A double to Daniel Fabrizio has lifted Edgeworth to a 2-0 victory over Maitland and their third Northern NSW NPL grand final win across five consecutive appearances under coach Damian Zane.
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The Magpies were valiant and with 10 minutes to go it looked the game was headed to over-time.
However, Fabrizio broke the deadlock in the 81st minute with a goal-line header and in the 88th with a stunning long-range strike at Magic Park to down the premiers on Sunday.
Keanu Moore headed a Josh Rose ball back across goals to find Fabrizio for the opener but the attacking midfielder did it all himself from 20 metres out for the second to find the bottom right corner of goals.
The Magpies continued to press to the last minute but with a two goal deficit it was always going too big an ask.
Maitland players gathered back on the field in a show of sportsmanship and respect their opponents and a huge contingent of Magpies fans who had come down for the match and congregated at the scoreboard end of the ground.
The premiership and grand final double wasn't to be but it was all the same a huge season for the Magpies which continues in the NPL premiers competition with Maitland to face Tasmanian premiers Devonport. The match was a first top-division grand final for Maitland, who claimed their maiden first-division premiership to deny the Eagles a fifth consecutive regular-season title.
The Magpies also made the FFA Cup top 32 for the first time playing before a crowd of 3000 against Central Coast Mariners in a 2-0 loss at Maitland Sportsground.
It was a sweet victory for Edgeworth who won their previous two grand finals at Magic Park, in 2015 and 2016, but lost the past two, both at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Honours were even at half-time but it was Maitland who started the brighter.
Nick Cowburn hit the crossbar with a free kick on 11 minutes in a period of dominance for the Magpies.
Ryan Clarke was over the crossbar with a great chance in the 15th minute after Joel Wood got in behind and cut the ball back to him in front of goal.
Edgeworth slowly found their feet and threatened in the 17th minute when Tyson Jackson hit a shot straight to keeper Matt Trott.
Keanu Moore had two of the Eagles' best chances, in the 30th and 38th minutes, but Trott made low diving saves either side.
Fabrizio had a great opportunity for Edgeworth in the 40th minute when he beat his opposite number to get in behind and have a one-on-one shot but Trott smothered the strike.
Rose and Jackson had soft strikes straight at Trott, while Oliver Smith closed the first half with a shot over the bar.
Clarke tested Eagles keeper Josh Low in the 41st minute but he tipped his ball over the bar.
In the second half, Fabrizio had a shot deflected wide in the 68th minute and Clarke had a strike hit parried around the post in the 74th.
After Fabrizio's goal-line header to open the scoring, Maitland was still very much in the game with eight minutes left on the clock.
They have been making a habit of late-winners with 14 goals this season in the final five minutes of the game, but this time they were unable to find the back of the net and when Moore scored again in the 88th it was beyond even the game Magpie's reach.
As expected, Matt Thompson came into the Maitland starting side for Matt Swan, who was away, and Ryan Broadley was added to the bench.
Edgeworth brought Moore into their starting line-up for Adam Cawley, who missed the decider with a lower-back injury.
In the earlier deciders, Hamilton Olympic defeated the Newcastle Jets 18s 2-0 in the 20 years match and the Jets 16s beat Adamstown 4-0 in the 18 years.
Connor Henderson scored and Jared Muller converted from the spot for Hamilton, while Josh Benson, Angus McLeod, Tom Parkes and Nicholas Pettiford scored for the 16 years Jets.
