Mandurah survive Freo fightback to win Night Series on penalties

Mandurah City are celebrating their second Men’s State League Night Series in three years but only after surviving one of the great cup final fightbacks against Fremantle City on Saturday.

The Dolphins looked to have the game in the bag after going 2-0 up on the hour at Frank Drago Reserve. Robbie Galvin gave them the lead on 33 minutes with a side-foot from close range. Then new signing Shaun Mukwehvo, one of the smallest players on the pitch, was somehow allowed a free header and he nodded in from John Baird’s corner.

Fremantle were struggling and, aside from a glaring miss from Ollie La Galia early in the game when he shot wide of an empty net, they lacked a cutting edge.

That all changed on 66 minutes when the industrious Pat Loughrey scored for Freo after Mandurah keeper Alfie Brincat had pushed out a drive from Riley Van Dieken, whose brother Hamish was in the opposition.

Ten minutes later it was all square as Alex McLean met a deep free-kick into the box and directed a fine header beyond the diving Brincat. Mandurah were wobbling, and within 60 seconds it was 3-2 for Fremantle. Giovanni De Freitas Soares, who had earlier made a brilliant goalline clearance to deny Mandurah danger man Joe O’Brien, stole the ball on the right before feeding La Galia, who made amends for that earlier error by firing home.

Lesser sides would have crumbled, but Mandurah showed why they along with Freo are among the favourites for promotion this year. They immediately went forward only for Jordan Barbas in the Fremantle goal produce a superb low save from Murray Mackintosh. Leigh Griffiths was introduced, but Barbas again got down well to keep out the former Celtic and Scotland forward. Then in the final seconds of stoppage time Mandurah’s pressure paid off, as Sam Byrne brought the house down with a screamer from the corner of the box.

That sent the final straight to penalties, where the first 11 were scored before Fremantle’s Elliot Ireland fired over to give victory to Mandurah.

Result

Saturday 11 March 2023

Frank Drago Reserve

Men’s State League Night Series final

Fremantle City 3-3 Mandurah City
Mandurah won 6-5 on penalties

Player of the match: Harry Collins (Mandurah City)