North Geelong Warriors have won the 42nd edition of the Geelong Community Cup with a thrilling 2-1 win over arch-rivals Geelong SC at Myers Reserve.
A late winner from new recruit Caleb Mikulic saw the Warriors clinch their 21st Community Cup, and first since 2014.
It was a dour first half with the scores locked at 0-0 at halftime, but the game came to life in the second half when Warriors’ youth product George Ellis gave North Geelong the lead with an opportunistic goal in the 48th minute.
After a clever save from Lions goalkeeper Kieron McDowell from a corner, Ellis was on hand to tap in from close range.
The Lions equalised three minutes later via Jakob Krajacic, whose thumping header from a corner set up a tense finish.
Just when it looked like heading for extra time, McDowell received the ball from a defender and casually tried to boot the ball clear only for Mikulic to cleverly block the clearance, steal the ball and slot home an unlikely winner to seal the cup for the Warriors.
The tournament is often a great chance for clubs to show off new recruits or young up-and-coming stars.
Noa Skoko, the 16-year-old son of Socceroos great Josip Skoko, starred for North throughout the tournament, while German recruit Marvin Brauweiler was impressive for the Lions.
Last year’s cup winners Corio SC won the third-place playoff with a 2-1 win over hosts Geelong Rangers.
Jordy Cervinski and Callum Ferguson netted for the Eagles.
Geelong SC did secure an award on the day, winning the Fair Play award, while Noah Langerak won the referee of the tournament.
The Community Cup is one of the longest continuous running trophies in Victorian football and has been a perfect segue into the league season over the years for Geelong clubs.
The Warriors head into the 2022 NPL2 season looking to get back to the top tier for the first time since 2017.
They take on Northcote City away in their league opener on March 19.
The Lions are in NPL3 and will be one of the favourites for promotion. They visit Ballarat City on March 19 in their first game.
The last time North and Geelong were in the same division was in 2019, with both local derbies that season attracting bumper crowds of over 1500 fans.
Corio SC head into State League One this season with serious ambitions. With a blend of local young players and boom recruits, the Eagles will also christen their new $3.2 million facilities.
Geelong Rangers will be playing in State League Two.
