Sunday afternoon saw Shepparton and Shepparton South traverse the Midland Hwy in search of another week to fight on in separate elimination finals.
The red-and-black brigade travelled to meet Strathdale while South contended with Epsom in the hope of setting up a grand final rematch with the no-longer-invincible Tatura in a semi.
Running concurrently across the Beischer pitches, it was a busy BASL afternoon — but one that quickly turned into contrasting fortunes for the local sides.
South’s encounter with Epsom saw a meeting between two of the league’s more potent attackers as Stephen Appiah and Cooper Arkinstall, both in the top three behind Tatura’s Fraser Gosstray, went head-to-head.
Arkinstall took overall honours in that individual duel, converting goal number 16 of the year to bring the pair level before Appiah was subbed off around 15 minutes from time without reply.
Thankfully for the black-and-white, however, there was Liam Nash, who has had fewer forays forward this season than last but popped up with a vital hat-trick to steer South on course.
It was an ill-tempered affair at times with each side picking up four yellow cards apiece.
It had been a stumbling conclusion to the regular season for South but Nash’s efforts plus a strike from Brent Barassi — who found himself in the sheds early after two of those aforementioned yellows — secured a 4-2 win and another crack at the Ibises.
South coach Lewis Coyle lamented some missed chances but felt the foundation for a solid win had been laid at training.
“Anything can happen in finals so we needed to prepare ourselves for whatever could come up,” Coyle said.
“We needed to keep up our positive thinking and when the boys came out, it was evident that we did enough during the last week to sort everything out.
“The boys went out and did the job I asked them to do, and even though we conceded two goals, it was comfortable for the 90.
“I thought we could have had some more goals and with Tat next week, I’d hope we polish off some more chances, but it was good to see.”
Although Barassi will miss the semi this weekend, South has demonstrated plenty of attacking prowess outside of main man Appiah to give the premiers more to contemplate.
Regardless of who features on the day, however, Coyle promises fireworks.
“It’s reassuring that goals are coming from others at the moment and we’ve been unlucky during the season not to score more goals,” Coyle said.
“Getting key people back like Jamie De Smit will add an X-factor to our game.
“We’ve got to be more positive in our mindset and we’ll be raring to go, coming at Tat from the first whistle.
“They are beatable and it’ll be hard for them when they haven’t played for three weeks, and the last time they did play, they lost.
“It’ll be a good spectacle for the neutrals, I reckon.”
In the other Sunday do-or-die clash, Murtaza Guizari had every chance of looking like a hero for underdogs Shepparton in their meeting with Strathdale after his first goal all season had them up at the break.
The second 45 minutes brought only heartbreak for the side playing its first top division campaign in five years, though, with goals from William Vallely and Matthew Gallagher powering Strathdale on to the semis.
The pair of results guaranteed that the grand final this year will pit a Greater Shepparton outfit against a Bendigo district club, with Tatura and Shepparton South to face off for one spot and Eaglehawk taking on Strathdale for the other.
The women kicked off their finals campaigns as well, although Shepparton United earned a week off by virtue of its second-placed finish.
Strathsfieldsaye Colts emphatically earned the right to face United in the semis at McEwen Reserve on Sunday after powering past Eaglehawk 7-2, while La Trobe University eliminated Tatura in a 3-1 win to ironically advance to a meeting at Howley Oval opposite Spring Gully.
