“THE plan worked, I told you it would.”
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That’s what an excited Robin Caulfield told the Post after his side booked their ticket into the Canberra Division three grand-final on Saturday.
The Strikers defeated minor premiers the Cooma Tigers 1-0 in Canberra on Saturday afternoon, catapulting them to a one-way ticket to the decider with a week’s rest to boot.
“Everyone’s over the moon,” Caulfield said.
“It was a great performance and everyone put in 100 per cent and did everything I asked of them. I couldn’t have asked for anymore.”
The last time the two sides met, Cooma put four goals past the Strikers in what was a performance dominated by three premier league grade players the Tigers have at their disposal.
But this time around, Caulfield had a plan for his side. And his team delivered. In particular Masare Gasirimu, who Caulfield gave special duties to nullify the Tigers’ main threat.
“He was outstanding,” Caulfield said.
“I told him to close his space down, cause you don’t give him space you don’t give anybody time so they cant be constructive. That’s what he did and when he got the ball, he just pressured him so he couldn’t be creative on the ball which was his big strength.
“I bet when he went home that night he was still looking over his shoulder!”
Despite not having valued striker Body Willis due to illness and captain David Albrighton with a hamstring injury, the Strikers went up halfway through the first term through a Josh Phelps goal.
From there it seemed a matter of holding onto the lead. But in the second half the Strikers continued to dominate play.
“We deserved to win,” Caulfield said.
“It was only one-nil but I would have liked it to be more comfortable. It was a nervous last five minutes when they threw the kitchen sink at us.”
The team now has the week off while they prepare to take on either the UC Pumas, who beat Monaro in a penalty shoot-out thriller, or Cooma again, who after loosing on Saturday takes on UC in a second-chance prelim.