On Campus Soccer Special

Grand final misery for ANU soccer stars

A golden goal in the dying minutes of extra time denied the ANU public service soccer team this year’s Public Service Soccer trophy.

In a rerun of the 2002 Grand Final, ANU lost 1–0 to arch rivals Tax National at the Willows Oval on 8 October.

With the scores level at 0–0 at the end of full time, the game went to extra time with a sudden death golden goal to decide the winner.

In the second last minute of the second five-minute half of extra time Tax won a throw-in near the ANU goal, with the ball falling to Tax’s Manuel Semano whose powerful shot beat two defenders, leaving only ANU keeper John Tucker between the University side and grand final defeat for the second year running. Tucker managed to get a hand to the ball, but it trickled over the line giving the trophy to Tax with a minute to go before a penalty shoot out.

In an evenly matched game, Tax had the better of the first half, with the best chance of the first twenty minutes hitting the crossbar. ANU came back well to dominate the second half with Tony Halton’s strike kept out by the woodwork.

Speaking after the game, ANU player-organiser Eric Ward vowed the side would have its revenge in next year’s competition.

“We were a bit distraught after the game, particularly as it was the same score line to the same team as last year, but we’ll get onto it and come back to whoop them next year,” he said.

ANU had dominated the lunchtime competition with thirteen consecutive grand final victories until a strong Tax National stole their crown in 2002.

The University team had looked on course to win back the title after thrashing Defence 4–0 in the semi-final, but could not overcome the determined Tax side.

“It was a high class game and we lost in a tough, evenly-fought struggle,” Mr Ward added.

F&S retain Purple Shin

The 2003 Purple Shin crown has been won by Facilities and Services for the fourth year in a row.

Goals either side of half-time gave the champions a 2–0 win over the Research School of Chemistry in the hard-fought final of the lunchtime nine-a-side staff competition.

Despite resolute defending by RSC, with support from their labcoat-wearing fans, Lalit Prasad’s 15th minute goal gave F&S a first half lead. RSC was denied an equaliser by the crossbar early in the second half, only for the chemists to concede a penalty moments later for Dave Lupton’s challenge on Lino Fiorese, which Peter Thompson converted to double F&S’ lead.

The competition is open to ANU staff and postgraduate students and will restart in May.

For more information, email:
john.tucker@anu.edu.au

Photo: RSC players Adam Wright, left, and Mick Sherburn, right, put Facilities and Services’ Adrian Paragalli under pressure in the final of the Purple Shin. By Tim Wetherell

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