Deniliquin District Soccer Club wrapped up its regular season last Saturday with close contests, plenty of goals and some fantastic displays of teamwork and sportsmanship.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
It sets the scene perfectly for grand final day tomorrow.
It kicks off at Rotary Park tomorrow with the first matches beginning at 9.30am.
A-grade will use a round-robin finals format, with 25-minute matches between A1 and A2, A2 and A3, and then A3 and A1, before the top two teams play off for first and second place.
All A-grade players are asked to be ready for a 9.30am sharp kick-off.
Also at 9.30am, B3 and B4 will battle for B-grade gold, while B1 faces B2.
DDSC’s Kangas and Joeys will also be out enjoying their final morning of soccer for the season.
From 10.30am, C3 and C4 will play for C-grade gold, with C1 taking on C2.
In D-grade, D2 and D3 will battle for gold, while D1 faces D4.
Players are reminded to bring an extra shirt tomorrow, as team managers will be collecting DDSC team shirts following the games.
Players, officials and their families will celebrate the season with a presentation afternoon and disco at the Denilqiuin RSL Club from 4pm.
Results from last round are as follows:
A-grade
A1 and A4 delivered one of the closest contests of the morning, with A4 holding on for a thrilling 5-4 victory.
Enzo Sztejman was outstanding for A1, scoring a hat-trick, while Lydia Hornung added a fantastic goal of her own.
A1 played a structured game, moving the ball around well and looking to exploit openings in the opposition.
They created plenty of opportunities but couldn’t quite find the net often enough until Enzo found the net several times in a late charge.
By the final whistle, A1 were left feeling another 10 minutes might have been all they needed to turn the result around.
For the A4 Open side, Ramy Labib added another tricky goal to his tally for the season.
The excitement continued when A2 and A3 went head-to-head, with A3 eventually sneaking home 4-3.
It was an evenly matched contest from beginning to end, with the teams going goal-for-goal.
Elliot Loughridge was instrumental in some well-structured play for A2, while Raj Goll produced an excellent second half, finding space and continually troubling the opposition goalkeeper.
Jaxon Moroney was also outstanding in defence in another stellar performance.
B-grade
B4 recorded a 3-0 win over B1, but the scoreline didn’t reflect the determination shown by both sides.
Levi Robson starred with all three goals for B4, including a memorable effort that struck the top bar before bouncing into the net.
Gus McGrillen was strong throughout, following instructions and working tirelessly, while Mitch Burn held his position well out wide and was desperately unlucky to miss what would have been a ripping goal.
B4’s positioning and teamwork were a highlight, while B1 continued to battle hard and showed great determination right through to the final whistle.
B3 also finished the regular season on a high with a 3-1 victory over B2.
There was plenty of yellow on the field, with B2 celebrating its biggest player turnout of the season.
Yellow worked hard, but the Green and Whites proved too strong on the day to claim a well-deserved win.
C-grade
C1 and C4 produced one of the closest and most exciting matches of the season, with C4 eventually taking a 1-0 victory.
The Fury were put under enormous pressure in a contest featuring big tackles, plenty of intensity and some moments that certainly tested their patience.
Despite the pressure, C1 kept their heads up, stuck together and continued fighting for every ball.
The result may not have gone their way, but their determination and teamwork certainly did, with the players refusing to give up throughout the contest.
Congratulations also went to Jennifer Loughridge, who received the Sports Person Award following a fantastic individual effort.
C2 secured a 3-1 victory over C3 in another hard-fought match.
Orange hustled from start to finish and seemed to be everywhere across the field, earning a deserved victory.
C3 continued working hard throughout but couldn’t quite find the openings they needed.
D-grade
One of the best moments of the weekend came during D1 and D4’s clash.
With D1 having only four players available, D4 showed wonderful sportsmanship by lending two Green players to their opposition, so everyone could enjoy a proper game.
The cold weather may have slowed a few legs, but both teams battled through, with D4 eventually taking a 2-1 victory.
It was a fantastic example of junior sport at its best with the players helping each other out and making sure everyone gets the opportunity to play.
D2 and D3 couldn’t be separated, finishing with an entertaining 2-2 draw.
Riley Raper dominated in defence for D2 with his strong kicking and slide tackles, while Frankie Murphy took on the goalkeeping duties and Gabriel Olabampe scored both goals.
For D3, Liam Hill and Gus Donaldson found the back of the net, while some excellent team play and defensive work helped contain Purple’s stronger players.
Yellow’s consistent effort and improvement throughout the season left their coach extremely proud heading into the final weekend.
Kangas and Joeys
Warmer conditions saw plenty more smiling faces return for Kangas and Joeys last Saturday.
After a short session of skills and drills, the youngsters were eager to get into their big game, with much larger teams taking to the field.
Passing to teammates remains a work in progress (there may have been a few own goals along the way) but there was certainly no shortage of fun.
For DDSC’s youngest players, it was another morning filled with smiles, learning and plenty of enthusiasm.
