Caboolture Claim CL4 Silverware In Grand Final Success
Caboolture 2 (Muzyka 59’ (pen), Cleary 68’)
Samford Rangers 1 (Godsell 90+2’) HT 0-0
Played at AJ Kelly Park
Caboolture have withstood an opening half hour salvo from Samford Rangers to take out the Capital 4 Grand Final 2-1 on Sunday evening.
Samford's Ryan Gleeson lines up a shot on goal.
Two free kicks awarded to Samford inside the first five minutes set the tone for the opening exchanges. The League’s Player of the Year, Ryan Gleeson had an opportunity at the edge of the box with teammate Dane Forsyth providing a distraction in the Caboolture wall but keeper Jason Shields adjusted well to deny an early opener. Another potential gilt-edged opportunity came for the Rangers ten minutes later as Steven Cross made a dangerous run into the box. He failed to sense the situation though with Forsyth awaiting his cross. The extra seconds allowing the defence to recover in time to shut down the Capital Leagues Golden Boot winner. More potential danger ensued for the Snakes in their defensive areas. Cross delivered a well-timed ball in for Wade Godsell who was waiting just outside the six-yard box. His header guided into the ground but still towards goal forcing a sharp reflex save from Shields. The turning point in the match came at the half hour mark through Caboolture’s best opportunity of the half. Mitch Sheumack got a slightly off-balanced turn just inside the box that tested Samford gloveman Lachlan James. That seemed to be the spark from which the Snakes found their groove. Tom Swane has three chances prior to the halftime whistle to put his side ahead at the break. Firstly when he attempted to steer in high at the far post and then to play provider. Steering a low cross towards the six-yard box, the ball narrowly slipped in front of Steven Cleary while a third attempt was blocked by James. Shortly after the break, a Cleary free kick got a quick touch on by Sheumack found Sam Heaney where once again James was called into action to block the shot from close range. James would continue to be in the thick of the action to keep his side from conceding. After hesitation in his backline, he was the last line of defence when Sheumack latched onto a long ball into the box. He then pulled off a wonderful one-handed save as Cleary put one on target. The pressure would finally tell though when Liam Harris took Muzyka’s feet from under him inside the box. Referee Carmelo Pulvirenti gave little thought in pointing to the spot with. The Caboolture forward going on to convert his own penalty. Cleary would make a more comfortable buffer for his side ten minutes later. After drawing a save out of James a minute earlier, he would go one better when Swane provided perfect delivery to head home inside the six-yard box at the midway point of the second stanza. It looked like the dam walls might break from that point. Heaney and Swane combining but thwarted by James Gray who arrived on the scene in the nick of time to prevent a third goal. Showing they were sticking in it to the end, Samford immediately went end to end where Forsyth was in the end of the movement and on the turn forced Shields into a save with his feet. Gleeson also attempted to get his side back into the contest after a Caboolture error deep in their defensive area but Kieran Worthington was on hand to tidy up for the mistake. Samford provided some late heart murmurs for the Snakes supporters when Godsell scored in stoppage time but it proved to be only a consolation with full-time blown shortly after. Caboolture can now look forward to life in Capital 3 in 2017 as they attempt a charge up the Football Brisbane hierarchy while despite scoring 136 goals for the season, Samford will be forced to spend another year in Capital 4 as the club continues its rebuilding stage after sliding down through the leagues in recent years. In the earlier reserves Grand Final between the same two clubs, Caboolture prevailed 4-0.
FB Media Player Of The Match: Ben Muzyka (Caboolture)
Looked the most likely on a number of occasions to break the deadlock in the match and would finally prove to do so from the penalty spot.
Team line-ups
Caboolture: Shields (gk), Cleary, Hayes, S. Heaney, Henderson, Muzyka, Sheumack, Swane, Thompson, Wordsworth, Worthington. Subs: Baines, Barnett, B. Heaney, Lawson Samford Rangers: James (gk), Crooks, Cross, Forsyth, R. Gleeson, Godsell, Gray, Harris, McKee, Stansfield, Steele. Subs: Broughton, C. Gleeson, Newnham, Davidson
Referee: Carmelo Pulvirenti
