2023 NPWL Title Decider

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Auckland Clinch Title In Style

by Jeremy Ruane

Auckland United clinched the 2023 Lotto Northern Women's Premiership title in style at Keith Hay Park on 27 August, thrashing NZ Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup finalists Western Springs 5-1 to top the table by three points from Eastern Suburbs, the beneficiaries of a default win over Hamilton Wanderers which saw them take the overnight lead going into the final round of action.

It's United' club's ninth title, including those won by parent clubs Eden and Three Kings United in days past. It's the first since Auckland United was established in 2020, however, and sees coach Ben Bate becoming just the fifth coach in the league's 51-year history to win the title with at least two clubs, having steered Northern Rovers to the honour a year ago.

United went into their final game of the winter season - they qualified for spring's National Women's League campaign a few weeks ago - knowing that a point would be enough to see them secure the silverware, but they hit the ground running in this match, so much so that after 147 seconds, they had scored twice to all but extinguish any faint hopes Suburbs may have held of "The Hoops" doing them a favour in the race for the title.

Concerted pressure down the right featuring Marisa Van der Meer, Talisha Green and Ruby Nathan culminated in Chelsea Elliott stroking home the opener after just 64 seconds, while a mere 83 seconds later, Green was celebrating after slamming a shot across Mickey Mitchell into the far side of the net, the 'keeper having parried her initial effort after Bree Johnson had stormed down the left and picked out her team-mate with a pinpoint cross.

To say it was a rollicking start to a match between two of the best teams in the country is something of an understatement. To those who arrived late - and there were a few, let this be a lesson to you where attending Central Auckland derbies are concerned! To make matters worse for the late-comers, both sides hit the crossbar inside the next three minutes.

Liz Savage latched onto a loose ball in the fourth minute and evaded two challenges before unleashing Sofia Garcia through the inside right channel. She slammed a thunderbolt against the crossbar, the rebound from which was latched onto by Suya Haering.

She picked out Green with an angled pass which the goalscorer guided down into the stride of Danielle Canham, hurtling through the middle of the park on a counter-attack, one from which she would likely have scored had Kitty Jacob not been alert to the danger and stepped in superbly to curtail Canham's progress.

The ball was soon back in Auckland's possession, Elliott this time directing proceedings. Her sixth minute pass sent Nathan scooting through the inside left channel, where she swept past an opponent into the penalty area before picking out Green, whose rising ten-yard drive hit the bar - she should have scored, and she knew it!

Back came Springs, Anija Irvine scampering down the left before fizzing in a cross which parted Garcia's hair, so close was Springs' leading markswoman to directing a header goalwards. Soon after, Garcia raced down the right before unleashing a cross-shot which Amberley Hollis grabbed greedily, and all this before ten minutes had elapsed!

After that firecracker start to proceedings, Springs gradually secured a foothold in the contest, and 'twas they who fired the next shot in anger, a Garcia attempt on the turn in the seventeenth minute. The resulting goal-kick prompted Elliott to ping one over the top for Nathan, who was thwarted in her bid to score United's third goal by Tiana Hill's timely challenge.

Five minutes later, Greer MacIntosh took a poor option in passing the ball to the under pressure Van der Meer. Savage promptly picked her pocket, evaded another challenge, then let rip with a twenty-yarder which flew narrowly past the far post.

Instantly, United responded, Elliott releasing Van der Meer down the right with a great pass. The overlapping fullback took the ball into the penalty area before looking to pick out Nathan on the far post with a low cross. Mitchell had other ideas, however, parrying the delivery, which allowed Jaedici Uluvili to clear her lines.

United made it 3-0 in the 26th minute, Van der Meer this time instigating the attack which culminated in Johnson surging through the middle, only to see Mitchell block her shot at close quarters. Elliott was following in, however, and gleefully swept the loose ball into the net to put the champions-elect on easy street.

Springs were livid with referee Ashley Wilson two minutes later, after the ball struck the arm of Jess Philpot in the area. A penalty was the very least they expected, but after consulting with his assistant, who flagged the offence, Mr Wilson held a different view, deeming that Philpot's arm wasn't away from her body, nor in an unnatural position. Those sporting hooped shirts were far from amused by his decision, and that's being polite!

After Mitchell had confidently grabbed a steepling thirty yarder from Elliott directly under her crossbar, Rhee Morrison and Savage both unleashed twenty-five yard efforts towards the United goal, but only that struck by the former Football Fern gave Hollis cause for concern.

