It’s probably the biggest match in the history of the Cooma Tigers. This weekend the National Premier Leagues: Capital Football League Champions lock horns with their New South Wales counterparts in a huge National Premier Leagues Finals match. The first National Premier Leagues Finals match to be played in Canberra is shaping up to be an absolute cracker as local Champions Cooma Tigers take on the best that NSW has to offer in the ever strong Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
And with a wealth of goal-scoring talent on display we shouldn’t be found lacking in the entertainment department when the teams emerge onto the lush playing surface of the AIS Track this afternoon. It was on the back of a tide of goals that the Tigers wrapped up the NPL: Capital Football title with their front trio contributing 42 goals between them to fire the club to the title. Stephen Domenici led the way with sixteen goals including four in the final round of the season to claim the Golden Boot.
The White Eagles are no slouches in front of goal either. Led by former Adelaide United striker Robbie Younis, who bagged seventeen goals in the teams’ remarkable League Championship triumph, the White Eagles will attempt to stretch the Tigers defence using their width and pace to create openings for their main man up front. Aaron Petterson will potentially play just behind Younis in the hole with the visitors likely to play a direct brand of football to utilise their strengths.
The last fortnight has been a troubling time for Cooma as they saw their hopes of winning the Grand Final go up in smoke following successive defeats to Belconnen United in the Major (Qualifying) Semi-Final and Canberra FC in the Preliminary Final. Gaby Wilk, the Tigers erstwhile Head Coach, will no doubt have revisited his tactics for this match with Cooma knowing that a victory would send them one step close to national glory. The White Eagles will be out to stop that dream.
Whilst no doubt disappointed that they were not part of the local Grand Final, it could be that the fortnight break has been a blessing in disguise for Cooma who will enter the match it, fresh and firing ready to take on their rivals.
This is only the second season of NPL Finals football, and the first time that the ACT has had the pleasure of hosting a fixture. Last year’s local League Champions, Canberra FC, was unlucky to los to Sydney United 58 in a cracking match in Sydney with their conquerors going on to be crowned National Champions after defeating South Hobart in the Final in Tasmania.
The Tigers deserve their place in the competition after a wonderful 2014 campaign that saw them go fourteen matches unbeaten, after losing their opening two games of the season, to be crowned champions. Capital Football extends its congratulations to Tigers’ Head Coach Gaby Wilk and his players and staff for a fantastic achievement and we are sure they will represent the league to the best of their ability.
SQUAD
Jack PETTIT, Phil YARNOLD, Jordano SAN MARTIN, Domenic COLUCCIELLO, Liam HIGHMORE, CRISTOBAL SOZA, Aden JOHNSON, Goran JOSIFOVSKI, Robbie CATTANACH, Dejan SANTRAC, Iain ELLIOTT, Jordan LANDO, Stephen DOMENICI, Jeremias IBARRA, Daniel ROBERTS, Francois BANGWENI, Sime CELESKI, Stefan TODOROSKI
MATCH INFORMATION
National Premier Leagues: Finals Series
Cooma Tigers v Bonnyrigg White Eagles
Saturday 20th September
(AIS Track, Kick-off – 2:30pm)
TICKETS
Adults: $10
Concessions: $5
Children under-12: Free
GATES OPEN AT 1:30pm
(Capital Football Media Release)
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