THE Woolgoolga Wolves secured their place in the HIT105.5 North Coast Premier League Grand Final, delivering a 2-0 knockout blow to the Urunga Raiders on Saturday, 7 September at C.ex Coffs International Stadium.

Urunga stormed out of the gates with a point to prove, with striker Fabrice Wamara continually threatening to break the deadlock.

The Raiders’ intent was clear, but Woolgoolga’s Jimmy Palmer silenced the home crowd’s early jitters, coolly side-footing into the net just fourteen minutes into the contest.

The first half unfolded as a tactical chess match, with the Wolves methodically building from the back, while Urunga sought to exploit Wamara’s blistering pace through Joel Hampson’s well-placed long balls over the top. Despite the Raiders’ relentless pressure, the Wolves backline, bolstered by Ben Wighton’s shift into central defence and the return of Jamie Arther at right back, held firm.

As the clock ticked into the 72nd minute, James Gorrie put the result beyond doubt, slotting home to cap off a disciplined Woolgoolga performance.

Urunga’s spirited efforts kept the crowd on edge, but the Wolves’ resilience proved too much.

Woolgoolga now turns its focus to the Grand Final showdown with the Northern Storm, who edged out the Wolves in extra time during the first versus second playoff to punch their own ticket to the final.

The Grand Final weekend kicks off on Friday, 6 September, with the under-16s girls final featuring Sawtell Spirit and Coffs City United at 6pm.

The evening will also see three Masters matches, including the Men’s Over 35s Division 2 clash between Urunga and Woolgoolga at 6pm, followed by the Women’s Over 30s between Urunga and Boambee at 7:30pm.

The Men’s Over 35s Division 1 face-off between Coffs Coast Tigers and Sawtell wraps up the night at 7:45pm.

By David WIGLEY