Shellharbour’s junior footballers have returned home from their most successful Kanga Cup tournament, with three teams taking out their respective divisions.
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The under 11 boys, under 14 girls and under 16 girls were all victorious, defeating a number of high-profile NPL teams on the way to their titles.
The results are a significant improvement on last year, where two teams qualified for the final, but were unable to claim the trophy.
Shellharbour Junior Football Club president Yani Sekuloski said all the children from the six teams the club took to Canberra had a great time playing against a range of different opponents.
“It was a great week,” Sekuloski said. “All the children had a great time, we had great weather and it was great to see all the Shellharbour teams supporting each other.”
The under 11 boys swept through the group stages undefeated, setting up a final showdown with Mosman. Despite defeating Mosman earlier in the competition, Shellharbour were prepared for a tough game and ultimately prevailed 1-0.
The under 14 girls finished the group stages with four wins and a loss, the defeat coming at the hands of Victorian powerhouse South Melbourne, 4-1.
The girls recovered to defeat Canberra United in the semi-final, setting up a rematch with South Melbourne. Shellharbour were able to successfully turn the tables, claiming a 3-1 victory over their more fancied opponents.
The under 16 girls opened their campaign with a draw against Concord, before winning four-straight matches to qualify for the semi-finals. The girls overcame Townsville 2-1 to set up a decider against Concord.
The two sides again could not be split, with scores locked at nil-all heading into extra-time. The girls fought hard for the match-winner but were unable to find the back of the net, ensuring the winner would be decided by penalties.
The Shellharbour players held their nerve, prevailing 4-3 in a tense shootout to secure the girls under 16 plate.