Denmark claim GSSA women’s division one cup victory after Tayah Mastalerz strike in extra time

A stunning Tayah Mastalerz strike in extra time has handed Denmark A the Great Southern Soccer Association women’s division one cup glory after a heart-stopping final against Mt Barker on Friday night. It took until late in the second period of extra time for the two sides to be separated after scores were locked at nil-all at the end of 90 minutes. Denmark fired out of the blocks in the opening stages, narrowly missing a shot in an effort to hit the front early. After another narrow miss, Denmark had all the momentum but a steely defensive display from Mt Barker prevented them from finding the back of the net before the end of the half. Mt Barker coach James Morris delivered a rousing half-time rev-up to his players before they went back on to the pitch. Another chance presented itself for Denmark but defensive pressure from Brigette Rockwood-Turner denied them a golden opportunity. Mt Barker had to soak up a ton of pressure from Denmark’s forward play but they began to regain control in the second half. Prolific goal scorer Libby Morris opened up an angle and attempted a strike from outside the box but it sailed wide and both sides were all square heading into extra time. The wintry conditions had several players experiencing muscle cramps across the ground. The final seemed destined to head to a penalty shootout to decide the outcome as both sides couldn’t muster a goal in the first half of extra time. With minutes left on the clock, the ball was played from the back to the left side of the ground with Mastarlerz dribbling around her defender, cutting inside the box and slotting a wonderful goal to secure the cup. Denmark earned another penalty shortly after and despite not converting they finished 1-0 winners at the final whistle. Coach Mike Garland said his Denmark squad had exceeded his expectations following an exodus of 10 players at the beginning of the season. “They’ve gone way above my expectations,” he said. “At the start of the season just knowing the players that we’ve lost, some of them have gone up and played NPL (National Premier League) in Perth. “With the young group that we’ve had, I thought maybe finishing mid-table would be a great effort, but credit to the girls tonight.” Garland lauded the determination and chemistry of his side in a taxing affair. “They did (dig deep) and it always has been like that,” he said. “Mt Barker and Denmark play very contrasting styles of football so it’s hard for each side to break the other one down. “We’ve got a history behind us and most of these girls have played through juniors which is why we’ve consistently been so good. “It’s a feeding system, I think we’ve got 150 juniors playing in Denmark and probably 90 of them are girls.” Mt Barker’s Tiffany Parsons was named the player of the final for a superb display across the ground while Mt Barker goalkeeper Alanna Gatley won player of the tournament. Denmark will now turn their attention to the final game of the GSSA league competition against bottom-placed Bayswater while Mt Barker will take on the eighth placed Sonics. With Denmark sitting two points adrift of league leaders Mt Barker, they will need to win their final game and rely on the Sonics to upset their rivals if they are to claim the league and cup double.