The longer Saturday’s Northern Inland Premier League reserve grade grand final went, the more confident North Companions coach Gavin Thompson was.
Sure, Northies scored a pair of goals against Demon Knights to set up the win to claim their second straight crown which, of course, gives a coach confidence but that confidence came well before the first goal was scored.
”They came at us strong in the first half but I thought at the end of the first half we were starting to get the better of them,” Thompson said.
“That continued in the second half. We really limited their chances in the second and created plenty ourselves which told on the scoreline.”
At half-time the score read 0-0 and it wasn’t until two thirds of the way into the game before Northies struck.
Liam Wood was the man to break the deadlock when he hit a shot from the right side of goal along the ground past the keeper.
The clincher came three minutes out from full-time when Jack Young knocked a ball home.
Young was just one of Northies’ top performers on the day, according to Thompson.
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“Scott Beaton was superb today and young Jack Young up front came on halfway through the first half and just played brilliantly,” Thompson said.
“He got a reward with the second goal and provided the assist with the first goal.”
At the start of the year, Thompson wasn’t going to coach but managed to get pulled back into the fold.
He was glad he did but said this could be his swansong.
“There’s a lot of effort that goes into it,” Thompson said of coaching.
“You’re the first one to turn up to training and the last one to leave.
“It can be a very unappreciated job, I think.
“But we all have things we enjoy in life and one of my passions is coaching and football.
“I think this is it.
“I’m hoping to play next year.”
