After missing out on qualifying for the grand final the week before against Inverell, the Highlanders took on The Armidale School in the preliminary final on Saturday.

They fell one game short of a grand final finish with a 4-2 loss. 

While it was “disappointing” to not qualify for this Saturday’s division one decider, president Rob Ferris said there was plenty of encouraging signs to come out of their season. 

“It was an excellent year actually, really positive,” he said. 

“We have got a lot of young players coming up against next year that will strengthen the team up too so that will be good.”

Ferris highlighted the addition of some rising stars into the senior squads this season and said there is plenty to be excited about for the future of soccer in Glen Innes. 

“We had plenty of young kids coming through the system that started off pretty shaky but by the end of the year were dying to get back out there next year again,” he said. 

“They are ready to go already. 

“There are definitely two of us in first division going back to second division next year with the amount of young blokes coming through that will be able to step up into firsts.” 

Of Saturday’s game, Ferris said it was a case of missed opportunities and TAS being able to capitalise. 

“It was a close game, a very fast game right from the start to the end,” he said. 

“Either team could have won it.

“We had a lot of chances that we missed and they had chances they missed. 

“Unfortunately they got four goals and we only got two. It was back and forth the whole game.

“It is just the luck of the goal shots really that won the game for TAS and not for us. 

“The score could have been 5-all or 4-all, just the way the game went but we just missed out on a couple of good chances there and it really came back to bite us.”

The Highlanders will host their end-of-year presentation on September 28 at the Services Club.