Mariners feature in under 14s final in record-breaking Bathurst Cup

No more than 60 teams entered for this year's all-boys football competition, with teams travelling from as far as the Australian Capital Territory, South Coast, Dubbo and Sydney to compete in the two-day tournament.

Both the Mariners and Bathurst District Football entered teams in the competition, but it was only the Mariners under 14s boys side that managed to progress out of the pool stage, where they defeated Macarthur 3−0 in the semi-final to put them into the grand final against Blacktown Spartans. 

But it was the boys from Western Sydney who ended up claiming bragging rights after cruising past the local hopefuls 4−0. 

Spartans coach Paul Bertolissio said the tournament win was a great effort considering they had no reserves until the Sunday. 

"It's been a great effort by the boys, considering we started with 11 fit players to start the tournament. We got one back on Sunday though," he said. 

"It's great to play the country boys and get a good hit-out."

Bertolissio praised the Bathurst Cup tournament, saying it provides plenty of preparation for their upcoming campaign. 

"For me, it's a great pre-season preparation for the new NPL 1 season. I'm really proud with the boys performance," he said. 

"Mariners are a good outfit and they really took it to us, until the last couple of minutes when we ran away with.

"It was a good opposition across the two days and that's why we come to these tournaments. It's great to play the country boys and get a good hit-out." 

It proved a successful weekend for Spartans, as their under 16s side also won their grand final, defeating Canberra-based side Belconnen United 1−0.

In the under 15 boys grand final, Football South Coast played Bankstown United in the grand final, but it was in Bankstown's semi-final where all the drama happened.

Bankstown were tied at 1−all with Blacktown Spartans, with the game set to go to extra-time. 

But up stood a Bankstown striker to score the winner with the last kick of the game. 

Cue wild celebrations, as the entire Bankstown bench ran over to their teammates to celebrate the winning goal.

Unfortunately, Bankstown couldn't carry that momentum into the grand final, losing to Football South Coast 2−0.

Sutherland Shire proved too strong in the under 13s grand final, defeating their rivals from Queanbeyan, the Monaro Panthers, 1−0.

Player of the tournament went to Sutherland's Marko Popovic (under 13s), Spartans' Andre Dera (under 14s), South Coast's Jayden Makowski (under 15s) and Spartans' Luke Haddad (under 16s).

The weekend was also the first time the new scoreboard was on display at Proctor Park's main field, as well as new dugouts for the benches on field one and two, providing shelter for the substitute players. 

Come next Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3, it'll be the girls taking centre stage for the Proctor Park Challenge, with over 60 teams from across NSW and the ACT entered for the two-day tournament.