Melrose FC men and women both through to AWFA Division 1 semi-finals

The men knocked out third-placed Boomers, winning 2-1 at Kelly Park thanks to goals from Adam McLennan and Prince Muhoza, after the women emerged victorious from an epic clash with Cobram at Jelbart Park.

Melrose won 3-1 on a penalties after a 3-3 draw which saw them come from behind twice before conceding a 90th-minute equaliser which forced extra-time.

It's been a long time since the club had both sides through to the last-four and to say Melrose have battled to reach this point is an understatement.

Two years ago, the men finished bottom of the ladder having failed to win a game all season, while the women didn't even have a side entered in Division 1.

And since then, the rebuild on the field has come in spite of destruction off it, with Melrose having been forced to operate without proper facilities at their home ground since the fire which gutted Melrose Park in late 2021.

Proud president David Pye was smiling on Sunday evening.

"I'm pretty pleased with it because overall we've had a good day," Pye said.

"You look at the seniors as your bread and butter so to get them into the semi-finals is a great achievement.

"We lost our way with playing all of our home games (early) and then the second part of the season, they're all away.

"It takes us through winter and we have a decline in attendance at training because there's no facilities.

"Even as late as last week, we were debating whether we should get rid of one of the containers (at Melrose Park) because they cost a bit to hire and it pulls finances from the club.

"These new clubrooms can't come quick enough.

"We'll have a home that will be superb and I can't wait for it, to tell you the truth, so we can attract players and at least have a shower after the game, which is an absolute disgrace (that we can't).

"We're seeing light at the end of the tunnel."

Melrose went into the men's quarter-final as underdogs, having finished three places and 12 points below Boomers, but they were good value for the win.

Their opening goal, in the 26^th minute, was a thing of beauty, McLennan smashing a brilliant half-volley back across Boomers keeper Tal Wilson after Muhoza had picked him out with a fine cross from the right.

Moments later, Adam Waters rattled the bar with an absolute rocket from outside the box as Boomers struggled to get a foothold.

However, when Muhoza's poor touch allowed Andrew Grove to nip in and go round Josh Fluss, it needed a fantastic recovery effort from Muhoza to get back and clear Grove's shot off the line.

Grove forced a good low save from Fluss as Boomers grew in confidence, before Wilson stuck out a foot to deny Kade Rixon at the other end.

Waters struck the woodwork again, this time hitting the base of the near post, and although Melrose lost Rixon to a hamstring injury on the stroke of half-time, Boomers' task became doubly difficult within 90 seconds of the restart.

Muhoza, attempting a cross from the right, launched into an acrobatic celebration routine when he saw the ball swirl over Wilson's head and drop inside the far post.

It was game on when Adam Griffith rose at the back post and powered a header over Fluss to make it 2-1, midway through the second half, but Melrose stood firm under pressure.

Boomers had a big penalty shout waved away when substitute Noah Sredojevic tumbled under Peter Donaldson's challenge inside the box but there was to be no late sting in the tail from Decha Saisanid's team.

"I rate Boomers massively," Melrose co-coach Brett McLennan said.

"They finished third for a reason and they played some cracking football today.

"I knew, even after we scored the second, that it wasn't over because they were always going to come at us.

"When you've coached a team that's conceded 30-odd goals in the last six or seven weeks, a little bit of anxiety creeps in, so to hold on was huge.

"If you look at what we're up against, everyone's on board with all this Matildas stuff but we've got nothing.

"We've got no clubrooms, we've got no canteen, we've got two council-owned toilets and we've got to serve 300-400 people throughout the day.

"It's been that way for a couple of years, it was burnt to a crisp, so it's taken a mammoth effort by everyone involved.

"The committee doesn't meddle into the coaching, they let 'Sheepy' (Waters) coach the girls and they let me and Fluss do what we need to do with the boys.

"They put a massive amount of trust in us, they back us in and the last few weeks, they've probably been wondering what's going on but today sends a message back to the committee that we're trying to reward them for their faith."

Waters must have aged several years on the touchline during what was an extraordinary women's quarter-final earlier in the day.

Melrose conceded a bizarre opener in the 16^th minute when Alyssa Iannucci's low cross from near the corner flag drifted all the way across goalkeeper Georgia Taylor and crept inside the post.

But when Lilly Melbourne led a quick break, 10 minutes before half-time, Melrose found themselves three-on-two and Inde-Ana Burgess set up Alicia Torcaso for a shot which squirmed beyond Cobram stopper Emily Ryan.

Marlie Noonan restored Cobram's lead in first-half stoppage-time when her free-kick from distance floated over Taylor's head and Roar should have been 3-1 up at the break.

Laydah Samani went round the onrushing Taylor and had an open goal at her mercy but shot wide.

It was a let-off which would come back to haunt Cobram as Melrose scored twice in the space of seven minutes to turn the tie on its head.

Caitlin Bishop showed great desire to force home a Maya Davis free-kick and Torcaso then nodded home a left-wing Alex Waters corner.

But with only seconds remaining at the end of 90 minutes, hesitation from Taylor allowed Iannucci to nip in before she could pick the ball up and the quarter-final was level once again at 3-3.

Extra-time yielded only one real chance, Ryan getting fingertips to a powerful Waters shot, before the drama of penalties played out.

Ryan saved from Torcaso and Kylie Wooden shot wide before sisters Maya Davis, Waters and Eva Davis all picked out the bottom right-hand corner for Melrose.

By contrast, Iannucci hit the bar and Hayley Burn fired over for Cobram, with Samani the only player to score as Melrose set up a semi-final clash with league champions Albury Hotspurs next weekend.

"It takes massive courage to take a penalty," Adam Waters said.

"I understand, from taking one myself, that putting your hand up and saying 'I want it' is huge so I take my hat off to those girls.

"All year, we've been going behind and working our way back into games.

"It's almost like we need a kick up the butt sometimes.

"It was very stressful but I expected that!

"We probably didn't go about it the way we thought - we should have won in normal time - but it's just good to get there."

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