One step from glory: senior men, reserve women win through to cup finals

They were some of their closer games this season, but the end result was undeniable – Myrtleford Savoy is back to the league’s biggest stage. The local club has two sides through to the 2025 AWFA cup final, with the senior men and reserve women triumphing in their semi-final showdowns. The senior men won through after a narrow 1-0 victory in Sunday’s semi-final clash with Albury United, while the women are set to take on Albury Hotspurs after a 1-0 win over Boomers Red. Myrtleford Savoy has been the team to beat in the division one men’s competition, winning through to the big dance without a loss all league season. The domination continued in their match with United, narrowly missing out on a goal in the opening 10 minutes of play after a Jack Milford strike hit the crossbar. With the scores locked at 0-0 after 45 minutes, Tom La Spina was injected into the contest and had an immediate impact, involved in a play which resulted in Azia Feltrin nailing the back of the next from the penalty spot. United continued to surge the ball down the win with long bombs, but Savoy were disciplined enough to clear and counterpunch, with goalie Nathan Gleeson making some terrific saves. Senior coach Jayden Vescio said the defensive efforts on show were inspiring from a team who’ve been so far ahead all season. “We’ve got the wood over them this year quite convincingly, and we knew, with the side they’ve now got at the back end of the season, they were going to be a force to be reckoned with,” he said. “I think we controlled the first half really well, got the game on our terms. “I just asked them [at half-time] to be a bit braver and play our game, and Tom came on, got in behind and whipped a ball to Azia inside the first five minutes of the second half, and Azia just buried it from the penalty spot. “We pretty much defended for our lives, and it was Gleeso’s turn to stand up - he made three saves late in the game that were phenomenal, and being an ex-goalkeeper myself, his three reflex saves, I haven’t seen that sort of goalkeeping performance for a long time.” Vescio said it was a remarkable achievement just to make the cup final, and his charges were determined to secure the illusive undefeated championship. “I think this team’s been the best team for six months of the year, never really halted or never really got complacent with things,” he said. “Their drive and commitment has been second to none. “Us down there at the soccer club, we’re the smallest club on the map, but jeez we pack a punch.” The senior men will be joined on the biggest stage of the year by the reserve women. After a stellar year and triumphing against some of the best teams in the competition, co-coach Tom Scott said it was a testament to his team’s dedication that they were in the running for a piece of silverware. “We're extremely proud of the girls for making the grand final - their dedication and commitment has been unmatched all year,” he said. “They're all buzzing with excitement and belief - for some of them it's their first ever grand final, so that makes it a special day regardless of the scoreline.” Myrtleford Savoy take on Albury Hotspurs for the division one men’s title this Saturday at Lavington Sports Ground from 5pm, and the division two women take to the pitch from 10.45am.

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