Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes win under 17.5 premiership with victory over Turvey Park

The Goannas capped off a fine season with a 9.6 (60) to 4.7 (31) win over Turvey Park in the grand final at Narrandera Sportsground.

It was a big win from MCUE, as Turvey Park closed within seven points early in the last quarter and appeared to be finishing with all the momentum.

But the Goannas, on the back of some fine ball use, came again and booted the final four goals of the game to finish 29-point victors.

Daniel Okerenyang, who kicked two last-quarter goals to finish the game with three, was a deserved best-on-ground winner.

MCUE co-coach Nathon Irvin thought his team was in trouble midway through the last quarter when Turvey Park were pressing but was delighted to see his team respond the way they did.

"We were gone. I had about five go at the same time, all real engine room stuff and we were in trouble," Irvin said.

"I thought we were gone here, they're going to get us but they found.

"I said to them, the thing is, when it's hot, ball use matters, if you can hit a target, you don't have to chase. The last thing you want to do is chase.

"I think that was the edge, we just used it a bit better late in the game."

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Irvin had his doubts about how his team would run the game out but both Okeranyang and Jack Warden both stepped up with a couple of goals each in the final term.

"I didn't know which was it was going to go, I honestly really didn't," Irvin said.

"It was going to be really tough and I suspected we'd struggle late because they've played the games leading in and it's hard to get these boys to do hard training sessions at 17, you can't really build them.

"You have those weeks off and you want to load them up so I knew we were going to struggle late and we were just lucky we had some versatility to bring in Lewis Pulver from down back into the midfield and we rested Dan (Okerenyang) down forward because he was cooked but he still did some big things."

After an even first term, MCUE got on top in the second quarter to establish a 15-point half-time lead.

Turvey Park never gave up and closed within seven points early in the final term but missed some opportunities, only for MCUE to kick away late.

While MCUE were minor premiers and moved straight through to the grand final, Irvin expected a tough clash from the Bulldogs, explaining there had been little between the top teams throughout the year.

But he was proud to see his boys stand up when it counted.

"It was good to see them turn it on," he said.

"They cruise in, they've got the beats playing in the room and you're like, I don't know what I'm going to get here.

"But I kept them very much like normal, late with the warm up, we didn't start that too early because it's so hot. I knew we were going to struggle late so I didn't want to get them up early.

"You don't know what you're going to get but they turned it on and they're very competitive kids."

Irvin also believes they will make good senior footballers for the club in the future.

"It sets it up well. A lot of these guys will be close to first grade pretty quickly," he said.

"One good pre-season really.

"Nelson's (Foley, first grade coach) got them on board, they love him and I think he's a good role model. He's just such a hard worker and a good person so I feel like they're going to be well looked after and they're going to be good."

It was MCUE's first under 17.5 premiership since 2015. Aside from Okerenyang, Liam Crittenden and Lewis Pulver had strong games.

Will Voss, Hunter Higgins and Charlie Stratton were among Turvey Park's better players.

Full-time

MCUE Goannas 2.1 4.4 5.5 9.6 (60)

Turvey Park Bulldogs 2.1 2.1 3.3 4.6 (30)

GOALS: MCUE Goannas: J.Warden 3, D.Okerenyang 3, H.Wheeler 1, F.McIntyre 1, H.Brown 1; Turvey Park Bulldogs: T.Wilson 1, W.Voss 1, H.Higgins 1, W.Scott 1

BEST: MCUE Goannas: D.Okerenyang, L.Crittenden, S.Pigram, L.Pulver, S.Ngudu, M.Walker; Turvey Park Bulldogs: T.Wilson, B.Toohey, H.Higgins, C.Stratton, J.O'Connor, H.Isaac.

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