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KS Cup Final 2023
Dominant Springs Clinch Late Cup Win
by Jeremy Ruane
Western Springs won their second Kate Sheppard Cup on September 10, a late winner clinching a 2-1 victory over Wellington United in the North Harbour Stadium final despite "The Hoops" dominating "The Diamonds" with a terrific attacking press throughout proceedings.
The Aucklanders deserved to win by a far greater margin, so numerous were the opportunities they carved out, the first of them materialising in the fourth minute when Tiana Hill - one of several in green-and-white to shine on the big occasion - sent the evergreen Liz Savage storming through the inside right channel.
The former Football Fern's cross found Sofia Garcia flying in off the left flank, but she steered her shot past the post, to which United responded eight minutes later via Jemma Robertson, who won an aerial duel for the benefit of Pepi Olliver-Bell. Her tame attempt was tidied up by Springs' captain, Lily Jervis, later named winner of the Maia Jackman Trophy as the Cup Final's Most Valuable Player.
Those were the only openings in a cagey first twenty minutes, by the conclusion of which "The Hoops" were starting to push Wellington closer towards their own goal, Savage's tireless pressing supplemented by Sammi Tawharu's attacking thrusts and the supporting runs of Lara Colpi and Garcia, with Jess Innes, in behind them, taking charge of central midfield.
Tawharu and Savage teamed up in the 22nd minute, the latter haring through the inside right channel and the offside trap before once more looking to pick out Garcia. Lillian Davies raced back to avert the danger on this occasion, but Wellington were clearly beginning to struggle with the intensity of Springs' attack-oriented approach to proceedings.
Two minutes later, they threatened again, Innes' delicious left-to-right pass sending Tawharu through the inside right channel. Molly Simons dashed out of her goal to block the age-grade international's effort with her legs, but Tawharu was quick to regather the ball, and after evading a challenge, curled a shot narrowly past the far post with the goalkeeper scrambling to recover her ground.
Just shy of the half-hour, Savage forced an error in United's defensive third upon which Tawharu swooped instantly. She drove into the penalty area before seeing her low cross diverted back to Simons by Hope Gilchrist.
In the 31st minute, Savage caught Zoe Barrott in possession. Tawharu took over and swiftly supplied Savage with a shooting chance which Simons did superbly well to tip onto the post and to safety.
The respite was short-lived, with Innes and Jervis combining to release another former Football Fern, Megan Lee, down the left in the 34th minute. She picked out Savage, who skipped past an opponent before battering a shot narrowly past the far post from the edge of the penalty area.
Seven minutes before half-time, "The Hoops" took a well deserved lead. Innes fed Colpi, who threaded a peach of a pass into the stride of Tawharu. Through the inside right channel she thundered, drawing Simons out of goal before confidently steering a shot beyond her and into the far corner of the net - 1-0 Springs, and Wellington could have few complaints.
Last season's beaten National Women's League Grand Finalists weren't satisfied with one goal, however. Three minutes after the goal, terrific pressing work by Savage saw her close down Barrott, who could only clear the ball as far as Hill. Her angled curling delivery arced just beyond Garcia, as she raced in to meet it on the far post.
Two minutes before the break, Savage again had "The Diamonds" struggling to maintain any kind of shape, never mind that of their nickname. Tawharu was the immediate beneficiary on this occasion, with Innes eventually pulling the trigger, a thirty-yarder which sizzled over the bar.
Wellington simply had to come up with a response early in the second half, and the 2021 winners responded well to coach Guillermo Schiltenwolf's half-time rev-up, going on to enjoy their best spell in the contest.
An angled cross from Barrott was fumbled by the hitherto untested Mickey Mitchell, with a corner resulting. Dani Ohlsson's delivery picked out Olliver-Bell, whose header was saved to her right by Springs' goalkeeper in the 52nd minute.
Two minutes later, a Jaedici Uluvili error allowed Sammi Preval to play in Natalie Olson. She directed her shot straight at Mitchell, but when United's left-winger was next involved seconds later, her contribution led to a controversial equaliser.
Barrott sent Ohlsson racing down the right, from where she fired a first-time cross beyond the far post. Racing in to meet it was her near-namesake, Olson's looping effort being pawed out from beneath her crossbar by Mitchell, who was unable to grab the ball cleanly as Olson charged into her.
With the goalkeeper out of the equation, Robertson gleefully prodded home the equaliser from two yards, prompting protests from "The Hoops" which certainly weren't without merit. Referee Anna-Marie Keighley - the eleventh time she has taken charge of this prestige fixture - consulted with her assistant before confirming that Wellington were on level terms.
Alas for "The Diamonds", scoring proved to be the worst thing they could have done. It was akin to poking a bear mid-slumber, only for said bear to wake up and go about reclaiming its territory.
