Shellharbour have created history by claiming the inaugural Illawarra Women's Premier League grand final with a dramatic 2-0 extra time win against league champions Woonona.
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It looked for all money that the match would be headed to the dreaded penalty shootout. That was until the 106th minute when Ariana Fleming broke Woonona's hearts.
Then the result was put beyond doubt in the second period of extra time when Nikola Wilson scored a wonderful chipped goal to make it 2-0 and hand her team the championship.
Player of the match Mikayla De Jong said her team deserved the win.
"The girls have been incredible all season," she said.
"We've really put in 100 per cent coming to training and the coaches put in such a great effort. It's so amazing. We've worked for it for years now.
"We got runners up a few times so to win it now is pretty special."
The central defender heaped praise on league champions Woonona.
"Woonona have put in such a fight all season. We beat them once and then we drew with them a few times. But today we've taken them to extra time and we've cleaned up and we did it.
"The girls are just so sick I love them so much."
Meanwhile it was Ariana Fleming with the moment of the game when she broke the deadlock midway through the first half of extra time.
"[When I scored it was] unbelievable. We really thought we could win it from there," Fleming said.
"We just all stuck together and believed we would win. Woonona played amazing and we fought hard, we were hungry.
"It's just amazing. You've got to thank all the coaches and the players it's just amazing to finally get a win in the first women's Premier League."
The Sharks had already picked up the league championship in the first season of the revamped competition but in the end rued missed chances in the grand final which would have secured them a double triumph.
There was nothing to separate the two sides in the first half with the best chance falling to Shellharbour's Katelyn Leadbeatter and Jessica Beale for the Sharks.
In the second half both sides pushed hard but ultimately the match couldn't be decided in regulation time.
The game moved into extra time and it looked for all money that neither goal would be troubled but Fleming got in behind the Sharks defence and scored.
Wilson put the result beyond doubt late in extra time and Shellharbour won the title.
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Jordan Warren
Illawarra Mercury sports journalist. Feel free to get in touch jordan.warren@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
Illawarra Mercury sports journalist. Feel free to get in touch jordan.warren@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
