Match Reports

Redcliffe Leagues' Nick Budd chases the ball ahead of Labrador's Brad Puleosi.

Labrador's Kane Hancock tries to push a ball past Redcliffe Leagues' Kent Harle.

BRISBANE HOCKEY LEAGUE - FINALS (week 2)

Labrador 2 (Mark Harris, Brad Puleosi) defeated Redcliffe Leagues 1 (Matt Swann) at the State Hockey Centre.

Labrador had goalkeeper Tyrone Melrose and forward Mark Harris to thank for helping the Gold Coast side win its first Brisbane Hockey League semi final - and move within one win of a maiden grand final appearance.  Melrose pulled off a series of telling saves, the most crucial coming in golden goal extra time, after the sides were tied 1-1 at fulltime.  Matt Swann found himself alone at the far post and looked set to put Redcliffe Leagues into the preliminary final, but a scrambling Melrose, caught out of position, dived full stretch to deny a goal.  Moments later Redcliffe Leagues’ Shane Kenny had the chance to score the winning goal, but shot wide of the net from near the penalty spot.  In the second period of extra time, and during a seven-on-seven match-up, Harris weaved through Redcliffe Leagues defenders Nick Budd and Ashley Zanetti and confronted goalkeeper Daniel Pink on the backline.  The ball popped out kindly and left an unmarked Brad Puleosi with a simple tap-in for the easiest and most important goal of his career in the BHL.  Harris and Puleosi had earlier combined from a penalty corner play to tie the game for the Tigerstix with 13 minutes left in regulation time, after Swann had opened the scoring from a backstick shot early in the second half.  Redcliffe Leagues’ loss drew the curtain on the top-grade careers of brothers Kent and Jordan Harle, who played almost 700 division one matches between them for the peninsula club.

Commercial 2 (Jacob Burns, Paul Nichols) defeated Easts 1 (Jason Wilson) at the State Hockey Centre.

Commercial advanced to its fifth straight grand final after downing Easts in a classic and controversial semi final clash between the competition’s top two sides.  Many spectators will be wishing the Cobras and Tigers meet again in the grand final, after the sides played out an exciting match befitting the sides’ lofty positions on the ladder.  After a scoreless first half, Commercial striker Jacob Burns broke the deadlock four minutes after the break.  But the Cobras’ hard earned lead did not last long.  Ten minutes later Easts equalised when Jason Wilson, recently voted by his peers as the best player in the competition in the 2008 Brisbane Hockey League Players Poll, scored from a penalty corner hit.  Commercial thought they had found the winning goal late in the match, after a shot from Adam Barry deflected off an Easts defenders’ stick and into the net.  But Barry’s shot was deemed to have been taken from outside the circle, resulting in fervent protest from the Cobras players and sending the match into golden goal extra time.  Midfielder Paul Nichols was the hero for Commercial, scoring just his second goal of the season in the second drop-off period to send the Cobras to the decider.  Commercial will be looking to become the first team since Bulimba (1999-2002) to win a hat-trick of premierships, a feat the Cobras last achieved 30 years ago.

Redcliffe Leagues fullback Nick Budd gets a pass away.

Labrador's Tom Kavanagh takes on Redcliffe Leagues goal scorer Matt Swann.

Compiled by Lee Oliver.