It was a comprehensive 3-0 win that ensured the Horsham and District Soccer Club’s first ever senior flag. 

Senior coach Elijah Macchia said it was a huge achievement that meant a lot to the club.

“At the start of the season we set out to complete the double – the minor premiership and then the cup – and we’ve done that,” he said. 

“It’s our first senior cup so it’s exciting. It gives the younger children at the club something to look up to and strive for.”

Forest had beaten Horsham twice in the season; 1-0 in round 19 and then 3-2 in the qualifying final.

“I feel like because of the past two games they might have underestimated us a bit,” Macchia said. 

“We also had a full list to choose from, so we had the best side for the season.”

Horsham started strongly and with a significant height disadvantage to Forest, focused on playing the ball along the ground. 

Horsham’s first goal came from a lobbed pass from midfielder Lewis Gebert which found the run of Craig Muller with precise accuracy. 

Muller forced a slight touch on the ball which trickled under the opposing goal keeper and through for a goal. 

It was Muller’s third goal in two games after a brace in the preliminary final.

Macchia, who played as goal keeper, said it was as solid a first-half performance he had seen from his side this season.

“We played it on the ground and did everything we have worked on for the past month,” he said.

“I didn’t have to make a save in the first half. They tried to get the ball over our defence a bit more in the second half. We had really good full-team pressing.”

The second half was a scrappier affair on a freezing and wet Ballarat day.

After 66 minutes, Horsham striker Jake Hinton was brought down in the box and scored the resulting penalty to give Horsham a two-goal advantage. 

Dardareh Maw Kay made it 3-0 on the 77^th minute from a free-kick which slipped through the fingers of the Forest goal keeper.

Macchia said he hoped to see the senior Horsham side play in division one next season.

“We would love to play division one next season and hopefully be able to push for finals – I’d love to win the league in division one but you can’t be too ambitious,” Macchia said. 

Earlier in the day, Horsham’s division two under-15s side also played in a grand final. 

The side, who also won the minor premiership, fell short of claiming the double after a 2-0 loss to Ballarat North United White.

Macchia said it was a great achievement to have two sides in the club make grand finals. 

“They won the league and that’s a huge achievement for a team that probably didn’t think they would be up there at the start of the season,” he said.

On Sunday the Horsham and District Soccer Club held its junior presentations for its internal competitions. 

Thomas Stevenson won the best and fairest, Ryan Amin was runners-up, Jarra Secomb was the leading goal scorer, Asher Erhrdt was most improved, Aayush Kant was most consistent and Aqqib Khan received the coach encouragement award.