Dunbar O35’s suffer defeat in State Cup Final

Dunbar Rovers O35’s fell just short of lifting the State Cup after losing 2-1 in the Final against Granville Rage.

Dunbar must have thought they had done the hard work having knocked out the reigning State Champions and Champion of Champion Holders Leichhardt in the ¼ Final. However, Granvile Rage had different ideas as they swept into a 2 goal lead in the first half courtesy of 2 excellent finishes from outside the bot into the top left hand corner.

Both those goals were against the run of play and Dunbar were creating chances but it just would not go in for them in the first half. Early in the 2nd half Nathan sent Gaffers galloping and he shrugged off the central defender to leave him 1 on 1 however the ref saw it differently and pulled the play back for a foul. Then, Matt Parelli hit the post….it seemed it would just not be Dunbar’s day. The opposition were playing down the time and Dunbar needed something and they got it with 10 minutes to play with a scrambled goal. Game on. The referee sent off the Granville centre half for a 2nd bookable offence and they were down to 10 men. Dunbar now camped in the Granville half had attack after attack repelled but there was to be one last chance. Charlie was felled outside the box and brushed himself off for the freekick. It looked in from the boot, but took the faintest of deflections off the wall which put it just past the post. A valiant effort from Dunbar. The most disappointing aspect was that Dunbar dominated most of the game but were undone by clinical finishing. Sometimes that is the way it goes.