In the 58th minute, the charging figure of Tawharu brought Garcia into play. Simons dashed off her line
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to clear off her opponent's toes, but only directed the sphere to Hill, who drove to the by-line before drilling in a cross just beyond Garcia at the near post.
Simons gathered the ball on this occasion, but looked on on the hour as Jemma Catherwood's vital tackle denied Colpi after Garcia had played her in through the inside right channel. Springs' attacking press was back in gear following this attack, with Wellington restricted to just one retort of note in the remaining thirty minutes.
Before they could engineer it, Springs went close to regaining the lead in the 64th minute. Innes pounced on the loose ball as United yielded possession in their defensive third, and Tawharu and Savage were swiftly brought into play. The last-mentioned drilled a shot across Simons which forced her to dive to her left and paw the ball away, just beyond the incoming figure of Colpi.
Twenty minutes from time, Wellington threatened again, Olson leading the charge. Her cross from the left arced beyond all-comers to Ohlsson on the right, where she was swiftly closed down by Springs substitute Celia Mayo.
The ball broke kindly for Natalie Brook, who lashed a twenty-yarder narrowly over the bar - "The Diamonds"' last noteworthy chance, as things panned out, with Jervis in particular ensuring little else gave "The Hoops" cause for concern defensively throughout the rest of the contest, especially with Wellington's attacking threat having been blunted by the withdrawal of the prolific Robertson.
Back came Springs, terrific pressure from Hill creating another opening for Savage, whose chipped twenty yard effort landed on the roof of the net. Seconds later, with Garcia in support inside her and on receipt of a pass from Colpi, Savage went for goal again, her shot this time flying inches over the bar.
There was no let-up for Wellington, who were struggling to get out of their defensive third again - it was the first half revisited. Hill, Tawharu and Colpi combined on the right, with the overlapping fullback powering past two opponents into the penalty area before unleashing a firecracker which crashed against the near post and rebounded clear across the face of goal with Simons beaten.
United survived that close call, and another ten minutes from time as Springs continued to pound away in search of a winner only the most one-eyed Wellingtonian would have begrudged them. Mayo motored down the left on this occasion before picking out Colpi, whose frustration was evident as she directed her twenty yard drive straight at Simons.
"The Hoops" continued to probe and prod, and finally found the way to goal in the 89th minute via a player who has clocked up a fair few travel miles this season heading to and from Auckland via the Brynderwyns.
Fifteen-year-old Ela Jerez is a wee gem Springs unearthed in Northland, and she repaid their faith in her big-time on this occasion as she became the youngest-ever Cup Final goalscorer in the thirty-year history of the Kate Sheppard Cup.
Mitchell and Jervis combined to pick out Colpi, and the Junior Fern sent her young team-mate steaming through the inside left channel, shrugging off the attentions of Catherwood en route. Into the area Jerez strode, and with Garcia racing up in support inside her, she coolly slotted home in between Simons and her near post, the 'keeper beaten all ends up by a quality finish which oozed composure.
Springs' regaining of the advantage on the scoreboard was more than deserved, and having gone 2-1 ahead, they looked to increase their lead in stoppage time. Colpi sent a twenty-yarder flying past the post on receipt of a Garcia pass, while Savage was thwarted by Simons, the now-four-time Cup winner's last act before being withdrawn from the fray to a richly deserved round of applause - her unstinting leading of the line was critical to Springs' success.
Simons was again called upon to save the day for Wellington before the final whistle, racing out of her area to clear from Garcia. Mayo picked up the pieces and picked out Kitty Jacob, who failed to shoot with Simons scrambling back towards the gaping goal.
Instead, she played the ball wide to Garcia, whose cross beat the goalkeeper but also arced beyond the match-winner, Jerez, racing in on the far post. The final whistle sounded soon after, ending Western Springs' sixteen-year wait to add to their maiden success in the competition, and concluding a winter campaign like no other with the most sought-after trophy in the women's game theirs to savour once more.
After the tumultuous season Springs have endured, their triumph was a fitting one - proof that "strength in unity" is more than just a catchphrase! But there had to be a punchline to this story, and it came during the celebrations - the trophy will be heading to the repair shop at some stage during the summer to have its broken handle reattached!
I tell you, these women don't know their own strength!
Springs: Mitchell; Hill, Jervis, Uluvili, Lee (Mayo, 57); Colpi, Taitimu, Innes, Garcia; Tawharu (Jerez, 76), Savage (Jacob, 90)
Wellington: Simons; Davies, Gilchrist, Barrott, Catherwood; Brook (Lynch-Gerrard, 79), Olliver-Bell, Preval; Ohlsson, Robertson (Deane, 65), Olson (Gray, 79)
Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley
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