LAKE Cathie FC defeated old rivals the Macleay Valley Rangers (MVR) in a tense grand final to secure the Regional Super League women’s title over the weekend.
Run for the first time in 2025, the Super League brought together the best sides from three of Northern NSW Football’s regional member zones – Football Mid North Coast, North Coast Football and NNSWF Northern Inland.
Both Lake Cathie and MVR had big victories on Saturday, 11 October to earn their grand final places, with the former defeating Oxley Vale Attunga 4-0 and MVR triumphing 6-0 over Tamworth FC.
The two undisputed powerhouses of the local women’s competition in 2025, the teams had pushed each other all year, with MVR victorious 1-0 over Lake Cathie in the MNC North A grand final at the end of September.
When they kicked off again on Sunday, 12 October they were playing to determine the best team in Northern NSW.
The Kempsey-based MVR came into the match confident, and not without good reason.
They had won the Mid North Coast competition without losing a match and came into the final of the Super League undefeated too, looking to complete the season double as “Invincibles”.
The match started as a physical encounter, with Lake Cathie dominating large portions of the first half, creating multiple chances but being unable to convert.
Lake Cathie manager Craig Bulmer told News Of The Area, “Our midfield controlled the centre of the park brilliantly, with great support from the centre backs and fullbacks allowing us to dictate the tempo.”
The second half started and grew more intense than the first 45 minutes.
Fatigue appeared to set in, and the game opened up, with both teams creating goalscoring opportunities.
The end-to-end nature of the game eventually resulted in Lake Cathie winning a penalty from some fluid build-up play.
Evie Bobilak relished the high-pressure moment, showing great composure to slot the ball home from the penalty spot.
MVR scrambled for an equaliser, though it wasn’t enough, as Lake Cathie held on to end MVR’s unbeaten run and claim the title.
Lake Cathie will be looking to strengthen even further in 2026.
“I’m pretty happy with the core of the team, but to stay competitive we’ll need to bring in some fresh faces to keep things evolving,” Bulmer said.
Having suffered their first and only defeat for the year, MVR President and midfielder Shelby Coleman praised her teammates after a “hard weekend”.
“We travelled with 11 players and already had some injuries from the previous week’s games,” she said.
“Match fitness was a hard thing going back to back as we had numerous forfeits and cancellations this year that meant we were pretty much back at square one with match fitness.
“The vibes are still high among the team, and ultimately, win or lose, we were happy with how we handled ourselves with respect and dignity and we hope we did the club proud.”
By Jules BARDON
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