AAW2 Treble Winners for 2016
Coogee United’s second division women’s side, the Clams, created history in 2016 by becoming the club’s first ESFA treble winners. Adding to a league and grand final double; they also took home the honours in the ESFA Women’s Cup competition.
The season started strongly from the girls, who won the first 4 rounds of the season, including a record 9-0 win against Easts. A tough double header weekend saw the Clams knock Lokomotiv Cove out of the ESFA Cup in a 3-1 Friday night blockbuster, then backing up on Sunday against the same side. Always a competitive game, the Clams bagged a late equaliser to escape with a point in a 2-2 draw.
The girls consolidated their position in the league and hit the top of the table from round 5 onwards. With the competition all taking points off each other for the middle third of the season, Clammies quietly extended their lead on the table. A 4-0 semi final win in ESFA Cup against Maroubra United saw the girls through to their first ever ESFA Cup final, a team who had taken a point off them in the round previous.
A couple of unsettled weeks mid season saw the first defeat of the year to Lokomotiv Cove in a frustrating game at Alex Oval, and some more points lost in a draw against Waverley narrowed the lead.
The addition of 3 mid season signings to cover for some nasty season ending injuries gave a boost to the team and the girls powered home from here. The ESFA Cup Final saw the Clams take on club rivals Dunbar Rovers, who’s league position was not one of dominance at the time, but always a very competitive match. On the coldest night of the year at Hensley, the girls defeated frostbite and Dunbar, with a 2-1 win in extra time, bringing home a maiden ESFA Cup for the club.
The league title was wrapped up with a game to spare against Sydney Uni at Heffron Park a few weeks later, and the Chambulls certainly flowed freely that night….
A semi final game against Loko was a challenging prospect, a team we know well that we can beat but had proved a tough challenge for us this season. The semi final was no different. The game went to extra time and remained 2-2 after 120 minutes. An exciting penalty shoot out followed, which the girls won in clinical fashion, 3-0. Hensley here we come.
#SUPERSUNDAY saw 4 Coogee United teams play back to back at Hensley. The Clams were 2nd up and had a tough task ahead against a prolific scoring Maccabi side who had surged late to reach the final. Full time saw no score on the card despite some chances from both sides. However extra time was a different story. With Coach Nige’s words of “leave nothing on the pitch”, the girls stepped up a few gears and put in one of the most extraordinary extra time performances seen. 3 well taken goals in the space of 20 minutes sealed the victory, and with it the Treble for the first time in the club’s history.