Five minutes before half-time, Elliott picked out Van der Meer with an angled free-kick which saw the fullback direct a looping header just past the far post, an effort to which "The Hoops" responded by reducing the deficit as the game moved into first half stoppage time.

Ela Jerez - what an impressive debut season she's had in the best league in the country! - weaved her way in off the right flank before picking out Jess Innes, who picked out a beauty, an unerring twenty yard missile which lasered into the bottom left-hand corner of Hollis' net to bring about the 3-1 half-time scoreline.

Any hopes Springs harboured of using that goal as a means to make a game of it in the second spell were inexorably quashed by Auckland from the very first whistle of the half - they went on the attack straight from the kick-off and didn't take their foot off the throttle until the hour mark had passed.

Inside the first sixty seconds of the half, a corner was earned which Nathan delivered to the far post. Philpot's goalbound header was blocked for the first of a succession of corners to be whipped in by Haering, one of which was cleared to Canham, whose twenty-five yard drive screamed narrowly over the crossbar.

When Auckland next chanced their arm from distance … this was a real WOW moment, and effectively confirmed United as champions! Springs conceded a free-kick on the edge of the centre circle, one in which Elliott - on a hat-trick, remember - took a great deal of interest.

Because she tends to play more in a defensive role these days, people tend to forget that Elliott is a former striker - the most prolific in Hamilton Wanderers' history - and her right foot can, at times, have all the subtlety of a sledgehammer!

It was certainly the case on this occasion, Elliott putting everything into a shot at goal which left Mitchell beaten all ends up as it sailed into the net from fully fifty yards to restore United's three-goal advantage. Elliott took a bow, and rightly so - that was just a wee bit special, but something for which she has form from her days playing for Papamoa in this competition.

There was no way back for Springs now, and United kept the hammer down. Only a fine tackle by Hill prevented Johnson from letting fly in the 52nd minute, but when Hill mistimed her challenge on Green inside the area three minutes later, referee Wilson - who tends to allow a lot to go unchecked on his watch - couldn't let this one go unpunished, and pointed to the spot.

A few of the home team put their hands up to take it, but in reality, there was only one option on a day when she was making her final appearance on the ground she has called home throughout her career to date before taking up a contract with Canberra United.

Nathan duly fired past Mitchell from twelve yards - 5-1 - and went close again soon after before being withdrawn from the fray on the hour to a healthy round of applause from all present.

With the game over as a contest, and United having the title in the bag while Springs' thoughts turned towards avoiding injuries prior to the Kate Sheppard Cup Final in a fortnight's time, the final thirty minutes of play were largely run-of-the-mill, particularly after the eye-catchingly-performed Chloe Knott - another making a farewell appearance on a ground where it all started for her locally over a decade ago - was withdrawn from the fray.

Only a couple of attacking sorties worthy of note were recorded as the league season drew to a close. Sammi Tawharu has been out of action for a few weeks due to a concussion, but made a timely return off the bench in this game, reminding all present of what a superb first touch she possesses, something which was in evidence after Garcia and Megan Lee had combined to create a 64th minute opening. Tawharu's twenty-yarder was directed at Hollis.

The last attack of note came from the champions, Manami Nishio's delicious pass unleashing Johnson's pace once more. Her cross from the by-line zoomed across the bows of the incoming Shannon Henson and found Rene Wasi flying in on the far post, but she was unable to direct her effort on target.

Come the final whistle, United celebrated in style. For many of their squad, this success marked consecutive titles, given many of last year's champions at Northern Rovers had followed coach Ben Bate across the Bridge.

But there were some first-timers amongst the title medal recipients post-match, some of whom have been around the block a few times without reward, but who now boast a champions medal in the competition which is the best club-based women's league in the country, with the National Women's League still to come.

Auckland: Hollis; Van der Meer, MacIntosh, Philpot, Haering; Nathan (Dewell, 60), Knott (Nishio, 67), Canham; Green (Henson, 67), Elliott (Wasi, 56), Johnson

Springs: Mitchell; Hill (McKay, 63), Jacob (booked, 39), Uluvili, Irvine (Lee, 51); Savage (Tawharu, 51), Morrison (Vercauteran, 51), Innes; Jerez (O'Connor, 63), Garcia, Mayo

Referee: Ashley Wilson

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