GIRLS SOCCER: Tori-Lee Canham has travelled many kilometres from her home at Coonamble to play soccer this year and yesterday she was rewarded with a goal that could see her Western side take out the New South Wales Country championship title.

As the State titles wind down at Apex Oval this morning, Western has to beat bottom of the ladder Metro Far North and hope Southern go down to red hot side Metro Far South - already announced as winners of the under-14 State Championship.

In yesterday’s only game Western escaped with a 1-1 draw against Southern with Canham’s last minute goal allowing them to finish on even terms.

According to Dubbo-based Western coach Wayne Burge, it was a game that could eventually see Western crowned Country champions.

“No doubt about it, it was the goal that we needed,” he said.

“We were desperate for a goal and after a scramble in the box, Tori-Lee and the goalkeeper were together on the ground and the ball was there for the taking. Fortunately Tori-Lee was able to get a boot to it and we escaped with a draw.

“We’ll now concentrate on our own game Saturday morning against Metro Far North, but of course, looking at the result from the game between Southern and Metro Far South.”

Yesterday’s clash with Southern was always going to be tough and it was Western’s most physical game of the week.

“It was unfortunate we were in the position we were as I thought we played better and should have won,” Burge said.

“We did all the attacking in the first 10 minutes but for some reason the ball just couldn’t find the back of the net.

“Then they got down the other end and scored after our defence failed to clear. We had to play catch-up football for the rest of the game.

“I guess looking back it’s been a tournament most sides could look back on and say they were unlucky at some time or other.

“Such was our case when a last minute goal denied us in the first game.”

In the under-12s competition yesterday, Western played some great football to shut out Southern 3-0 while the under-16s were under the pump going down 4-0.

The Western-12s will probably finish midfield if they can win today but unfortunately the Western 16s have struggled but will be in with an even chance of winning their first game this morning.

Western’s last round of games today are all against Metro Far North on the main Apex Oval, starting at 9am for under-12s, 10.15am in under-14s and 11.30am under-16s.