Unanderra outlast Picton to book place in 2020 District League grand final

The Hearts will meet minor premiers Oak Flats in the 2020 grand final at Ian McLennan Park this Saturday after securing a hard-fought 7-3 win over Picton in this year's preliminary final.

It's understood that it's been at least 16 years since Unanderra made the grand final.

Reaching the decider is an impressive effort for coach Rod Williams in his first year at the Hearts. He arrived with wealth of experience, with his record including previous stints at NPL club APIA Leichhardt and fellow South Coast clubs Coniston and Albion Park.

Williams' believes the Hearts' success comes down to good team chemistry.

"I think a lot of the thing is about getting the right squad. Sometimes it doesn't have to the best squad on paper, but you've got have the right chemistry," he said.

"Going from APIA to 'Cono', Albion Park and now Unanderra, a lot of people don't realise but this will be my seventh grand final in 10 or 11 years. I've got a pretty good record. But I've never had great sides. It's a case of building good chemistry, that's what gets you over the line. It doesn't have to be a team full of super stars."

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However, Saturday's preliminary final was much closer than the final scoreline indicated.

The game was forced into extra time to decide a winner after the score was locked at 3-all at full time. In the end, a Hearts' blitz of four goals in just 16 minutes proved the difference at JJ Kelly Park.

Unanderra's Mark Picciolini scored in the 99th minute - completing a double - to give his side a 4-3 lead. Teammate Save Treneski then scored six minutes later to give the Hearts a 5-3 advantage at the break.

Piccilioni then completed his hat trick two minutes into the second half of extra time, before Treneski's second goal in the 115^th minute rounded out the victory.

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While delighted to reach the grand final, Williams was full of praise for his opposition.

"We did it the hard way, but they had a depleted squad. For me, it was a bit of a hollow victory to be honest because they had eight or nine players missing. And the guys that came in for them gave us a fright, they took us to extra time," he said.

"It was much like the Fernhill game [Unanderra won 2-1 in extra time last week]. That was a game that she would have well done and dusted, early doors. You let teams in, gave them the odd sniff and they scored a couple of goals to take the lead. Between the 70^th minute to the 90^th minute, we had five golden opportunities to just put them away, and it just didn't happen. And it went to extra time.

"Once it got to 3-all, I knew it was all over for them. They were laying on the pitch. But they took us to the nth degree, mate."