By JOSIP ZILIC
NORTH Geelong Warriors have won the City of Greater Geelong Diversity Cup in a penalty shootout against Corio.
The Warriors claimed their 20th title amid supporters spurring on their teams with singing and instruments to provide an entertaining match.
The first half was cagey, with neither team penetrating often enough but willing to make the tough tackles.
North was forced to work hard with 10 players when Michael Boyar was sent off for his second bookable offence before half-time.
Corio striker Vedran Stojanovic hit a cracking shot into the top corner to put Corio 1-0 up early in the second half.
Corio toiled with the lead under pressure from North Geelong until the 75th minute when Matt Townley levelled the scores for the Warriors from a penalty.
The tempo lifted as both teams traded blows until the penalty shoot-out.
North converted first through Townley before Corio’s Steve Luczo hit the cross bar.
Tony Saric and Stojanovic both scored, with North’s Reha Kurul also putting his shot away.
Former Warriors veteran Adrian Cervinski missed his chance to keep Corio in the match when Franco Saric palmed the kick around the post.
James Duvcevski then stepped up to seal the match for the Warriors.
In other games on the evening, Geelong Rangers surprised Geelong SC with a 2-0 win in the third and fourth play-off.
Geelong SC claimed the Fair Play trophy, North Geelong’s Michael Anderson was top scorer and Lara’s Ben Houston won the Peter Stamatovski best-player trophy.
