Mainland Premier Women's League champions Coastal Spirit became the first Christchurch team since inaugural winners Nomads United to claim the ASB National Women's Knockout Cup on 15 September, edging Glenfield Rovers 1-0 at ASB Park thanks to a last-gasp own goal. It was very much a case of the local team riding their luck in front of a partisan crowd, for Rovers dominated all the key elements of the game - possession, territory, shots on goal … Pam Yates barely had a save to make throughout the entire match. But Spirit had spirit aplenty, and a never-say-die approach which never wavered, even into the fourth minute of stoppage time - a minimum of three had been indicated - when Laura Merrin hoisted a free-kick into the danger zone. Glenfield captain Rebecca O'Neill attempted to volley it clear, but only succeeded in slicing her effort skywards, the ball steepling into the azure before dropping down deep inside Yates' six-yard box, virtually under the crossbar. The 'keeper's attempt to catch the sphere proved fruitless, and in the midst of Emma Proctor flying in, and making contact with Yates in the process, the ball crossed the line, to the delight of the Coastal fans. Referee Anna-Marie Keighley awarded the goal, but then had reason to reconsider her decision when assistant Sarah Walker drew her attention to Proctor's foul. But the contact with Yates had occurred after the ball had crossed the line - goal, with roughly thirty seconds remaining. Caitlin Campbell chanced her arm from distance straight from the kick-off, but Glenfield's hopes were dashed, and in truth, they only have themselves to blame - the old adage "You takes your chances, you wins your matches" rings true yet again. Lily Alfeld kept Spirit in it in the first half, in tandem with Merrin. Hers was a massive defensive display - the number of times she won the ball through block tackles would have entered double-digit territory by the final whistle, with a 61st minute double-tackle saving a near certain goalscoring opportunity. Thanks to these efforts, she was a fully deserving winner of the Maia Jackman Trophy, the much-prized individual honour with which the Cup Final's most valuable player is presented post-match. Alfeld, with her first half efforts, and newly-named Football Fern Meikayla Moore, who grew another leg as the game went on, were the only other players in white who caught the eye in a final dominated by Glenfield, for whom Caitlin Campbell, in particular, was a driving force. She it was who instigated Rovers' first opening, after Spirit had enjoyed the better of the exchanges in the first five minutes. Campbell picked out Tiffany Paterson in space on the right, and raced forward to meet the winger's subsequent cross with a volley which deflected off Chloe Jones and arced towards the top right-hand corner of Alfeld's goal. The goalkeeper leapt up and pawed the ball out, with Moore on hand to complete the clearance. Eight minutes later, the fullback played the ball forward to Chloe Webster, who controlled the ball neatly on her chest before swivelling to send a long-range volley soaring over Glenfield's crossbar. In between times, persistent work by Merrin on the left thwarted the progress of Paterson, O'Neill and Emma Humphries, and created the pressure which saw Webster catch Bridgette Armstrong in possession and set up Lauren Dabner for an eighteen-yarder being parried then gathered by Yates. Glenfield responded with a string of chances, led by Katie Rood. She burst down the left and outpaced the ponderously performed Maia Vink before picking out Emily Oosterhof. Her lay-back invited Campbell to let fly, but Alfeld was right behind her twenty-yarder. On the quarter-hour, a Rood cross wasn't dealt with by

POST-FINAL REACTION "Indescribable! An amazing feeling!" That's how Maia Jackman Trophy winner Laura Merrin (above) described her reaction to being named MVP of the ASB National Women's Knockout Cup Final at Christchurch's ASB Park on September 15. The Coastal Spirit fullback got through a power of work in her team's defensive effort, before capping off her all-round effort by delivering the stoppage time free-kick from which the Mainland Premier Women's League champions scored their unlikely Cup triumph. "We were praying for extra time. Then with ten seconds to go … I was aiming for the far post", admitted the bright-eyed blonde. "I was speechless when it went in! Cameron (Howieson, her All Whites' boyfriend who plays for English First Division side Burnley) will be over the moon for us when he hears about our win!" Coastal Spirit coach Alana Gunn was similarly enthused about her young charges' success. "I'm speechless! The girls just never gave up. We simply did not want to concede. I didn't want it to go to extra time, as Glenfield were clearly a lot fitter than us. But luck was on our side. "This makes up for two years ago. (Winning the Cup) has been a five year goal, and a very realistic one in the last three years. We'll potentially lose a few players next year, so winning this now is perfect". A couple of those potential losses stood out for Spirit, and their coach was swift to sing their praises. "That's the best Laura Merrin has played this season, while Lily Alfeld was outstanding in goal. And 'Mouse' (Meikayla Moore) just ran all day". Glenfield coach Carl Jorgensen was understandably disappointed to be denied victory in the showpiece fixture in such dramatic fashion. "You wouldn't wish that on anyone. "You need luck in the Cup, and if that wasn't luck I don't know what is! There wasn't a moment in the match where I thought Coastal Spirit would score a goal. At the same time, we had enough chances to win it in the first half alone. "If you're going to look at the game technically, we dominated possession, territory, shots on goal … how many saves did Pam Yates have to make? A couple of Spirit players were starting to struggle, too, but they rallied quite well, and in the end, credit where it's due, although fortune did favour them".

