A STUNNING six-goal haul from Michael Lockyer has propelled Ballarat into the Ballarat District Soccer Association division one grand final.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The league leading goal scorer led Ballarat to a 9-1 thumping over Vic Park in Sunday’s preliminary final at Morshead Park.
However, it was Park that had the first opportunities to find the back of the net.
A missed hit-back pass from Ballarat at the 10-minute mark saw Park stumble and miss a golden opportunity when faced with an open goal and out-of-position keeper.
From there, it was all Ballarat.
The favourite led 5-0 at the 40-minute mark, and a missed penalty to Park just before half-time effectively ended any chance of the young side clawing its way back into the match.
Coach Tony Clayworth said the win set up by a strong team performance, but reserved special praise for the “unstoppable” Lockyer.
“They had no answer for him,” he said.
“There was a section of supporters who were sledging him right from the start, and he gave them the best possible answer.
“I don’t know why you’d give a player like him that extra motivation,” Clayworth laughed.
Ballarat will now face Warrnambool – a side it hasn’t beaten in its last three outings – in the grand final.
Ballarat has four sides in the grand final, with the under-13s, 17s and reserves also vying for flags this Saturday.
Meanwhile, North United Black has won through to the women’s division one final with a 3-0 win over North United White.
Jessica Dart starred with a hat-trick, with North needing to defeat Sebastopol Yellow for the premiership.