South Melbourne caretaker coach Matt Maslak has admitted he rode the same wave of emotions as his players after the table toppers escaped with a penalty shootout win in their Major Semi-Final clash against Bulleen Lions on Sunday.
Maslak also reserved praise for his sides mental strength, which allowed them to triumph deep into the arduous contest.
“[I’m] exhausted. It feels like I’ve played 90 minutes myself,” he chimed.
“Obviously happy with the girls. It was a very even game but the hurdle of getting a win is just as important [as getting] in the mindset and mentality that we’ve won the game.
“The issue over the past weeks [was] the mental side of things. Today winning the game, we’ve obviously done it the hard way. But overcoming the mental hurdle of winning the game is important.”
A part of that mental hurdle was overcoming the obstacle of turning around a half-time deficit, with Bulleen at the time sitting 1-0 to the good.
“In my eyes it was a confident half-time talk, apart from 10-15 minutes of the game where the nerves were a massive issue, in my opinion we were on top of the game,” Maslak said.
“We had a number of chances which on another day would go in. You get the first goal, second goal, third and the game’s probably done at half-time. But the mental side of this game was the big one.”
“That was a different management style, a different system. If you watched the girls today it was a lot less pressure on them, not as tense as what it was.
“The confidence I’ve got in my girls is sky high. The girls have got enough commitment and passion and drive to want to win.”
He’s hoping the girls can ride that confidence into the Grand Final in a fortnight’s time, and he’s made no secret as to who he wants to face up against in the decider.
“For me, I want to play Bulleen. I know we can do better than we did tonight, but we still won the game. We created enough chances to win the game and win the final, so I’m confident in whoever we play,
“They are the second placed team and obviously a strong team, so I want to play the best team that’s out there except for us. You want to see the best two teams play. To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best, and f anyone wants to play us, good luck to them.
“We play against anyone – I’m confident of taking the three points. They’ve [Bulleen] been very powerful and very strong, but I’m confident in my girls beating anyone.”
South Melbourne find out who they’ll face in the WPL Grand Final as FC Bulleen Lions and Heidelberg United do battle on Sunday. Kick-off at Broadmeadows Valley Park is scheduled for 2:00pm.