Sport
14 September, 2026
Bulls bow out of finals
MAREEBA Bulls Under 23s’ impressive finals campaign has come to an end after a hard-fought 2-1 loss to the Leichhardt Lions at Endeavour Park on Saturday.
Mareeba Bulls Under 23s’ impressive finals campaign has come to an end after a hard-fought 2-1 loss to the Leichhardt Lions at Endeavour Park on Saturday.
After defeating Southside Comets 2-1 in their sudden-death semi-final the previous weekend, the Bulls entered the clash knowing one more victory would earn them a place in the Grand Final against Edge Hill United. However, Leichhardt had other ideas and made the perfect start, catching Mareeba early and opening the scoring through Ben Serugaba in just the eighth minute.
The early goal forced the Bulls to chase the game, but they gradually settled into the contest and worked hard to find a way through a determined Lions defence. Mareeba was unable to find the equaliser before the break and headed to the sheds trailing 1-0, but with only one goal separating the sides, the contest remained wide open.
The Bulls emerged for the second half knowing their season was on the line and began searching for the goal that would bring them back into the match. Their persistence was finally rewarded in the 60th minute when Kency Daniel found the back of the net to level the scores at 1-1.
With momentum shifting Mareeba’s way, the Bulls suddenly had renewed hope of completing the comeback and booking their place in the season decider. But just three minutes later, Leichhardt was awarded a penalty.
Joshua Mulla stepped up for the Lions and made no mistake from the spot, restoring Leichhardt’s advantage at 2-1 in the 63rd minute. It was a cruel blow for Mareeba, which had worked hard to get itself back on level terms only moments earlier.
With their season hanging in the balance, the Bulls pushed for another equaliser in the remaining stages, but Leichhardt held firm under the pressure. The final whistle confirmed a 2-1 victory for the Lions and brought an end to Mareeba’s 2026 campaign.
While the disappointment of falling one match short of the Grand Final will be difficult to take, the Bulls can look back proudly on a season that saw them qualify for the finals and win a sudden-death encounter before pushing Leichhardt all the way.
For the Lions, attention now turns to the biggest match of the season. Leichhardt will face Edge Hill United in the Under 23 Grand Final this Saturday at Stan Williams Park, with kick-off at 1.30pm.
