The Men’s Premier League Anzac Day Cup for 2024 has been won by the Lismore Richmond Rovers after they won a penalty shoot-out against last year’s premiers, the Bangalow Bluedogs.
A big crowd witnessed an exciting match, that was decided by a penalty shoot-out after it was locked up 0–0 after 110 minutes of normal and extra time.
Lismore Richmond Rovers won the shoot-out 4–3.
‘We just missed out in the end,’ Bangalow’s coach Joel Rudgley said. ‘We played well but ended up putting ourselves in the position where we could lose’.
‘You have to make sure you put the shots into the net. We had a couple off the crossbars and their keeper made a couple of great saves.
‘He backed that up when he saved a few penalties in the shoot-out too. It says a lot when their goalie [Daniel Hamshaw] wins the man of the match award’.
Bangalow won last year’s Anzac Day Cup as well as the premiership.
‘It would’ve been good to chalk up another Anzac Cup, but that’s how the cookie crumbles,’ he said.
But Joel is confident for the season, as the team is pretty much unchanged from last year and the side is undefeated after three rounds of the regular season.
Other results
Suffolk Park had a 2–1 win over local rivals Byron Bay in the Anzac Day Open A final, while Tintenbar East Ballina FC were too good for Dunoon United, winning their battle for the Open B final 2–1.
In the Open C final Pottsville Beach FC triumphed over Lismore Richmond Rovers 5-4 on penalties after both sides remained deadlocked at 1-1 following extra time.
Byron women
In the women’s top league Byron Bay won the Callan McMillan Memorial Shield final 4–1 playing against Lennox Head at Ocean Shores last Sunday.
The Byron side dominated the game after scoring two goals early in the first half. Lennox Head responded with a ‘spectacular goal’ coming into half time, but Byron went on to control the second half with two more unanswered goals, Byron Bay FC’s John McKay said.
‘Lennox only had the one shot at goal,’ he said. ‘Byron played well as a whole, but midfielder Maddie Green was a class above’.
Maddie ended up winning the player of the match award.
The team’s coach, Jimmy Gill, had to return to England on a mercy dash just two days before the final.
‘He was up early to follow the game and help out the stand-in coaches.’
‘The team is undefeated this year and has largely been able to stay together for a couple of years.
‘Expectations are high and so far they have been playing up to those standards,’ John said. ‘It’s a pretty formidable team’.
Byron Bay will be running women’s teams in the top three grades and is also strong in the junior ranks.
The club has been working hard to develop the right culture and now it’s coming to fruition. ‘It has taken ten years, but it is worth it,’ John said.
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