Bears Battle to the End

Our Community Division 1 Bears bowed out of the finals series on Saturday after a hard-fought 1–0 loss to West Wanderers in their semi-final.

It was a disrupted start to the match, with kickoff delayed after the preceding fixture went to penalties and further pushed back when referees discovered a goal net issue.

When play finally began, the Bears were caught cold. Just one minute in, Wanderers struck from a back-post header off a corner to take an early lead.

From there, it was an 89-minute arm wrestle. Chinchilla carved out several promising chances, while Wanderers pressed hard through multiple counter attacks, through balls and free kicks in the attacking third — yet neither side could alter the scoreline.

Standout efforts came from fullbacks Ryan Dolbel and McLaren Hope, who worked tirelessly to contain repeated assaults from the Wanderers’ wingers. Substitute Brian Handasyde made a strong impact in midfield, while Mark Johnson and Joe Wood impressed with their skill, intensity, and never-say-die spirit.

Thank you to our players, coaches, and loyal supporters for being part of the journey, we will be back stronger in 2025