Milla Butler said she always knew she was going to score when she picked up the ball before firing home a dazzling goal to seal Western Australia's 2-0 Under-16s' CommBank Emerging Matildas Championships triumph with an eye-catching individual effort over Victoria Blue.
Two outstanding goals from Piper Dowe and Butler sealed the triumph for Western Australia as the tournament at the Home of the Matildas reached its climax on Wednesday.
Butler, who said her strength is "running in behind and getting on the end of it", did exactly that when the final was balanced and on a knife-edge at 1-0 in an entertaining second half.
Her 47th minute goal, coming via a deft turn past a defender, surge down the left and then cheeky finish at the near post, put the icing on the cake of an impressive display as she jumped into the arms of her mates behind the goal.
"Everyone has the best bond and it's such an amazing experience," she said afterwards as she enjoyed the win.
Butler was a dominant force down the left, instrumental in the opening goal as well. In the 22nd minute, she fought for the ball down her flank and her persistence was rewarded when she outmuscled her opponent on the byline, and cut the ball back to Dowe, who opened the scoring coolly.
Victoria pushed, with a mad 47th scramble in the box proving a heart-in-mouth moment, but WA prevailed, taking out the tournament on a day where the Matildas, the team they aspire to one day make, play tonight against Kenya.
With so many of that senior squad having come through this tournament, the opportunity this stage provides was not lost on the youngsters.
"It's an amazing feeling playing here and winning at the home of the Matildas and hopefully one day becoming one,” Butler beamed.
Earlier, New South Wales Sky won the Under-15s CommBank Emerging Matildas Championships after an impressive 3-1 triumph over Queensland White.
The NSW side raced out to a 3-0 lead courtesy of Selena Mifsud’s 16th-minute header, Rose Selimiotis’ stunning strike on the cusp of half-time and substitute Anabel Carbone’s goal just after the break.
Queensland skipper Charlie Wiegan set up an exciting final 25 minutes but New South Wales Sky were good enough to stop any momentum swinging the Queenslanders’ way.
An ecstatic coach Anissa Tann pointed out that the most pleasing aspect of the win was how quickly a group of fresh faces had clicked so quickly.
"This is a new intake for us," she explained.
"For them to do so well and obviously listen and follow instructions, I'm really happy. They did pretty well."
She continued: "I was hoping that we got Navy into the final as well. But...as it's a new intake, I'm just really, really happy that they've been able play good football."
Mifsud has had a brilliant tournament and her header took her tally to 10 goals for the week. She was sharp at the back post, reacting quickly when a superb cross from the left crept past the goalkeeper.
The Western City Rangers striker has been in prolific form in this CommBank Emerging Matildas Championships, and after a brief delay to consider a potential foul on the goalkeeper, she was able to celebrate with her teammates.
"I reckon all the girls came out and wanted one thing and that was to win it and we all did it for each other," an elated Mifsud said.
"I'm really proud of all the girls for it."
Just before half-time, she was thwarted by a brilliant one-on-one save from Eve Hooper in goal, but Selimiotis made sure it was 2-0 at the break, with a thunderous strike in stoppage-time.
Seconds after APIA Leichhardt’s Carbon rounded the goalkeeper to make it 3-0, Wiegand floated a speculative cross in from the left, which sailed in to make it 3-1, but that was where the scoring ended as New South Wales celebrated in style.
Captain Georgie Serra said they wanted to see how far they could go as a group; now, they have the answer.
"It was insane. Words cannot describe the feeling of winning with a bunch of great girls," she said.
This article was originally published on football360.com.au
List of Award Winners
U15 Fair Play: Football Tasmania
U16 Fair Play: Football Tasmania
U15 Referee of the Tournament: Isabella Walshe (NNSW)
U16 Referee of the Tournament: Anna Liacopoulos (Football Vic)
U15 Coach of the Tournament: Anissa Tann (Football NSW Sky)
U16 Coach of the Tournament: Sebastian Zancan (Football Vic Blue)
U15 Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Charlotte Lacey (Football QLD Maroon)
U16 Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Zoe Reader (Football QLD Maroon)
U15 Golden Boot: Selena Mifsud (Football NSW Sky) - 10 goals
U16 Golden Boot: Sophie Aungle (Football NSW Sky) - 7 goals
U15 Championship Final MVP: Selena Mifsud (Football NSW Sky)
U16 Championship Final MVP: Milla Butler (Football West)
U15 CommBank Player of the Tournament: Evie Murphy (Football NSW Sky)
U16 CommBank Player of the Tournament: Tessa Young (Football NSW Sky)
