Team Wellington survives Auckland City’s return to win the national league final

Team Wellington signed their time in the men’s national soccer league in style on Sunday, beating Auckland City 4-2 at North Harbor Stadium to claim their third title in the space of five years.

Attacking midfielder Andy Bevin took home the Steve Sumner Trophy as man of the match after opening the scoring in the 15th minute and sealing victory in the 69th minute.

Right-back Jack-Henry Sinclair was the other key figure for the capital team, prowling that flank at will and starting and finishing an exquisite attacking play that involved all five of his forwards and put them 2-0 up after half an hour. .

His back heel simply slipped over the line and left City needing to dig deep to end the current era of the national league, now over and dusted after 17 summer-focused seasons, on top.

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They were missing All White Logan Rogerson, who would have had a field day making the most of the space behind the Wellington team’s wings, but was not in the country, as he left for Europe and professional football on Tuesday, two days later. of the original. date for the decisive one, which was delayed a week due to the recent Covid-19 lockdown.

In his absence, it was up to club legend Emiliano Tade to step up, in what was only his third game back from a calf injury that had kept him out of the game for most of the season. but he did, first by winning and converting a penalty. , then passing a pass through a packed defense to set up Dylan Manickum.

Bevin had put team Wellington in the lead by following up when City goalkeeper Cam Brown stopped a Hamish Watson penalty attempt that came after Sinclair was fouled in one of his many runs into the box.

But his hard work, and the hard work of his fellow attackers, who were on the same wavelength from the opening whistle, came undone at half time, and he was effectively a blank slate for both teams when the second spell began.

Tade had a chance to give City the lead for the first time in the eighth minute, but he sent his shot straight to Team Wellington goalkeeper Zac Jones and it was almost immediately after Ollie Whyte restored his team’s lead, finishing off at home shot from the edge of the box after Watson hit him.

City were still in the contest at the time, but once Bevin headed home around a corner with 20 minutes left to play, they were left with a mountain to climb, and although they did earn a second penalty in overtime, Tade did it. hit the crossbar. then he gave away a free kick as he continued.

The Wellington team’s triumph means that they end their 17-year streak in national football with three titles to their name, this along with those of 2016 and 2017, where they also beat City in the deciding match.

Although City were unable to sign a title, they will live in the Northern League, having joined forces with their sister club Central United, but this was the end of the road for Team Wellington, at least in national football. , and its players will now be dispersed to various clubs, mainly in the Central League.

The new winter-focused, club-based national league system introduced by New Zealand Football last December has three regional leagues, the third being the Southern League, fueling a 10-team National League Championship to be developed from October to December and will consist of a round-robin before culminating in a final.

ISPS Handa Men’s Premiership – Final

Wellington Team 4 (Andy Bevin 15 ‘, 69’, Jack-Henry Sinclair 31 ‘, Ollie Whyte 55’) Auckland City 2 (Ballpoint pen Emiliano Tade 35 ‘, Dylan Manickum 42’). HT: 2-2