This year will go down as the one that got away for Hanwood after they squandered a 3-0 lead in the Pascoe Cup grand final against Leeton.
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While Leeton was able to get the first clear-cut chance in the first half but the shot from Adam Raso went wide from range.
Hanwood were finding early success with Donetto getting in behind on the left-hand side, and he was able to set up the first goal.
![Hanwood's Chris Zappala tries to shield the ball away from Leeton United's Lewis Saunders during the Pascoe Cup grand final. Picture by Les Smith Hanwood's Chris Zappala tries to shield the ball away from Leeton United's Lewis Saunders during the Pascoe Cup grand final. Picture by Les Smith](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/PXdz7cxaE9wLT2SFtRYFbh/75d97f53-f8b1-485c-a108-cddacbdc8637.jpg/r0_0_2953_2578_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
After making a strong break, Donetto got the ball into the box, and while the first chance was cleared, it wasn't far enough away as Donetto worked the ball back in, and Chris Zappala found the back of the net with a first-time shot.
Hanwood were able to continue their dominance and two goals in the space of a minute had Hanwood racing away with the final.
Andy Gamble was found at the far post, and he headed home to make it 2-0 before the midfielder was able to force a turnover and then send Josh De Rossi in, and he made no mistake to give his side a 3-0 lead.
Leeton was able to pull on back before halftime as a Raso free kick looped over Jack Cannon in the Hanwood goal to see the score at 3-1 heading into halftime.
Hanwood dominated the early stages of the second half, but with 13 minutes remaining, Leeton was given a lifeline.
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Raso was able to get in behind the Hanwood defence, and his cross was fumbled by Cannon, and it ended up in the net to set up a thrilling finish.
A penalty with 60 seconds remaining in regulations time after Dem Torino was adjudged to have handled the ball and Raso scored his third for the afternoon from the spot, and the game enters extra time.
After Hanwood fails to clear their line, Henri Gardner is able to find the back of the net to give Leeton the lead six minutes into extra time. Chris Newman and Raso seal the victory with goals in the second half of extra time to take the Pascoe Cup with a 6-3 win.
Hanwood coach Jason Bertacco felt his side went missing in the second half.
"We played our style for the first half, and then after that, they came out, and they had to challenge to come back, and we fell into the trap of giving away cheap free kicks and playing into their hands," he said.
Hanwood lost Daniel Johnson to a groin injury, but Bertacco wasn't sure what impact that had.
"He was playing really well before he did that, so you just don't know," he said.
"The young boys tried their heart out like they have done all year, and we had no qualms about putting them on. The whole squad didn't deserve that result with the effort they have put in all year."
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