Warners Bay into grand final as Olympic stay alive with last-minute victory: NPLW NNSW

Lauren Allan scored twice and set up two other goals as Warners Bay booked their place in the NPLW Northern NSW grand final. Picture by Marina Neil

Warners Bay have powered into the NPLW Northern NSW grand final while Newcastle Olympic scored twice in stoppage time to keep alive their season as the semi-finals were played simultaneously at John Street Oval on Sunday.

The Panthers were 6-1 winners over Broadmeadow in the major semi-final and Olympic twice came from behind to beat Charlestown 3-2 in the elimination match.

Magic, who lost left-back Jannali Hunter through injury in the 24^th minute and finished with 10 players after midfielder Bella Carlisle was issued her marching orders in the 88^th for two yellow card offences, now face Olympic in the preliminary final next weekend.

Warners Bay are through to the October 2 championship decider while Azzurri's season is now over.

Lauren Allan proved pivotal to the Panthers' victory.

The Newcastle Jets striker opened the scoring from the edge of the 18-yard box in the 21^st minute with a second attempt after the first was blocked by Magic centre-back Kirstyn Antoni.

The goal came after Magic had looked the more likely to score in the opening stages with direct play getting left-sided livewire Lucy Jerram into good positions without reward.

Magic goalkeeper Alison Logue made a goal-saving tackle on the edge of the area in the 29^th minute to deny the league's leading scorer Adriana Konjarski.

But the Panthers took a 2-0 advantage into the break after Allan's shot from a tight angle on the right was deflected into the goal by Magic centre-back Kalista Hunter in the 42^nd minute.

Magic pulled a goal back through Rhali Dobson from the penalty spot in the 64^th minute. The spot kick was awarded for a challenge on Jerram in the box.

But the premiers then scored from three free kicks in the 73^rd, 75^th and 89^th before Allan delivered a curling cross into the box from the right in the 92^nd minute and Tara Andrews headed it into the net for her second of the match.

Three minutes earlier, Andrews had been on the spot to finish at the near post after Logue got a hand to Konjarski's free kick from the left sideline.

Konjarski buried the scraps in the 73^rd when Logue also repelled but could not contain Cassidy Davis' curling ball into the box after a quickly taken free kick by sister Airlie.

Cassidy Davis proved provider again two minutes later when she headed Konjarski's long-range free kick square to Allan, who took a touch then fired the ball into net.

There was equally as much action unfolding on the adjacent field as Olympic produced last-gasp glory with goals through Brooke Summers then Keea Parrish in the 90^th and 92^nd minutes respectively.

Charlestown took a 1-0 lead into half-time. Summer Taube had scored from the penalty spot in the 45^th minute after Olympic's Laura Hall was deemed to have handballed in the box.

The equaliser came through Jemma House and some individual brilliance in the 67^th when she won the ball just over halfway and ran straight through Azzurri's defence to score.

Azzurri regained a one-goal advantage in the 81^st minute when young gun Cassie Corder scored with a curling left-footed strike into the top left corner.

But the 2020 champions equalised for a second time in the 90^th when Keea Parrish sent a long throw into the box and a desperate Brooke Summers pounced on the loose ball and chipped it into the net.

Parrish then produced the matchwinner when she scored from close range off Hall's 92^nd minute corner.