Meriden’s High Performance Football squad made a strong showing at the SACS x Sydney FC First XI Cup on Monday 14 April.
This highly anticipated competition brought together talented teams from IGSA and beyond, for a full day of competitive football.
Meriden’s campaign began impressively in the group stage, where they secured three decisive victories, including against last year’s champions. Their attack proved potent, netting 22 goals while conceding only a single penalty.
The semi-final presented a challenge against a capable side. However, Meriden rose to the occasion, delivering a commanding performance that resulted in a convincing 6-0 win. This victory showcased their strong teamwork, defensive acumen and goalscoring ability.
The grand final saw Meriden face a team with a similarly tight defence, having conceded just one goal throughout the tournament. It was a closely fought contest, with Meriden creating an abundance of chances but unable to capitalise. Despite having a goal disallowed, Meriden continued to play positive, attacking football. The opposition managed to break the deadlock against the run of play with a penalty to go 1-0 up in the first half. The Meriden girls threw everything they had at their opponents and came agonisingly close to scoring on countless occasions.
With the clock ticking down, Meriden mounted a final push, culminating in a dramatic equaliser at the end of a brilliant team build-up, which saw Dolly Fava guiding the ball past the keeper in the dying seconds to send the match to penalties.
The penalty shootout was a tense affair. An opposition penalty smashed off the crossbar, and a crucial save from Meriden goalkeeper Irini Paleologos gave Meriden the edge. Finally, Lexi Modena stepped up to score the winning penalty, securing the trophy for Meriden!
The team celebrated their hard-earned victory, a testament to the contributions of each of the following players: Dolly Fava, Chelsea Gruchot, Tahlia Hedley, Mary Ibrahim, Julia Meaker, Lexi Modena, Zella Modena, Isabella Moran, Irini Paleologos, Caitlin Probets, Alannah Roberts, Olivia Robinson, Ashmita Saha, Cindy Xu and Caitlin Yeoh.
