EVEN divine intervention failed to derail a boilover in the 40th annual Challenge Cup preseason football tournament at Nambucca Heads at the weekend.
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At the end of regular time in the grand final, Coffs Coast Tigers and Palm Beach Sharks from the Gold Coast were locked at nil-all. A penalty shootout ensued and this had to roll right through 11 players – down finally to the respective goalkeepers to take a shot – before the teams could be separated, with the Tigers snaring victory.
It was unthinkable that Sydney Premier League side and perennial grand finalists West Pymble weren’t there for the decider, being stopped by the fast Coffs outfit in a semi-final.
Paul Cue, president of host club Nambucca Strikers, said Pymble had done everything to get through.
“Every year once the opens men’s are done for the day they come back to support the over 35s in the grand final on the Saturday night. Their players dress in theme and barrack for their over 35s. This year the theme was biblical and there were about 50 of them – Jesuses, Moseses and the like carrying on in one corner on the sideline,” Paul told the Guardian.
Pymble have been coming to the Cup for the past 32 years, and their arrival at the Coronation Park complex is “part of their club culture”, he said.
The Sydney juggernauts did have ultimate success in the over 35s competition.
“Each year it’s my job to try and find a team to test them (the Pymble over 35s) and I thought I’d found a good side in some South Americans from Byron Bay called the Cavanbah Malakas, but Pymble blew them out of the water,” Paul said.
In the women’s six-a-side competition, Urunga Raiders made it five consecutive titles when they lapped Woolgoolga in the grand final, with the Nambucca Strikers making the semi-final.
See photos from the carnival here.