Hakoah FC become State League One U20 champions

After securing the Football NSW State League One U20 men’s premiership last month, and then beating Dulwich Hill 2-0 in the semis, Hakoah FC went all the way, winning the championship by edging the Bulls FC Academy at Valentine Sports Park in extra-time in an epic grand final contest on September 12.

Hakoah led 1-0 at half-time through an early Jack Hathaway goal, but they conceded an early goal in the second half, and then neither side could breach each other’s defence to seal a win in regular and stoppage time.

With the stakes at their highest deep into extra-time, Ben Cook scored in the 102nd minute, and then Hathaway scored his second in the 105th minute to earn Hakoah a hard-fought 3-1 victory, securing them the premiership-championship double.

Starters for Hakoah in the U20 men’s grand final included captain Ethan Hirst – who has been with Hakoah all the way since U12s – Maor Rubinstein, and Shannon Selby, while Jeremy Skurnik and Shiran Rubinstein were on the bench.

There were many others who contributed to the team’s success throughout the season, including Daniel Gordon and mid-season recruit Ethan De Melo, and several players earned match day call-ups from the club’s U18s squad, demonstrating the strength of Hakoah FC’s Pathways development program.