When the Kiama bus pulled into the Undanderra car park, hosts of this seasons Illawarra Junior Football Finals Series, the nerves were obvious among the young Kiama team trying to make it three years in a row winning its grand finals from their previous age groups.
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But by the time the whistle blew for kick off, the team went about its business as usual, even after a hectic first 10 minutes as both sides eventually settled.
Opponents Russell Vale had previously defeated Dapto, so the "Green Machine" were no pushovers and in the roster games the two teams were constantly closely matched and this encounter was to be no exception.
After chances at both ends went begging, Kiama's keeper Matty Laughton pulled of a great save to keep parity, while at the other end a Jacob Laughton effort whistled over the bar.
Winger Connor McColl, Jye Tory and Porsha Lake in midfield, constantly chased down doggedly the opposition, while Benedict Tannous, Tye Brown and Isabella O'Connor worked hard in the engine room all game.
Kyran Tierney was rock solid at the back supported by Alex Kendrick, Alex Burell and Alicia Burazan, as the teams went into the interval locked at 0-0.
In the second half it was another close call when a Jye Tory shot hit the bar and as the game went too and fro the large vocal Kiama support base off the bus started to think of extra time.
But with eight minutes remaining, a Josh O'Meara pass found Kyran Dimovski who turned a Russell Vale defender at the edge of the box and hit a sublime shot well out of the keepers reach to score a brilliant goal worthy of any grand final victory.
The Kiama supporters went delirious and it was a nail-biting final few minutes as Russell Vale threw everything forward for the equaliser, but Kiama held out.
Coach Steve O'Brien was humble in victory.
"We got out of goal on a couple of occasions, but the team has a "never say die" attitude,” he said.
While assistant Anthony Tannous said, "we always knew it was going to be a hard game as Russell Vale are a very good team."
It was yet another fabulous year for Steve O'Brien’s team which ended the season as minor premiers and grand final winners yet again.
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