Blues seize the moment

September 15 2009

Shepparton News

Shepparton United has pulled off the upset of the season by defeating Shepparton 1-0 in a brutal and intense Goulburn North East Football Association preliminary final at Numurkah on Sunday.

A second-half strike from the Blues' Fahed Alghazaly separated the teams in a physical game which was played on terms that contrasted sharply with the last meeting between the teams.

Some spectacular saves from Joe Perkovic{aac} came to United's rescue as the Blues advanced to next weekend's grand final against Shepparton South and ended Shepparton's back-to-back premiership defence.

A pitch not favourable to Shepparton's forwards Andy Rushbury and Duncan Whitlam put United's quick attacking players in the ascendancy, while the referee rarely halted the game despite frequent collisions that appeared to be fouls.

United had the better of the first half with Luke Harrop forcing a save from Jarrod Moore with the Blues' top clear-cut opportunity.

Shepparton created few chances in the first half, with Marquin Smith's running from the midfield the biggest threat to the United backline.

Perkovic{aac} kept United level 15 minutes into the second half when he saved a Whitlam strike from close range.

On 67 minutes United broke through when Harrop galloped down the right sideline and crossed to Alghazaly who trapped and finished from close range at the far post.

The match descended into a slog in the last 20 minutes of regular time, with frequent stops for injury and also an incident on the sidelines where an orange-coated match official tore off his bib and threw it to the ground after an altercation with a linesman.

The combined delays meant 10 minutes of stoppage time was played, with United surviving a shout for hand-ball in the penalty area against Jimmy Avram and a desperate scramble where Rushbury was unable to get the ball on his boot for a shot with Perkovic{aac} caught out of position.

Second-half substitute Ahmet Savran almost sealed the game for United nine minutes into stoppage time when his counterattack run and shot hit the post, but the final whistle sounded seconds later to put the Blues through.