THE North Coast’s talented young footballers have returned from the State Youth Championships with silverware and plenty of pride after a superb week that delivered an under-16 girls title, runners-up honours in the under-13 girls division and third place for the under-14 girls.
The North Coast Football Talented Female Programme (TFP) under-16 side was the standout performer, producing a dominant campaign on the road to the championship.
The girls swept through the tournament with seven straight victories, scoring an astonishing 22 goals while conceding just twice to book their place in the grand final against Mid Coast.
The decider was a vastly different contest, with both sides unable to break the deadlock in a tense defensive battle that finished 0-0 after full-time.
With the title on the line, North Coast held their nerve in a dramatic penalty shootout, prevailing 6-5 in sudden death to be crowned State Champions.
Under-16 coach Nathan Silvy blew a big sigh of relief and was quick to praise his players for the way they represented the region throughout the tournament.
“Across the three days, the girls played some fantastic football, but what stood out even more than the results was their resilience, character and willingness to support one another every step of the way,” Silvy said.
“They represented North Coast Football with pride, always playing for each other and never giving up.
“It was fantastic to see players from different clubs across North Coast Football come together so quickly, build strong friendships and perform as one team.
“The way they embraced each other both on and off the field was a credit to every player involved.”
North Coast’s under-13 girls also enjoyed an outstanding campaign, finishing second in group stages before suffering a heartbreaking grand-final defeat to Newcastle Football.
Locked at 1-1 after full-time, the match was decided by penalties, with Newcastle edging through 3-2.
The under-14 girls capped another impressive tournament by securing third place, completing an outstanding week for the North Coast Football Talented Female Programme and underlining the region’s growing strength in female football.
By David WIGLEY
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