Maccabi win extra-time grand final thriller
“The grand final was incredibly tough, but we never gave up, and we backed ourselves each time we were behind."
It was a very proud day for Maccabi-Hakoah FC last Saturday at Hensley Stadium, when their men’s Saturday division 2 team achieved a rare Eastern Suburbs FA premiership-championship double title win, and the senior club’s first grand final win in many years, in any grade.
But while they dominated the regular season, finishing first in the 10-team competition, it took every bit of effort, determination and team spirit for them to finish on top in the finals series.
The men in blue had earned a spot in the decider by winning a brutal, epic major semi-final 1-0 in extra-time against the Glebe Gorillas, but compared to what panned out in the grand final against Lokomotiv Cove, that taxing qualifying win seemed like a walk in the park.
Although Lokomotiv Cove entered the finals race in fourth place, they overcame Glebe in the preliminary final, and were the only team during the regular season to have beaten Maccabi-Hakoah.
Possession in the first half was dominated by Maccabi, who used it wisely with an effective passing game servicing their key strikers.
Maccabi made the only shots at goal in the first 45 minutes – including a beauty by Gidon Zimmerman that rocketed into the crossbar – but the score remained 0-0.
Against the run of play, it was Lokomotiv who scored first, midway into the second half, when they made the most of a counter-attacking opportunity.
The Maccabi men hit back five minutes later via a soaring long-range strike by defender Jake Lees – his first goal of the season – and they were denied another goal when Zimmerman struck the left post.
The first 15-minute period of extra-time was a rollercoaster ride for both teams.
Lokomotiv Cove, gaining confidence with some sustained passages in possession, struck the post in the second minute, and momentarily sent Maccabi into panic mode when they passed long to their striker, who booted the ball into the back of the net, and was judged not to be offside, despite Maccabi raising the question.
Maccabi’s second deficit in the game seemed to instantly rally them, and they made it 2-2 when Joel Epshtyn scored, latching onto a ball from a free kick.
There were some nervous moments for Maccabi at the start of the second period of extra-time, when Lokomotiv Cove went on the attack, just missing with a long range shot, but Maccabi’s defence held firm, and with five minutes left before a possible penalty shootout, the Blues’ Giora Glick scored the winning goal, trapping a corner kick, and flicking the ball past the keeper.
Five minutes later, when the final whistle blew, there was relief, and elation, for Maccabi, led by captain-coach Dan Engelman.
“We had one goal at the start of the season, we knew what we wanted, and we went out and grabbed it, and now we’re premiers and champions!” Engelman said.
“The grand final was incredibly tough, but we never gave up, and we backed ourselves each time we were behind.
“Most importantly, we believed, and we put it all out there on the table, and we were rewarded.”
The Ephraim brothers, defender Max and keeper Adin, said, “The spirit in this team is like no other.”
The Blues’ Giora Glick prepares a centring pass.
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