secured Rovers’ place in the final before Penny Dukes scored their third shortly before half-time. Brooke Baldwin scored for Highfields shortly before the hour mark.
Willowburn will be hoping to go one better this year after a 3-3 (6-4 on penalties) loss to USQ FC.
The Magpies were too good for USQ in week one of the 2019 finals with Brodie Welch scoring a double in their 3-1 win.
USQ earned their spot in the decider with a narrow 2-1 over Willowburn White in last week’s knock-out semi-final.
CONFERENCE MEN Warwick vs St Albans
Warwick were one of the stand-out teams this season – finishing two points behind minor premiers Willowburn and 11 points clear of third placed St Albans.
Wolves got the better of Willowburn securing a 3-1 win to advance to the finals and Willowburn’s luck was no better in the knock-out semi-final.
In a high-scoring affair, St Albans, who beat Rockville 4-1 the previous week, were too good for Magpies in their 6-3 win.
Warwick will need to be on their toes against a St Albans outfit who have been competitive all year.
American Rory O’Brien confident they have outfit secure a win, though.
“The Warwick team has more ability than other clubs where I have played,” O’Brien said.
“Rob Davey keeps the team together in centrefield, Nick Spence and Matt Carey are strong up front and Nick Lockley holds the defence together.
Wolves’ opposition take great confidence into the clash following a 6-3 thrashing of Willowburn at the weekend.
“We’re the only team to take points off Warwick this year,” St Albans coach Daniel Lawson said.
“And we go into the game with a lot of confidence after a good performance against Willowburn is to
– it gives us a boost after some tough results of late.”
Wary of the threat Wolves posed, Lawson said a solid defensive performance would be key.
“If we win it will be off a good defensive effort,” he said.
“We need to be solid at the back – I think our forward line is dangerous but we need to defend well first.”
CHAMPIONSHIP MEN Willowburn vs Garden City
The first of Willowburn’s title hopefuls faces a determined Garden City outfit at 11am.
The minor premiers were dominant in their semi-final win with goals to Trent Donovan, Angus Glover, Kise Lee and Kieran Antell sealing a 4-0 win over Rockville.
Garden City advanced to the decider after determined performances against Chinchilla (3-2) and Rockville 2-1.
City needed extra time to beat Rockville, but coach Gary Wilson is confident.
“We’ll be at full strength, and the team is looking good,” he said.
“The conditions were not ideal against Rockville last weekend – not great for football.
“In the end, I think we were mentally strong. We knew they (Rockville) would be a challenge and we just showed real grit.
“We will have to show that same fight against Willowburn, they’ve been the yardstick this season.
“If we can work our combinations and play the ball into our front-line neatly, I think we’re in with a great shot.”
Steve Smith’s Willowburn will take a similar attitude into the clash.
“We’ve been developing a particular brand of football over the season and we’re hitting our straps at the right time,” Smith said.
“For us it’s all about balance and ownership.
“We have the players and skill-set to adapt to any situation but the first priority is always to work hard, we share the workload and no-one takes a backward step.”
PREMIER WOMEN Willowburn vs Rockville
Willowburn and Rockville are the yardsticks by which every TFL women’s teams measure themselves.
Quit and surrender are two words you never hear when these sides clash, and 2019 has been no different.
The long-time rivals have produced some classic matches this season and tomorrow’s final will be a spectacle for the fans.
Willowburn will go into the match full of confidence after a 6-2 thrashing of Rockville in the semi-final.
The 2018 premiers got off to a flyer with Ebonney Kidd scoring inside two minutes.
Breanna Mccarthy drew Rockville level in the 16th minute but Willowburn took a 3-1 lead into the break.
Kidd finished with four goals in the game and was well supported by skipper Kiama Gray.
Rockville coach Arthur Wells can’t explain the semi-final result but is confident the final will be a different story.
“I don’t know what happened in the semi,” Wells said.
“They (Willowburn) were just a lot sharper than us.
“We’ve trained really well this week, though, and our first half against Highfields was good last weekend.
“I’m confident we will be ready for the final.
“Games against Willowburn are always a battle and it will come down to who wants it more.”
PREMIER MEN Willowburn vs USQ FC
One point separated these rivals at the end of the regular season – USQ taking top spot on the ladder with 44 points ahead of Willowburn.
The result after 21 games is proof of just how little difference there was between the two sides over the course of the year.
The two sides have developed a strong rivalry over the past two years – trading tackles, cards and goals with neither team able to assert true
dominance.
USQ are the current premiers, though, and Willowburn will be hoping for spot of revenge in the grand final.
Willowburn advanced straight into the final with a measured 3-1 semi-final victory.
“Our spirits were high after the game – the boys are hungry,” Willowburn coach Nic Rundle said.
“We restricted them to setpieces chances and take a degree of confidence from that result.
“We are aware that the final is a totally different game though, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels.”
Dominating the second phase of “50-50” plays will be the key victory, according to Rundle.
“One thing Uni always do well is get numbers around the ball,” he said.
“They win a lot of the second and third phase because they have those numbers and then move forward quickly.
“We have to make sure we have the numerical advantage in those situations so we can win possession and play our style of football.”
USQ’s game plan will be “sticking to the game plan”, according to coach Matt Proctor.
“We have to be better at what we do best,” Proctor said.
“When we play we have a plan, a plan that helps us play to our strengths.
“When we stick to that plan we tend to get the results we want.
“The key is confidence and belief. We have to believe that when we play at our best we will win.”