In their final game of the 2015 season, the Kurri Roosters upset second-placed Hamilton Olympic with a 5-4 win at Birralee Oval.
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Olympic had an air of confidence at kick-off and rightly so, scoring in the 10th minute after a cut-back ball into the centre of the box found an unmarked forward.
The game continued to see-saw for most of the first half with both teams playing some quality football keeping the packed grandstand entertained.
In the 44th minute Doug Howard rattled the Olympic net with a powerful header just before the half-time whistle.
Olympic scored four minutes into the second half, raising concerns with the Roosters coaching staff that Kurri had let down their guard.
Three minutes later, Matt Hadfield used some great footwork to beat two defenders and the goalkeeper to make the score 2-2.
Olympic hit the lead again in the 61st minute on the counter attack after outpacing the Roosters’ defence, leaving a two-on-one with the Roosters keeper.
Kurri equalised again when Hadfield crossed the ball from a free kick to find Jeremy Hewitt soar above the pack scoring with a header.
Kurri was awarded a penalty in the 85th minute after an Olympic defender pulled off a precision tackle in the box, however the ref deemed the tackle dangerous and showed the red card.
Howard stepped up to the mark and put the Roosters in front for the first time in the game.
Kurri went up by two in the 87th minute after a well-executed over-the-head bicycle kick by Howard left the opposing team in awe, making the score 5-3 with just minutes remaining.
An all-in mêlée erupted and the only one sent from the field was Roosters’ Ben Payne; and Olympic managed a consolation goal in the 92nd minute, bringing the final score to 5-4.
Reserve grade played a hard-fought game going down 2-0.
They were unlucky not to have taken the lead in the first five minutes when Peter Graeber leapt metres from the ground to head the ball over the bar, missing a dead-set gimme.
The club thanks both teams after going up into a higher division, and both finishing in fifth place; and thanks all of its supporters.