It was a weekend of disappointment for several Noosa Lions teams as their Preliminary Final campaigns came to an end.
Despite the setbacks, the club can reflect on a season of excellent football across all age groups. And while the seniors fell just short, three Noosa sides – the Men’s Under-23s, the Under-15 Division 1 Boys, and the Under-12/13 Division 2 Girls – will carry the club’s hopes into this weekend’s Grand Finals at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
The Under-18 Blue team, crowned Minor Premiers, suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Woombye despite taking an early lead. In a tight contest where both defences stood firm, the young Lions impressed with their technical football and fighting spirit but couldn’t find a way through.
Woombye’s good day continued as their Under-23s booked a Grand Final clash against Noosa, before the senior Men edged past the Lions 1-0 in a hard-fought battle.
The Men’s Preliminary Final began at a frantic pace on a dry, dusty pitch, with neither side able to take control. Clear-cut chances were rare, but Noosa goalkeeper Cameron Boldy was called into action late in the first half, making two excellent saves to keep the scores level. At the other end, Sunny Law came close after latching onto a Jack Williams through-ball, only to be denied by the Woombye keeper.
After the break, Noosa pressed forward. Oli Williams tested the defence with a sharp strike from the edge of the area, while Ollie Blackmore’s clever turn and shot flew narrowly over the bar. The Lions enjoyed their best spell of the game, with Harry Neal and Mitch Bridge both going close, but it was Woombye who struck first. A swift attack down the right ended with Boldy saving the initial header, only for the rebound to be forced home.
Woombye almost doubled their lead but were denied by a brilliant Boldy reaction save. Noosa rang the changes, introducing Adey, Dresher, and Thompson in search of an equaliser. The disruption briefly unsettled the side, but with time running down, they rallied. Thompson thought he had levelled in the 77th minute, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
As the clock ticked into stoppage time, Oli Williams came within inches of rescuing the Lions, his snap-shot flashing just wide of the post. Woombye held firm to secure their place in the Grand Final against Caloundra, and as the dust settled, leaving Noosa to rue what might have been.
A disappointing end to a great season for the Premier Men’s team, but Coaches Matt Digwood and Michael Williams remain upbeat “Our under 23s have an excellent chance to complete the Championship Double. We’re very excited for the future of the club, with 24 different players experiencing Premier Mens football this season, with many of those being Under 20yrs. We’ve also integrated several of our Under 18s squad into Senior Mens football with Noah Dowling, Jack Robertson and Huey Law all making debuts and another dozen playing in Under 23s games. Go Lions!”
