A wave of silence blanketed the Sale United Football Club grounds last Thursday as Bayside Astronauts and My Little Morty’s met for a second time. Players waited in anticipation for the whistle’s first blow, each one as determined as the other to prove their side was the greatest Go Sevens team of 2022.
The clock read 6.34pm, and the high-pitched squeal of Hung (Tony) Nguyen’s whistle marked the beginning of the end as My Little Morty’s kicked-off in the 2022 1v2 Go Sevens Grand Final.
Bayside Astronauts had everything to prove, having progressed through the Go Sevens summer soccer competition undefeated until the week before the Grand Final when My Little Morty’s unsuspectingly knocked the ladder-leading team off top position.
Having never played together before until Round 1 of the Go Sevens competition, in which they lost their only game of the short season to Pink Bits, My Little Morty’s headed into the match hell-bent on maintaining their spot as rightful champions.
Nerves were in abundance in the lead-up to the Grand Final due to the competition’s last game.
My Little Morty’s asserted their dominance quickly with a goal for Murray Casella putting the team in yellow ahead 1-0.
The round winners didn’t stop there, with another goal from My Little Morty’s Zoe Askew minutes later, furthering their lead, 2-0.
Simultaneous to the leading team dropping focus, Bayside Astronauts rammed into gear. Callum Campbell exercised his fancy footwork, bypassing My Little Morty’s defence before rocketing the ball into the back of the net to close the score 2-1.
My Little Morty’s maintained the lead heading into the break following the team’s third goal from Josh Deschepper, his goal bringing the score to 3-1.
The final 20 minutes, one more half; this is still anyone’s game.
Bayside Astronauts had the kick-off, and a position change saw Campbell switch with Brennan McGill as goalkeeper.
My Little Morty’s sat tight, keeping Bayside Astronauts out of their attacking half. Although, on the odd occasion, Bayside Astronauts penetrated the leading team’s defence, nothing was making it past goalkeeper Ryan Brown.
Brown’s performance was nothing short of incredible.
As seconds turned into minutes and time shaved away, Bayside Astronauts faced imminent defeat.
A goal from youngster Dani Wilson cemented My Little Morty’s victory, with the team in yellow left with nothing more to do than hold the score, 4-1, for the game’s final minutes, and hold they did.
Nguyen blew his whistle marking the end of the game; the Draw A 2022 Go Sevens 1v2 Grand Final was over.
Brown was named best-on-ground, with other votes going to Jondahl and Askew.
Jondahl took out Player Of The Tournament, amassing 12 votes, with Jacob Godde from The Special One’s runner-up on 10 votes.
Pink Bits’ Anouk Meereboer won the female player of the tournament with eight votes, while My Little Morty’s Dani Wilson took out runner-up on six votes.
The tournament’s leading goal scorer went to Jondahl in the men, and for the women, there was a three-way tie, between Pink Bits’ Abby Kemp and Purple Cobras Madelaine Breakspear and Caitlin Richardson.
The Draw B Grand Final was incredibly tight, with Misfits claiming the championship title in a 1-0 win thanks to a solitary goal from Russell Ashton.
The Mac Rappers gave it their all and attacked frequently, but the Misfits’ defence was impenetrable.
Tynan Eldred from Misfits received the best-on-ground, with other votes going to Mac Rappers Adam King and Ashton.
Luca Dicorleto from Dico’s Demons was named Draw B’s male player of the tournament with 15 votes, and Stefan Gouws from Mac Rappers was runner-up, amassing 13 votes.
Jade Duve from Raglan Street Blues took out the female player of the tournament; Hollie Ryan was runner-up.
Misfits Tynan Eldred was Draw B’s leading goal scorer, while Ryan and DuVe were female equal leading goal scorers.
Hung (Tony) Nguyen was awarded referee of the tournament.
