Final round Cobram and co

August 18 2009

Shepparton News

Cobram's two teams have it all to play for when they meet in the final round of Goulburn North East Football Association after the Tigers and Victory posted results to keep their top four chances alive at the weekend.

Shepparton United made the finals race a battle between three teams for one position after its 2-0 win against Tatura made the Blues safe and threw the Ibises into a difficult top four equation.

Cobram emerged level 2-2 from its match against minor premier Shepparton South, while Victory routed Numurkah 8-0.

Victory's win lifted it to 22 points, fourth on the ladder from Tatura in fifth on 20 points and plus 14 goals and Cobram on 20 points and plus three.

United is safely in the finals, holding third on 24 points while Shepparton on 25 points is second.

The Cobram derby will decide the fourth finalist next weekend if Tatura fails to beat Shepparton South in the last round.

Goals to Connor Campbell and Jon Stokes gave South the lead on two occasions at Cobram Showgrounds on Sunday, but the Tigers equalised twice through Frank Bazzano and then Daniele Raco with less than 15 minutes remaining.

"We all expect it to go to the wire, destiny is in our own hands," Cobram coach Rocky Papalia said.

"We had good chances to win straight after it (the second equaliser)."

At Howley Oval, Shepparton United secured its finals place after two superb solo goals guided it past Tatura.

Luke Harrop beat a defender and finished neatly in the first half to give United the lead, before a swerving long shot from Fahed Alghazaly sealed the points early in the second half.

At Numurkah Youth Club, a hat-trick to Nick Mantovani led the scoring as Victory won 8-0 against the Knights.

Joey Crea snared two goals for Victory, while Travis Luff, Nazz Santoro and Cameron Miles all scored one goal each.

Rocky Papalia yesterday ended confusion about a potential third yellow card and onematch suspension for key player Carl Fannon by saying Michael Boncaldo had been booked for a body check with Fannon in the vicinity.

Fannon took two yellow cards into Cobram's match against Shepparton South at the weekend, a third would have ruled him out for the Tigers' all-important match against Cobram Victory next weekend.

Goulburn association secretary Sam Saracino said the league was checking the match record with referee Brian Campbell to clarify the bookings. Only four of Cobram's five yellow cards were posted on the league website yesterday.