Coast domination in F-League finals
GOLD Coast Force is the inaugural Football Queensland F-League Futsal Champion, but it was made to work for the crowning moment at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena.
Force capped a flawless season by completing the coveted premiership-championship double, overcoming Gold Coast rivals Crusaders FC 7-6 in an extra-time epic that had multiple moments for the highlights reel.
Force captain Thirone Correia had himself a grand final to remember with a hattrick performance, but it was Dallas Dack’s long-range strike with a minute to play in extra time that ultimately sealed the deal.
Force started like a house on fire with two goals in the opening stanza and later led 4-1 in the first half, before a late strike sent the match into halftime at 4-2 in the premier’s favour.
Soon after the restart a red card reduced Force to four men – goalkeeper Reza Behbahani’s fantastic save denying Crusaders from the penalty spot.
But the underdogs made the breakthrough not long after. At 4-3, Correia was played in one-on-one and brought down just outside the area. His Crusaders opponent was this time shown a red for his challenge.
Force made the most of the man advantage by extending the lead to 5-3, but with time expiring the plucky Crusaders produced two stunning goals to send the match into extra time.
Scott Fenn turned in a deflection at the goalmouth to give Force a 6-5 lead at the end of the first period of extra time.
But as they had done at every decisive moment to that point, Crusaders found the equaliser and the match again hung on a knife’s edge.
With both sides bringing in the quick subs and rotating their goalkeepers on and off for a fifth outfield player for each attacking foray, it was the Force, through Dack, that made the breakthrough a minute from time.
The Force was crowned inaugural F-League champion but Crusaders – the first team to get within three goals of their Gold Coast rivals all season – were far from disgraced.
It was not all bad news for Crusaders, however, because the women’s team romped to a comprehensive 11-1 win over River City in the earlier encounter.
Crusaders entered the final as pre-emptive title favourites having only dropped points once all season – in a 6-6 draw with Ipswich.
The premiers cruised to a 5-1 halftime advantage and never looked like faltering, making it a Gold Coast grand final double in the F-League.
RESULTS
F-League men’s grand final: Gold Coast Force 7 def Crusaders FC 6.
Women: Crusaders FC 11 def River City 1.