The State League First Division/Second Division Promotion/Relegation Play-offs have reached the Final, with Subiaco AFC taking on Curtin University at the State Football Centre on Saturday afternoon (3pm) Subiaco will be hoping to stay in Division One, after finishing 11th in the regular season, and they reached Saturday’s final with a tight 4-3 semifinal win against Swan United. Meanwhile, Curtin will be aiming for a spot in Division One for the first time in their history, this after finishing third in Division Two, and overcoming Maddington-Kalamunda White City 3-2 after extra time in a thriller last week, so it’s all to play for both sides.

Subiaco looked safe at the end of the season, but a 3-4 loss in the final game against Gosnells City, when they were winning by three goals, saw them drop into the relegation playoff spot, and defender Christian Miraudo said the playoffs are a new challenge, and they had to work hard to get the win against Swan. “The game was exactly how we thought it would go, they were a tough team but played good football as well,” he said. “They defiantly made us work for it, so to hear the whistle on Saturday felt very rewarding.”

Miraudo said a change of coach midseason wasn’t ideal, but he believes the appointment of Marc Wingell saw them pick up, and he is hoping they can continue next season in Division One. “Marc and Dale are quality coaches they’ve won plenty of trophies and have a lot of experience,” the defender explained. “We had a good back half of the year with them in charge and as a group we definitely feel like we owe them and the club the opportunity to build something special.”

Standing in their way is Curtin, and Miraudo said it will be another stern test, and they know what to expect after playing them in the preseason. “We played Curtin in pre-season and we knew they were a good side then, and with this being a final, we know it’s going to be anything but easy Saturday,” he said. “But the boys are up for it, and we are hoping to finish our season on a high and keep the club where it belongs.”

Subiaco keeper Conor Hogan was a busy man at Swan last week, and he is expecting Saturday to be just the same with the promotion within their grasp. “We knew it was going to be tough playing away at Swan, and we thought when we scored the first that it would affect Swan,” he explained. “But if anything, it got them more up for it, the lads stuck with it in the second half and defensively I thought we were very good. We are under no illusions Saturday is going to be a tight game, they (Curtin) look good and fit so I’m sure it will be a tough game, but hopefully we turn up with the right attitude and stay in Division One.”

Curtin secured the place in the final after a dramatic extra-time win at Maddington, and it continued the rise of the side under the tutelage of coach Troy Reid, and he was delighted with the players’ attitude to fight out the win. They go into the final looking to play Division One football for the first time in the club’s history with a win, and Reid said everyone at the club has worked extremely hard to get into this position. “Very proud of not just the effort last week but the maturity and grit to find a way to win,” Reid said. “Since the first day I started at Curtin, the goal has always been to get to Division One. We’ve been pushing towards that over the last three years, building not just a good playing group but also a winning culture. The boys and everyone around the club has brought into what we want to achieve as a group and I’m excited as to how close we are.” Reid knows Saturday’s opponents will be desperate to keep their Division One status, but he is confident they can get the result to seal promotion. “Subiaco is a strong side with some exciting young players balanced by experience in players like Gavin Knight. I think this blend of youthful energy and experience is similar to ours, which should lead to a high-energy game,” Reid explained. “The confidence across our group is sky high at the moment and if we execute how we want to play, I’m confident we’ll get the job done on Saturday.”

Curtin skipper Jeffrey Ledwith said the work rate and commitment of all the players at Maddington was second to none, especially with big home support. “Maddington have a great team and have had a great season, and we always knew it was going to be hard playing at their home ground, especially in front of their massive fan base and it showed over the weekend,” Ledwith explained. “It was great to get the win in extra time, the game was very even all the way to the last whistle and we held firm to get the win.”

Ledwith said the players have had a good week on track and are ready to claim their place in Division One. “Everyone is super excited and ready for this weekend. Subiaco is a Division One team for a reason, and we know they will fight to the end to not get relegated, and they showed they are up for the challenge with a win against Swan,” he said. “But the Curtin lads are in high spirits this week, and to have a chance to get promoted is every club’s dream and for Curtin this is a chance to create history for the club.”

CURTIN SQUAD: Jeffrey LEDWITH ©, Ali AKBARZADEH, Nayan BROWN, Angus CASH, Carlo CHIELLINI, Jai COKER, Daniel DAVEY, Scott GEARE, Jaxon ILMAN, Daniel MARQUES (GK), Dane MEERALLY, Rob NICOLOSI (RGK), Todd NYAWAYI, Nic ROBLESS, Janno SAKS, Simone SICHEL, Chris SUTTON, Nathan SMITH, Jordan VALENTINI, Kieran WITT, Oscar WRIGHT

Article adapted from footballwa.net