After finishing the last three seasons as minor premiers and playing in three grand finals, M&C Parisi Floorboards finally managed to nail an Indoor Soccer competition title with a thrilling 3-2 win last Wednesday night over Endeavor.
The match was also a replay of last year’s grand final, but on that occasion Endeavor won the encounter 5-4.
In last Wednesday night’s grand final M&C Parisi Floorboards took the lead early and, for most of the match held the upper hand, until a late goal from Endeavor brought them to within a whisker of recording back-to-back grand final wins.
M&C Parisi Floorboards goaled early thanks to an accurate kick four and a half minutes into play by Shannon Purton which gave them a handy 2-0 lead, (female goals are worth two points).
Despite being heavily marked all game as Endeavor’s danger man, Jade Buckman slotted through a goal in the later stages of the first half to keep them in the match and Endeavor trailed 1-2.
Despite having no male subs and only one female sub, Floorboards’ Rob Childs, Jason Foster, Kyle Cartner, Ben Turton, Purton, Michelle Lovegrove and Sarah Bottom kept up their high work rates up and down the court until eventually Childs was rewarded with a goal which gave them a handy 3-1 advantage at the break.
That margin however could have been much greater had it not been for the outstanding efforts of Endeavor’s goalie, Jimmy Suroto.
Suroto was most definitely the hardest working player on the court.
Throughout the match he displayed incredible athleticism and the reflexes of a cat as his goal was peppered time after time by the Floorboards’ strikers.
His determination and skills earned him the Player of the Grand Final accolade.
With Endeavor’s ‘handyman’ Buckman constantly shut down, it was left up to the rest of the team to create opportunities.
Bonnie Buckman was brilliant in the mid court and ‘stole’ the ball on a number of occasions from the Floorboards (Childs was even seen to applaud her efforts on an occasion after she took the ball off him).
Irene Mukwindidza was dangerous in the goal circle and the Floorboards goalies were kept busy keeping her contained, particularly in the second half.
With just one and a half minutes to play, Patrick Mukwindidza, cool, calmly and collectedly slotted in a goal for Endeavor to give them hope of catching the Floorboards.
With the score at 3-2, urgent and frenetic play ensued however Endeavor couldn’t improve on that margin and M&C Parisi Floorboards were able to celebrate the grand final win.
Following the game, the grand final and end of season presentations were held.
M&C Parisi Floorboards players featured heavily with Rob Childs winning the Male Best & Fairest title with eight points for the season along with being the season’s Highest Male Goal Scorer with 13 goals.
Floorboards’ Shannon Purton, with seven goals, was the Highest Female Goal Scorer.
Teachers 1’s Bianka Jacobson was the Best & Fairest Female Player and Andrew Coffey collected the Encouragement Award.
Endeavor’s Jimmy Suroto was voted the Best Goalie of the season.
