If you told a Shepparton United fan at half-time of the League 1 grand final the side would end up clinging on to victory, they might have laughed.
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United led 3-0 after a dominant start to the decider against Tatura.
Striker Marcus Thomas netted the opener from a rebound, with Ibises goalkeeper Daniel Scaffidi providing a helping hand (literally) by parrying a cross into his path.
Only 10 minutes later it was two.
An effort struck the upright via an excellent delivery floated toward the back post, with United again scoring from a rebound.
This time centre-back Thomas Raditsas was on hand to finish.
In the 41st minute, United was seemingly home.
The exciting Tutu Taya netted arguably the goal of the day, finding the bottom-right corner from a low free-kick expertly curled around the wall.
Taya threw himself into a small contingent of United fans in celebration, with a sense in the air that more goals were on the way.
That would be true, but not in the manner many would’ve thought.
Two minutes after Taya’s strike, Tatura breathed life back into the contest.
Gerald Corbo’s wide set-piece, surely meant to be a cross, went all the way in.
The Ibises suddenly had a slither of hope, going into half-time down 3-1.
Jose Rivera’s team was clearly buoyed and made a decent start to the second half, but United repelled any serious threats to its goal.
As would be expected in a final, the Blues had to withstand the solid period of pressure from the Ibises.
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Tutu Taya addresses the crowd after being named best on ground. Photo by Jazzy JohalImage 2 of 7
Shepparton United celebrate with the trophy at full-time. Photo by Jazzy JohalImage 3 of 7
Tristan Zito looks for a teammate. Photo by Jazzy JohalImage 4 of 7
Joseph Alshawaf protects the ball from Tristan Zito. Photo by Jazzy JohalImage 5 of 7
Zachary Ferlauto dribbles through the centre of the pitch. Photo by Jazzy JohalImage 6 of 7
Tutu Taya wheels away in celebration after scoring a well-taken free-kick. Photo by Jazzy JohalImage 7 of 7
Tatura’s Zachary Ferlauto dribbles away from Shepparton United’s Marcus Thomas. Photo by Jazzy JohalWhat came next was the opportunity to put themselves back in the ascendancy, or in this case, strengthen their position.
To say United had opportunities to kill the game off would be an understatement.
Thomas’ pace was an issue for the Tatura defence all game, but the striker’s finishing let him down in the second period.
Scaffidi was also determined to keep his side in the contest.
The goalkeeper denied Thomas twice from one-on-ones, then pulled off an incredible stop by throwing his left arm at a forceful Willie Sauiluma effort.
As much as Scaffidi kept his team in it, so did United’s attack.
Tatura began to push more numbers forward searching for a dramatic comeback, making it increasingly easier for United to breach its defensive line.
Thomas got in behind from a superbly weighted through ball by Hassan Alhilfi, was bearing down on goal, but instead of shooting himself, tried to square it for a teammate.
United’s wastefulness was brewing more and more frustration among its fans in the stands, and almost came back to bite in devastating fashion.
Perhaps thinking it had already wrapped up the win, United invited Tatura into its defensive third in injury time.
The Ibises took the space afforded to them with a flurry of shots and eventually earned a 93rd-minute penalty.
Tristan Zito stepped up, his weak effort initially denied by United’s Imran Ali Mohammadi.
But the huge roar of celebration by the United faithful was immediately muted when Zito smashed in the rebound.
Tatura had about two minutes to pull off what seemed an unfathomable late comeback.
For the first time all day, United did not feel the superior outfit.
The Ibises launched in cross after cross at the death, each one drawing an air of anticipation from the crowd as the ball hung in the air.
United dug in, repelling the aerial balls long enough, and defending, quite literally, its place at the summit of the Football Victoria Greater Bendigo hierarchy.
The final whistle blew, Shepparton United home 3-2 in a decider which should live long in the memory.
After his first half heroics, Taya came away with best-on-ground honours.