THE Urunga Raiders confirmed their dominance this season with a 5-1 victory over the Woolgoolga Wildcats in the Women’s North Coast Premier League Grand Final at C.ex Coffs International Stadium on Saturday.

Having finished the regular season a staggering 24 points clear of Woolgoolga, Urunga came into the decider as overwhelming favourites.

But the Wildcats, undeterred by their underdog status, made it clear from the outset that finals football is a different beast.

For 40 minutes, Woolgoolga’s defence held firm, absorbing wave after wave of Urunga pressure while threatening on the counter with a few chances of their own.

It wasn’t until five minutes before halftime that the Raiders finally broke the deadlock, thanks to Eibhlin Kealy-Banks, whose confident finish gave Urunga a narrow 1-0 lead at the break.

Just three minutes into the second half, Urunga’s relentless attack forced Woolgoolga into conceding an own goal, extending the lead to 2-0.

However, the Wildcats weren’t going down without a fight.

When Alexis Touzel found the back of the net in the 68th minute, reducing the deficit to 2-1, the crowd sensed a potential comeback.

Woolgoolga pressed hard but as time ticked on, Urunga began to exploit the spaces opening up in the Wildcats’ tiring defence.

In the final fifteen minutes, the Raiders showcased why they’ve been the benchmark all season, with Kalahni Gray, Savanna Harris, and Kealy-Banks netting again to complete a resounding 5-1 win.

Urunga’s triumph capped off an extraordinary season, where they not only claimed the women’s senior title with a 100 percent winning record but also clinched the Women’s Over 30s trophy the night before, defeating Boambee Eagles 3-2 thanks to a hat-trick from Kanisha Phillips-Cooke.

By David WIGLEY