Cowra’s Youth Men have powered through to the grand final after a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Blayney in extra time, with the decisive moment coming from the penalty spot.
Coach Drew Willis described it as the side’s toughest challenge of the season so far.
“What a day Saturday the 6th September was,” he said.
“Our toughest game yet and against Blayney, one of the strongest teams of the competition.”
The semi-final was always going to be a grind, with Blayney’s size and strength up against Cowra’s composure and discipline.
Latest Stories
Both sides fought for control, but neither could break through during regulation time.
“A scoreless, intense game had me nervous,” Willis said.
“But I could not be prouder of the squad and how they held themselves, remaining composed through the tough parts of the game.”
Although the match wasn’t a do-or-die clash, with a second chance available if they lost, the Cowra players made it clear they didn’t want to leave anything to chance.
“Now the game wasn’t a must win for us in terms of season ending, as the Major Final if we lost we would have gotten a second chance,” Willis said.
“However knowing this, our lads didn’t want to risk it and with some changes to our normal lineup our lads wanted to fight to go straight through and fight indeed we did.”
With the score still locked at 0–0 after 90 minutes, the semi-final moved into extra time. Twenty minutes remained for someone to find the decisive goal.
That chance finally came when Connor Munroe drove towards goal and was fouled inside the box.
“With the game going into extra time after the scoreless 90 minutes we had 20 minutes to get on the board,” Willis said.
“We finally did with a scoring opportunity from Connor Munroe who was fouled in the process as he encroached the goal, leading to a penalty shot.”
Munroe stepped up under pressure and calmly slotted the spot-kick, sending Cowra into the lead.
“He finished confidently, giving us a 1–0 lead which was all we needed,” Willis said.
The final stages demanded grit and determination as Cowra defended their narrow advantage against a physically imposing opponent.
Blayney, older and taller across the park, pushed hard for an equaliser, but Cowra’s desire carried them through.
“Our boys played so strong against a much older, much stronger and much taller team,” Willis said.
“But we had the drive and desire to get the result.”
The victory means Cowra’s Youth Men now advance directly to the grand final, avoiding the risk of another sudden-death clash.
For Willis, it was proof of the squad’s resilience, teamwork, and belief.
With the toughest test behind them, the young side will now prepare for the biggest game of their season, one they have earned the hard way.
