IT was arguably the most tense preliminary final in the history of the men’s Premier League Hockey competition, but when Souths emerged 4-3 penalty shoot out victors on Saturday that tension turned to elation.
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Souths had let a 2-0 lead slip against Lithgow Zig Zag at Bob Roach Field, the visitors showing plenty of heart as they came back to force extra-time.
Those 15 minutes of extra-time failed to produce a golden goal, so the grand final qualifier came down to penalties.
It took eight attempts for a victor to be found, Souths celebrating after they watched Zac Sharp’s effort get past goalkeeper John Rudge but strike the post and deflect away.
Rudge, who had also made three brilliant blocks during the second half, was the hero for Souths.
“Rudgey for us was player of the game in both field play and that last bit there, he was fantastic,” Souths coach Ray Winwood-Smith said.
“One of the things that we planned to do was come out and be strong and we did that. After that it was just an arm wrestle, a real fight.
“They came out hard at us in the second half, they were the better team in the second half – no doubt about that.
“But you make your own luck and at the end of the day we did. I won’t say it was a pretty game, but it was gutsy.”
Before it came down to penalties, Souths started in impressive fashion as the side looked to join Lithgow Panthers in the grand final.
After five minutes the hosts had the lead from a penalty corner play. The ball was laid off to the right where Jono Baillie deflected it back to the left and Adam Campbell slotted home.
Seven minutes later it was 2-0 as Kerrod Ferguson blasted the ball into the circle and Bryce Hitchcock deflected it past Zig Zag goalkeeper Luke Thurtell.
But in the second half Zig Zag wrestled back momentum.
Chris Williams and Luke Sheppard both drew class saves from Rudge, before Sheppard found the mark in a congested circle.
That made it 2-1 with 27 minutes left.
With 3.19 left on the clock Zig Zag got the equaliser they needed when Williams dispossessed a defender and beat Rudge in a one-on-one.
In extra-time Sheppard, Eli Shirt and Ben Kelly all had on target attempts blocked by Rudge, but it remained 2-all.
In the shoot out Thurtell saved three of the first four attempts against him, while Rudge shut down Zig Zag’s third, fourth and fifth efforts.
Both sides scored off attempt six and missed their seventh. Jono Cole then converted for Souths while Sharp’s effort – as close as it was – did not go in.
“I never thought it was gone, I had confidence in the guys, but I knew it would just come down to a bit of luck,” Winwood-Smith said.