Polar Bears into the Grand Final

Our U14/15 Division 1 Polar Bears produced a stunning display of finals football to defeat minor premiers West Wanderers 2–0 in Saturday’s semi-final.

The first half was a tense battle, with both sides creating chances but unable to find the breakthrough. The Polars held strong and went into the break at 0–0, showing patience and discipline against the top-of-the-table seeds.

Just 2 minutes into the second half, the deadlock was broken. Chad Mead, returning after 10 weeks out with injury, showed incredible composure inside the 18-yard box to calmly finish and give the Polars the lead. Then, midway through the second half, a moment of brilliance sealed the result. A slick 1–2 between captain Darcy Shepherd and Avery Mead split the Wanderers’ defence, leaving Avery one-on-one with the keeper. A cool finish under the diving keeper challenge doubled the lead and sent the Polar Bears fans into celebration.

The final 20 minutes were all about grit and determination. The backline, marshalled by Campbell Allen, and a rock-solid effort from keeper Parker Heath ensured the Wanderers were kept scoreless. In midfield, Layla Forde and Sam Jordan tirelessly broke up play and turned defence into attack, capping off a true team performance.

The Polar Bears now advance to the Grand Final, where they’ll face the Gatton Redbacks this coming Saturday at 9am at Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba.