Shellharbour City have completed a remarkable comeback to claim the 2026 Men’s Premier League 3 Grand Final, defeating Coledale Waves 4–1 after extra time in a dramatic finale.
Coledale were just minutes away from lifting the trophy after taking a first-half lead, but a late equaliser from City forced extra time before Shellharbour produced a devastating four-goal turnaround to secure the championship
The opening half was a tense affair, with both sides struggling to find a way through.
In the 22nd minute, Shellharbour came close to breaking the deadlock when Edvard Grujevski delivered a cross towards the back post. The ball drifted behind James Sekuloski, who attempted an audacious backheel, but his effort went wide.
Coledale continued to threaten from unexpected moments, with Ross Goodman-Brown producing a daring run through several Shellharbour players in the 40th minute. The defender was brought down, with the loose ball falling to Jonathan Hynes, whose powerful strike was blocked by the City defence.
Then, in the dying stages of the first half
, Coledale found the breakthrough.
Hynes delivered a corner into a crowded penalty area, with the ball bouncing around amid a series of ricochets before falling into the path of Joel Mucci.
Mucci fired a low effort towards goal from close range. The shot took a deflection off a defender and wrong-footed the goalkeeper, finding the back of the net.
The Waves headed into the break with the advantage and the trophy firmly within reach.
Just two minutes into the second half, Mucci nearly doubled Coledale’s advantage. He brilliantly flicked the ball over his marker in midfield before unleashing a half-volley on the bounce, but his effort flew wide.
Shellharbour continued to search for an equaliser and were handed a golden opportunity in the 82nd minute when Sekuloski was brought down inside the penalty area.
Beau Randle stepped up and calmly lifted his spot-kick over the goalkeeper, but the ball struck the crossbar and bounced away.
The opportunity had gone, and Coledale remained 1–0 ahead.
With the clock ticking towards full time, the Waves looked destined to lift the trophy.
Then came the moment that changed everything.
Shellharbour won a corner, with the resulting ball falling to Reagan Strong. He unleashed a ferocious strike towards goal.
A Coledale defender managed to get a touch and knock the ball away from the goalmouth, but the referee judged that it had already crossed the line.
The late equaliser sent the Grand Final into extra time.
Shellharbour needed just two minutes of extra time to complete the turnaround.
The ball was played to Cassander Grujevski on the edge of the box, where he spotted the goalkeeper off his line and produced an ambitious chip that sailed over the keeper and into the net.
The momentum had completely shifted.
In the second half of extra time, Coledale’s hopes of a comeback suffered another blow when a loss of possession allowed Kody Lawler to receive the ball high up the pitch.
Lawler found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, with defenders desperately racing back. He kept his composure and smashed a low finish into the bottom-left corner.
Five minutes later, City put the result beyond doubt.
A high ball was played forward from midfield, catching the Coledale backline too high up the pitch. Edvard Grujevski controlled the pass, rounded the goalkeeper and calmly slotted the ball into an empty net.
From 1–0 down with minutes remaining in regulation time to 4–1 winners after extra time, Shellharbour had completed one of the most dramatic Grand Final turnarounds in recent memory. Coledale were only minutes away from celebrating the championship before City’s late equaliser changed the course of the match.
Shellharbour City are the 2026 Men’s Premier League Grand Final champions.
By Thomas Panayiotou
Photos courtesy of Gragrapix