the Spirit defence, allowing Paterson to swoop. Alfeld parried her first effort, and got her fingertips to her second attempt. But the ball was heading into the net until Moore got back to clear off the line. After O'Neill headed a Campbell cross past the far post, Rood picked out Paterson with a peach of a pass which allowed the speedster to whip in a cross. It wasn't cleared adequately, with Campbell being invited to let fly from the edge of the area. The ball was bound for the top corner of the net until Alfeld launched herself high to her right and tipped the shot to safety. Ten minutes before half-time, a Humphries ball forward prompted an error from Moore which Rood was swift to pounce upon. She surged forward before slipping Oosterhof through with just Alfeld to beat, but her attempted lob was parried by the 'keeper, and another Glenfield chance went begging. Alfeld again saved from Oosterhof soon after - Paterson supplied this opening, after which Spirit were afforded a rare chance to take the lead when Dabner caught O'Neill in possession. It needed all the nous of Rovers' captain to prevent the midfielder from fully exploiting the opening, with referee Keighley unmoved by Dabner's appeals that she had been fouled in the course of attempting to take advantage of O'Neill's blemish. The action soon returned to the Coastal Spirit goalmouth, with a Campbell corner to the far post being headed narrowly past the upright by O'Neill three minutes before half-time. An even better opening befell the travelling team five minutes into the second spell. Oosterhof worked a one-two with Chloe Knott which allowed the winger to whip in a cross. Neither Vink nor Jones dealt with the delivery, and the ball fell invitingly for Paterson, eight yards out and with just Alfeld to beat. But she snatched at her volleyed attempt, and the ball flew wide. With misses of this nature befalling Glenfield, the feeling was growing that this wasn't meant to be their day, and that Coastal Spirit's name was destined to be added to the trophy, the first Cantabrian team to triumph since Nomads United in the inaugural 1994 final. Campbell sent another twenty-yarder sizzling over the bar soon after, before Merrin's brilliant double denial on the hour thwarted both Knott and Paterson, after Proctor had gifted possession to the talented Bolton native, who was bidding to win the Cup with her second club in as many seasons. Spirit were beginning to tire, both physically and mentally, by the time the second half reached its half-way mark, but Moore found another leg to accommodate her toiling team-mates. Her rampaging run down the right culminated in a cross to the near post which caused confusion between Yates and Humphries, and resulted in a corner. Two corners, in fact, both of which were driven in by Merrin and created plenty of concern for Glenfield, who managed to scramble clear each time. Rovers' cause wasn't aided by substitute Jess Innes herself being substituted through injury just eight minutes after entering the fray inside the final twenty minutes, during which Glenfield huffed and puffed but failed to blow the house down. They nearly paid the price for not doing so in the 81st minute, when Moore worked a one-two with Webster before unleashing a shot which narrowly cleared Yates' right-hand angle. Thirteen minutes later, Spirit's luck held out once more, only this time it had a silver lining - the Cup was theirs. Coastal Spirit:     Alfeld; Moore, Vink, Jones, Merrin; Cameron, Hepburn, Proctor, Dabner; Van Noorden, Webster Glenfield:     Yates; Humphries, O'Neill, Armstrong, Harrison; Knott (Innes, 71 (McNamara, 79)), Hoeksema, Campbell; Paterson, Rood, Oosterhof Referee:     Anna-Marie Keighley