2023 NWL Grand Final

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Auckland Claim National League Title

by Jeremy Ruane

Auckland United clinched their maiden National Women's League title on 26 November, downing a determined Southern United 2-0 at GoMedia Mt Smart Stadium to book their place as New Zealand's representatives at the OFC Women's Champions League tournament, taking place in early 2024.

The victory caps a tremendous fifteen-month spell for the new champions, Auckland having won the Kate Sheppard Cup in 2022, following up that triumph by winning the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League earlier this year.

Yet it was Southern who looked the side more likely to break the deadlock in the early stages of what was a hard-fought final, one which enjoyed little continuity as fouls, stoppages and broken passages of play made the game a challenging watch for the neutral.

They first threatened in the eighth minute, the lively Margi Dias and Kendrah Smith combining to pick out Amy Hislop, whose header crashed against the crossbar. Two minutes later, the same player sent a header soaring over the bar following a corner.

Only a super tackle by Auckland captain Talisha Green prevented Abby Rankin from latching onto Dias' pass on the quarter-hour, to which the northerners responded with their first attack of the match, one which saw Danielle Canham's delivery into the area strike a Southern player on the arm. You've seen them given, but not by Anna-Marie Keighley, who maintained that record with her decision on this occasion.

In the 24th minute, Auckland took the lead, capitalising on a rare lapse by Southern's rearguard. Bree Johnson closed down a Toni Power clearance, the ball breaking for Rene Wasi, who was later named Grand Final MVP. She looked up to find Alexis Cook unmarked in the penalty area, and the speedsters combined, Cook's joy in slamming the ball home from ten yards unconfined - 1-0.

Defences dominated proceedings for the remainder of the half, and continued to do so into the second spell, although Southern had a couple of chances early in the half to level the scores. The first materialised in the 47th minute, Smith and Rose Morton combining for the benefit of half-time substitute Tahlia Roome, who drew a smothering save from Aimee Hall.

The 'keeper then rebuffed a twenty-yarder from Hislop before Auckland doubled their lead in the 57th minute. Chelsea Elliott went downtown with a free-kick, prompting goalkeeper Lauren Paterson to punch clear in less than convincing fashion. So it proved, Maisy Dewell latching onto the ball to deftly lob the stranded 'keeper from twenty-five yards - an exquisite finish to make it 2-0.

Southern went all out to reduce the deficit, Roome lashing a cross-shot across the face of goal straight from the kick-off, before Hislop took advantage of some lazy play by Elliott to curl an effort narrowly past the far post.

The versatile Auckland defender - her days as a striker render her dangerous from set-pieces - responded by unleashing a long-range free-kick in the 62nd minute, one which Paterson was forced to tip over the crossbar.

Back came Southern, Rankin cutting in from the left and delivering a cross which was allowed to bounce. It sat up perfectly for Dias, whose volley was grabbed by Hall, who looked on with relief eight minutes from time as Roome sent another cross flying across the face of goal after Hislop and Morton had combined to engineer the opening.

It just wasn't happening for Southern, however, and they nearly shipped a third goal five minutes from time as Yume Harashima's corner picked out Elliott. Her header was cleared to Pia Vlok, whose first touch of the game sent the ball flying over the bar.

In a game of few clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, Auckland had already done enough to earn the prize, and after Hall tipped a stoppage time free-kick from Hislop over the bar, Ben Bate's black-clad battlers were presented with the trophy which only the nation's best get to lift.

Auckland: Hall; Green, MacIntosh, Elliott (Sheldon, 87), Haering; Canham (Vlok, 83), Harashima, Dewell (Brill, 72); Cook (McConnell, 87 (booked, 90)), Wasi (Henson, 83), Johnson

Southern: Paterson; Power, Mackay-Wright, Porteous; Park (Wilson, 46), Smith (booked, 64 (Mawdesley, 85)), Dias, Morton, Partridge-Moore (Roome, 46); Hislop, Rankin

Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley

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