Grand Final 2012

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Grand Final 2012

"Three-Peat" And Record Scoreline For Waitakere

by Jeremy Ruane

Waitakere United clinched a third successive ASB Premiership at the Trusts Stadium in Henderson on April 28, doing so in style by crushing Team Wellington 4-1 - a record Grand Final scoreline - to qualify for the 2012-13 OFC Champions League as New Zealand's champions once again.

The West Auckland club once again join their cross-town arch-rivals, Auckland City, as New Zealand's representatives in the O-League, much to the chagrin of the beaten Wellingtonians, who clinched their maiden honour during the season by winning the inaugural White Ribbon Cup.

They wanted the biggest prize of all in the New Zealand game, however, but once again fell short of justifying the claims of fans from the capital that Wellington is the home of football in New Zealand. (Sounds tailor-made for a Tui beer billboard, that one!)

Not that Wellington were without their chances, the first of which fell the way of Dakota Lucas in the seventh minute, after Danny Robinson had missed a free-kick. But the man who scored twice for Waitakere in last season's Grand Final spurned a great chance to open the scoring against his old club by heading the ball straight to the grateful 'keeper.

Robinson denied both Henry Fa'arodo and Patrick Fleming soon after, before much of the play on the rain-slicked surface was spoilt by over-hit passes. Waitakere were gradually finding their feet, however, although it was the visitors who went as close as they would ever get to opening the scoring on the half-hour, Fa'arodo forcing a fabulous one-handed save from Robinson.

United were rising to the challenge posed by the Wellingtonians, and in the later stages of the half, it was the reigning champions in the ascendancy. But before they made their pressure tell, Lucas had strong claims for a penalty denied by referee Nick Waldron as the half entered stoppage time.

Waitakere responded by charging down the other end of the park and taking the lead, Roy Krishna rifling the ball home as United employed their counter-attacking game to perfection against a team who were more than a bit miffed that they weren't preparing to open the scoring themselves from the penalty spot.

The goal, and its timing, gave Waitakere an edge they wouldn't relinquish. They kept their rivals at arm's length early in the second half, before testing Wellington 'keeper Phil Imray just after the hour mark, Allan Pearce and Martin Bullock forcing saves from the giant custodian.

Imray relied on Michael Eager to keep Jake Butler and Tim Myers at bay twenty minutes from time as Waitakere sought a second goal, and after Ryan de Vries had seen his shot tipped round the post by Imray in the 77th minute, Pearce powered home from the resulting partly cleared corner to put the reigning champions on course for a "three-peat".

There was seemingly no way back for Wellington seven minutes later. Seconds after being denied by Imray, Butler battered home Waitakere's third goal of the evening - 3-0 with six minutes left to play.

Straight from the kick-off, Fa'arodo pulled a goal back - could the visitors pull off the unthinkable? They certainly tried to, going close via a goalmouth scramble moments later, only for Waitakere to race downfield once more and wrap things up through Krishna with a minute left on the clock.

4-1 to the title-holders, who recorded the biggest Grand Final scoreline in NZFC history at the end of a campaign in which the burden of being reigning champions appears to have weighed heavily on them - theirs has not been the most memorable season, it must be said. Nonetheless, it's had a memorable climax - the silverware heads west once more.

ASB Premiership Grand Final details:

Waitakere United 4 (R. Krishna (45, 89), A. Pearce (77), J. Butler (84)), Team Wellington 1 (H. Fa'arodo (85)) HT 1-0

Waitakere: Robinson; Scott, Cunneen, Bale (booked, 66), Myers; Butler, Bullock (McKenzie, 90); Krishna, Pearce, de Vries (Turner, 87), Lovemore (Vale, 90)

Wellington: Imray; Eager, Raj, Musa (booked, 79), L. Rowe; Lucas, Cheriton (booked, 21), Patrick (Galbraith, 56), Gulley (D. Rowe, 86); Fleming (Fifii, 81), Fa'arodo

Referee: Nick Waldron

National League