GSSA 2023: Denmark survive late Caledonians surge to win back-to-back titles in women’s division one cup final

A Lumeah Masih brace helped guide Denmark to back-to-back titles in the Great Southern Soccer Association women’s division one cup competition, defeating Caledonians 3-2 in a cracking affair on Friday night. Despite possessing a three-goal advantage in the dying stages, Denmark endured a nervous final few minutes as they held off a late Caledonians surge to seal a memorable win in front of a strong crowd. It only took three minutes for Masih to find Denmark’s opener in the first half, slotting the opening goal from close range inside the box. A tenacious Denmark afforded Caledonians little breathing space as they were made to repel several entries into their defensive third in the early stages. Masih and Lowana Winter were linking up superbly, and despite a persistent Milla Trichilo holding down the fort at centre-back for Caledonians, they were struggling to get the ball on their own terms. Denmark’s Abi Matthews saw one of her efforts fizz wide of the goal before Caledonians were afforded a rare chance on the counter, Kayla Holden’s shot pushed onto the crossbar before being cleared by Denmark. Tayah Mastalerz narrowly missed a chance after a miss-kick from the Caledonians defence but the talented forward would find the back of the net just minutes later, firing a long-range effort over the goalkeepers’ head to double their advantage. More of the same ensued in the second half for Denmark and their defence was rarely troubled, the relentless attacking drive proving a handful for an undermanned Caledonians outfit in transition. With under 15 minutes remaining, Masih, sensing Caledonians’ goalkeeper Nicole Mullally was off her line, netted a clever chip to seemingly put the game beyond doubt. However, in the dying stages, Caledonians’ Shelley Thompson broke on the counter and calmly converted for Caledonians first, sparking a rare celebration among her teammates on an otherwise disappointing night. That celebration turned to unbridled excitement when Steph Grant fired home a ripping header from a corner just a minute later, dragging her side within a goal late in the piece. A miraculous comeback could not be completed, however, as the referee blew the final whistle seconds after the restart, Denmark warding off the opposition to seal cup glory in thrilling fashion. Masih and Winter were outstanding for the winners going forward while Stella Gleeson and Iman Anderson also controlled the tempo for large parts of the contest. Masih earned player of the match honours for her terrific individual performance. Trichilo was a pillar of reliability and a focal point in the back four, while Dee Miller, Thompson and Holden also stood out in a losing affair. Denmark coach Mike Garland, who is moving on from coaching duties following almost 10 years in various coaching roles at the club, said it was a perfect way to end his stint. “I was just really pleased with the way we played, whether we win or not is a bonus,” he said. “We started well and our first goal was exactly like how we train on Wednesday nights. “Towards the end with five minutes to go I was feeling pretty relaxed and then suddenly they got that breakaway goal and then Steph’s (Grant) header was an absolute cracker. “Watching all that unfold made for a very nervous finish, my timer had already gone off so we were waiting patiently for that final whistle. “The atmosphere was great and Lumeah really deserved the best on ground award, she’s going to continue to be a great player for years to come.”