Shoalhaven FC hang on to win tough premiership clash over Hilltop in FSC grand final

With Hilltop handing Shoalhaven their only loss of the season in the first round of finals via a penalty shootout, there was added motivation for the side heading into the pivotal season clash.

Based on all of the side's clashes throughout the season, it was evident from the jump that it was going to be a physical encounter, with both teams ripping in straight away.

There was barely an inch separating either side for the majority of the match, with defence being the ultimate dictator.

After the first 45 minutes the scores were locked at 0-0, and the game was in anybody's corner, it would all come down to who really wanted it more.

Coming out of the second-half the sides continued to lock-horns and share whatever momentum was built back and forth.

However, at the 71^st minute, Shoalhaven was able to finally break through when Logan Connell got the ball and made no mistake sending a cracker into the back of the net to give his side the 1-0 lead.

From here, all Shoalhaven had to do was hold on and keep up the same defensive intensity, and they did just that.

As the whistle blew the side rejoiced having claimed the premiership in their first season together as a group.

READ MORE:

Head coach Nathan Aldridge called it "a great achievement" by the players and credited the "club's culture" as a whole in fostering the winning environment they've had all year.

"Everyone is very supportive and here to back each other, and this is the end result of that culture I suppose," he said.

He added it was an incredibly tough game and one that really could have gone in either direction if a few things had gone differently.

"It was a very very tight game, it could have gone either way, but we were able to find something else to get us over the line," he said.

"Hilltop had the better of play in the first 25 minutes, but we just stuck in there and stayed in the fight."

"We made some crucial changes just before halftime, and going into the second-half which I really think changed the game, it gave us the energy we needed going forward."

With the U18's headed to the grand-final this weekend, Shoalhaven has the chance to have three teams take home the premiership in their first season in the competition.

Aldridge said it's all thanks to the efforts of the players on the field and the years of hard work by everyone behind the scenes who have made it all possible.

"It's outrageous," he said.

"Even if the 18s don't get up, it's still a massive massive achievement, from not just the players, not just the coaches, but from everyone in the background."

"From day one it's been nothing but positivity, that's how you get the results we have."

"We've achieved the goal that we wanted to achieve this year, we've overachieved actually, now we are in the process of taking the steps to go to the next level."