FOOTBALL - Force gutted by extra-time loss

The hollow expressions of the players sprawled on the turf spoke volumes as North Force were robbed of a fairytale comeback against Glenfield Rovers yesterday, by a last-minute, extra-time goal.
"I thought we had it, we battled hard to come back from 3-0 down against a pretty good side," a distraught Kyle Mack said after the game.
"And then I went and stuffed it up and they equalised, I'm so gutted, we had it," he said shaking his head.
The team made up for a lacklustre start in the US1 Presidents Cup semifinal at Kamo by fighting back from a 0-3 deficit in the 23rd minute, to trail 2-3 at half-time. The revival was sparked by a fortunate but well-taken Mark Ruddell goal in the 28th minute before captain Bruce Plunkett added a penalty after Ruddell was chopped down in the area.
The second half favoured Rovers slightly until five minutes from time, when Ruddell picked out striker Sammy Oso with a great ball from defence. Oso beat his defender, stepping inside him to curl a 30m shot around the keeper and into the net for what must have been close to his best goal of the season.
The goal sent the game into extra time with Ruddell again turning provider by feeding Mack, who struck a fantastic ball wide of the keeper from the edge of the area to send his side ahead for the first time 4-3.
Mack, who was outstanding all game in the middle of the park, then went from hero to villain, when he missed a routine clearance at the other end, gifting Rovers's Kuba Sinkora an equaliser.
The match then looked headed toward penalties when Fero Mudrik beat Plunkett for pace in the centre of the park to round Leon Taylor sneak the ball into the net.
It wasn't the end that anyone wanted to the season but it was a gusty performance that the players can be proud of, against a better-than-average team that made it through to the Chatham Cup semifinals this season, before being knocked out by Dunedin Technical.
The entire team gave everything they had with Ruddell, Alex Luiten, Mack, Scott Burgess and Leon Taylor having exceptional games.
"It really showed the team's character and how far we've come in the way we play this season and it's really disappointing to go out like that," coach Dean Wheatley said.
The team finished third, ahead of Rovers, in the US1 Premier League and qualified for the post-season President's Cup and although they didn't make the final, it certainly wasn't from a lack of effort.