Three Kings United wins 2007 NFSL Women's Premier title (Soccer2 Media Release)

Three Kings United clinched back-to-back women’s Northern Premier League football titles on Sunday with a 9-0 thumping of Waitakere City at Keith Hay Park. The defending champions from 2006 applied an emphatic finishing touch to their 2007 season title defence with Zoe Thompson, Betsy Hassett, Annalie Longo and Katy Baker all scoring twice and Roseanne Cox netting the other.

With just their match against Western Springs remaining, Three Kings have an unbeatable four-point cushion over rivals Lynn Avon United. Coach Andrew Clay says the victory capped a terrific year for his squad who, after an opening day draw against Eastern Suburbs in April, won 10 games on the bounce to secure the title with a match to spare. “We’ve had a dream run and I have to pay tribute to a terrific bunch of girls who have worked hard and this is their reward,” Clay said a day after his team completed the task they started in January. “I can’t fault the players. They’re a great bunch to coach and there are some great characters in the team. It’s been fun to coach them.”

The league success of Clay’s team has translated into individual honours for many of the Three Kings players with five of the side selected in the New Zealand squad to travel to the US for a two-match tour ahead of the World Cup in September. Thompson, the league’s leading goalscorer with 14, and Longo are joined in John Herdman’s 21-strong squad by goalkeeper Jenny Bindon, midfielder Rebecca Sowden and striker Merissa Smith. All five of those players could run out against the US, arguably the world’s best women’s team and World Cup winners in 1999 and semi-finalists in 2003, in Chicago on Monday 13 August. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN in New Zealand. A further three of Clay’s Three Kings side; Kristy Hill, Anna Green and Jane Simpson, were part of the wider New Zealand training squad before it was trimmed to the final travelling party. 

The carrot of international football, at a number of levels, has proved extremely handy for Clay as his side set about their title defence after a tumultuous off-season which saw the club lose five international-quality players including FIFA world all-star Maia Jackman. The squad was re-built with an emphasis on youth with 10 of Clay’s wider squad under 18 years old, most of whom are chasing spots in national age-group teams or the full senior side. “We have players in our squad who are all pushing for international places at age-group and senior level. Most have got something they are aiming towards.”

One of those targets will be the inaugural FIFA Under-17 women’s World Cup which will be hosted right here in New Zealand in 2008. Clay’s team contains several players who will expect to be part of a select group to take the field in a World Cup held on home soil. Longo, who has already represented her country at senior level, and Lauren Murray are just two of the players that Clay believes will turn heads next season and in years to come. “You sometimes take for granted how young the players are. “When you look at our central midfield pair, they’ve got an average age of just 16. That’s exciting for me as coach, our club and the future of our game” 

With the league trophy now in the cabinet, the Three Kings’ coach can reflect on an impressive season which included several highlights and a goal that stands out from the rest. “Anna Green scored the best goal I’ve ever seen, men’s or women’s, when she sent an absolute screamer into the top corner from 35 yards out. I’ll never forget that one,” said Clay. But, as is the case with most coaches, one thing still annoys him about the 2007 season though - his side’s national knockout cup first round exit at the hands of Eastern Suburbs. After holding a 3-1 lead late in the tie, Three Kings eventually fell to Suburbs in a penalty shootout. 

“Fair play to Suburbs for beating us but, honestly, we’re really gutted we missed the chance to do the [league and cup] double.” Oh well Andrew, there’s always next year.

Central United wins 2007 NFSL Premier Division title (Soccer2 Media Release)

Last Saturday, Central United wrapped up the Northern Premier League men’s title with a 5-1 win at Albany, but as coach Aaron McFarland says, the season is far from over for his side Central secured the 2007 crown at Rosedale Park last weekend with Jason Hayne (2), Luiz Del Monte, Grant Young and Josh Ming all hitting the back of the net. That victory was the latest in what has been a dominant league campaign for the Kiwitea Street-based club – a fact highlighted by the 10-point gap between McFarland’s side and East Coast Bays in second spot with three games remaining.

And McFarland, who initially joined Central as director of youth football before coaching the reserves under Allan Jones, is understandably delighted at not only clinching the league crown, but also the way in which his team went about their business. “We’re very pleased and never expected to do it so convincingly,” McFarland said. “We’ve got a squad full of talented players at our disposal and they turned in consistent performances throughout the season.”

 Convincing and consistent are two apt descriptions of Central’s triumph when you consider that, with just those three league games to still to be played against Waitakere City, Glenfield Rovers and Tauranga City, McFarland’s side have amassed a league-best 53 goals and conceded just 18 – also tops in the division. “We’ve tried to develop that balance between conservative defenders and attacking flair. When you keep that balance right, you’re in with a good chance of success.” A key part of Central’s attacking success in 2007 has been the emergence of striker Dave Richmond who has 12 league goals while Hayne and Del Monte have chipped in with six each.

 Another pleasing aspect of the season for Central has been the contribution of one of their raft of younger players – eight of McFarland’s team are under 20 years old. “Jacob Mathews has been a stand out for not only us but also his country as well,” said McFarland. “He’s a real excitement machine.”

 The 16-year-old Mathews, whose twin older brothers Sam and Joel are also part of the Central squad, is currently on World Cup duty with the New Zealand Under-17 side in Korea while defenders Ian Hogg and Michael Boxall were part of the New Zealand squad at the Under-20 World Cup in Canada in July. Mathews will likely return from Korea in time to turn out for his club at home in the Chatham Cup final against holders Western Suburbs and it is that match which is now firmly in McFarland’s focus.

Wrapping up the league so early allows us to shift our focus to the cup. In previous years we’ve probably had to sacrifice our league season for success in the cup. “That isn’t an issue this year.” Standing in the way of a fourth Central Chatham Cup victory in 10 years are the 2006 champions, a team McFarland knows reasonably well. “Three of their players and I were part of the Dunedin Technical side that were thumped 5-0 by Central in the 1998 final,” the 34-year-old McFarland said with a sheepish tone. Western Suburbs currently sit in second place in the Central League and McFarland will be making the trip down to watch them in action ahead of their journey up to Auckland for the final on September 2.

And what will await the Suburbs players at Kiwitea Street? “The place will be adorned in yellow and blue and I’m sure it will be reasonably noisy. “They’ll know they are at our home ground.”

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