CENTRAL coach Nate Butterfield believed his side’s goal keeper Grace Jeffrey would rise to the occasion in the Newcastle Women’s Premier League hockey decider at Broadmeadow on Saturday.
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The 17-year-old keeper produced magical saves throughout a tense major premiership showdown 1-0 triumph over South.
‘‘Grace had an outstanding game for us in goals and was rewarded with her performance by winning the player of the grand final,’’ Butterfield said.
‘‘We knew our chances would come to complete a premiership double.
‘‘It was shaping up to go into sudden death extra time until Morgan Coleman came to the rescue for us with her late goal that snared the club its first premiership in five seasons.’’
Coleman found the net in the final minute slotting the winner past South’s keeper Jasmine Etteridge.
Both Etteridge and Jeffrey kept their sides in the match by producing outstanding saves in a gripping decider.
Jeffrey, the Egan sisters Caitlyn and Louise plus Cassidy Gallagher helped Erina to win the Central Coast grand final edging out Gosford 3-2 a week ago celebrated a double triumph.
The Lions were chasing their first major premiership after suffering losses to Regals in 2012 and last season.
It was the first time since 2001 that Regals were not figuring in a top grade decider.
However, their club made amends by edging out Tigers 3-2 in it’s second grade grand final.
Gosford claimed the Hunter Coast Men’s Premier League hockey double by nosing out North 2-1 in their confrontation at the Broadmeadow Centre on Saturday.
The Central Coast club denied grand final specialists North back-to-back titles in a high tempo encounter.
North were out to emulate the feats of its 1975 side by coming from a minor semi-final position to win a top grade decider but were edged out by an outstanding Gosford outfit.
After a scoreless first half Gosford went to a 2-0 advantage after goals in quick succession by Robbie McGuire.
Ben Howey netted North a penalty to reduce the deficit to 1-2 and in the final 10 minutes.
That is when the Blues threw everything at Gosford but this season’s top side held on to claim the top prize.
North gained some consolation on Saturday, downing rivals South 3-2 in its second grade grand final.
