Wollongong United will get the chance to secure the Premier League premiership double after surviving a scare from rivals Cringila in Sunday's preliminary final to advance to this year's decider.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
In a mostly dour affair at Macedonia Park, United took a 1-0 lead into halftime thanks to a goal from Klime Sekutkoski.
The Lions fought back through some Anthony Krsteski magic to draw level in the 72nd minute, however, their joy was short lived, with substitute Jeremy Flanagan producing the winner just minutes later to fire his side into the 2022 grand final, where they will meet rivals Olympic next weekend at WIN Stadium.
"It's a dream come true. A player like me would do anything for this team, so I'm just happy to get the minutes and get the goal for a champion side," Flanagan told the Mercury.
"It's not a privilege to get into a grand final, you've got to earn it. And throughout the season, this team has put in countless great performances in the Australia Cup and the league, and we showed it again today at 'Maso' Park. It was a massive finals win.
"My hat goes off to 'Crini', it's crazy what they've built under [coaches] Jorge [De Matos] and 'Ice' [Icko Atanasoski] in just one year, and they've got a massive fan base. So credit to them, it was a good season for their boys, but they were just a bit unlucky today."
Neither side really took the ascendancy in the opening 10 minutes, with each team having a couple of half-chances. The physical contest continued for the majority of the half, but the score remained 0-0 after 30 minutes.
United's best opportunity came in the 34th minute when Sekutkoski found space down the wing, but his crossed couldn't find a teammate in the box. At the other end, the ball found Ryan Akhurt's head from a corner, but his attempt was well stopped by gloveman Jacob Madden.
However, it was the hosts who drew first blood when Sekutkoski found the bottom corner off a deflection in the 39th minute as United led 1-0.
Cringila nearly had the immediate reply when Ben Zucco's cross found Peter Simonoski's head, but his shot just went over the cross bar.
Heading into the dying minutes, United captain Danny Lazarevski almost doubled his side's lead with a header from short range, which was tipped over the bar by Cringila goalkeeper Nikola Ristevski. From the corner, Kyah Jovanovski also had a half-chance, but Ristevski was up to the task.
However, the score remained 1-0 at halftime.
United came firing out of the blocks in the second stanza, with James Stojanovski winding up from long range, but his attempt swung wide. Josh Correia also had a chance inside the box, however, he was denied by Ristevski.
At the other end, Andre Dias appeared to have finally got the equaliser, however, his shot hit the side of the net.
Momentum continued to swing towards Cringila midway through the half, highlighted by Simonoski taking a long, low shot, but he was denied by Madden. Against the run of play, Dinko Terzic fired a shot, but his attempt slid past the goal mouth.
However, it was the Lions who would score next, with Krsteski mustering a crisp chip shot over Madden's head to draw level at 1-1 in the 72nd minute.
Cringila's joy would prove short lived. A great cross found the foot of Flanagan at the far post, who tapped it home two minutes later to give United a 2-1 lead.
Heading into the final 10 minutes, Cringila continued to press hard, forcing a number of corners. Ben Zucco threatened from long range from a corner, with his shot just going over the bar.
However, it was United who wrestled back the ascendancy late in the game, as they threatened to extend their lead to two goals. They weren't able to find the back of the net again, but did enough to prevail 2-1.
Cringila forward Peter Simonoski was left frustrated by the result.
"It was tough today, but we dug deep. In the first half, we didn't play our best, but credit to the boys, we came out pushing in the second half and got that equaliser, but there was a lack of concentration and they tapped it in at the back post, which hurt us," he said.
"I'm really proud of boys and the effort they've put in. We've been playing do-or-die football for the past three months. But it's not just the boys, it's the coaching staff and everyone involved in the club. It's massive, it's only heads up from here, and we'll come back stronger next year."
Illawarra Sports Awards
The Mercury, in partnership with the Illawarra Academy Of Sport and presenting sponsor Illawarra Credit Union, is hosting the Illawarra Sports Awards, to be held on Thursday, November 10 at the Fraternity Club.
TICKETS: Purchase individual tickets or tables at https://events.humanitix.com/illawarra-sports-awards
NOMINATE: Get your nominations in for the Team Of The Year, Coach Of The Year and Local Hero Volunteer Of The Year
VOTE: Who will win the Mercury People's Choice Award? Read about their achievements HERE and vote.