Loaded WaiBOP v Northern Lights - 2018 National Women's League

Photo: WaiBOP Football.

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LoadedWaiBOPvNorthern

Saturday December 8, 2018 | Kick-off: 2pm | Gower Park, Hamilton

Michael’s Minute

Today I’d like to welcome Gemma and her Northern side to Gower Park for our final outing of 2018. This game effectively means nothing in terms of table position but I know both teams will want to put out a performance to be happy with.

The past month has obviously had some notable moments of interest and you will see some of the players on show today. We welcome back Georgia Candy, Grace Wisnewski and Kelli Brown to the playing day squad after a massively successful campaign in Uruguay with the NZ U17s. The achievement of this team has not been lost on anybody in this country and I know the high these players have been on this week won’t be any less dull today.

For myself and Max, who were able to be there and witness history being made, it was a great experience to see these players go and do things on the world stage that were unprecedented.

They come back to the squad today as national heroes in the game. As much as they will deny it, they have really

sparked a movement in the female game that will only become more evident over the next little while.

Today we look forward to another tough match against Northern. We come off the back of a massively challenging encounter with Auckland last week in which, for a number of reasons, we had only one available substitute. In the context of the season, a point away from home against a top team in the league was massive and really validated the commitment these players have had all the way through.

The players showed a great deal of execution around the game plan and, while we conceded late again, I was totally proud of what they did that day and the way they stuck together.

Unfortunately this season we have had to learn some of the toughest and cruellest lessons the game can throw at you, but we have spoken to the group over and over about what this does in terms of our personal development and that the benefits of these lessons are yet to come. And they will come.

It is no secret that the final ten, sometimes five, minutes of games is where we have undone ourselves this season. Had we not dropped points in these games we would be on about 15 points and doing reasonably well.

From the outside it may appear like this campaign has been a failure and, while I know there are parts that were, I know internally that the development of this group, both individually and as a whole, has been massive. From here, I Continued page 7...

Chloe Henderson shows strength to hold off her marker during our previous home game, against Capital.

Photo: WaiBOP Football.

National Women’s League Round 13 It’s been an unexpected weekend of results in the National Women’s League with two of the title contenders failing to win, thus missing the opportunity to take advantage of the inactivity of firstplaced Northern Lights, who sat out the action with the bye but managed to qualify for the final regardless.

Despite not kicking a ball, the Lights remain on top of the table with a two-point lead over nearest rivals the Canterbury United Pride, who could have leapfrogged them but fluffed their lines with a thrilling 4-3 loss at Capital yesterday.

That surprising outcome opened the door for Auckland to draw level on points with the Pride today but the reigning champions were likewise left to kick themselves after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to WaiBOP, who made the short trip north with only three points to their name.

The weekend could hardly have gone any better for Northern, who are now heavy favourites to both claim the minor premiership and earn the right to host the final. The Lights will be confident of pocketing three points away at WaiBOP in the last round of the regular season while Canterbury and Auckland are set to face off in what is now a straight shoot-out for the other berth in the final.

The Pride could still finish top but would need WaiBOP to do them a

big favour against Northern while Auckland’s hopes of a home final are gone but a win in Christchurch would give them the chance to defend their title at Canterbury’s expense.

Auckland would already be out of the picture altogether had a last-gasp strike from Tessa Leong in stoppage time not saved their season this afternoon. In previous years, final placings in the play-off positions have been determined by head-to-head records if any teams were level on points. But the primary determining factor is now goal difference, meaning Auckland would have needed to earn an improbably large win over Canterbury to make the final had it not been for Leong’s late intervention.

With multiple absentees due to international commitments and injuries, coach Tracy Wrigley had described the build-up to the WaiBOP game as the toughest week of Auckland’s campaign so far and those challenging circumstances extended into this afternoon’s encounter at McLennan Park.

The favourites found themselves a goal down against their struggling visitors after Lilly Muspratt had given WaiBOP the lead with just under 20 minutes remaining. It was then all hands to the pump for Auckland as they desperately scrambled to keep their title defence alive and finally found a

vital equaliser with one of the last kicks of the game, Sophie Bradley swinging in a perfectly-placed cross for Leong to half-volley into the top corner.

The action was far less tense in the only other game to take place this afternoon at Massey University in Palmerston North, where Central’s campaign came to an end – they have the bye next week – with an 8-2 defeat to Southern United.

Despite falling to another loss, Central will feel they have finished on a high in some regards as this is the first time they have scored more than one goal in a match all season.

But they will still pick up the unwelcome wooden spoon for finishing bottom after Southern more than matched their scoring with an eight-goal haul. Emily Morison led the way with a double while Mikayla Gray, Shontelle Smith,

Shontelle Smith on the ball for Southern in their win over Central. Photo: PhotoSport.

Britney-Lee Nicholson, Renee Bacon, Lara Wall and Lena de Ronde also found the net.

Central’s two strikes were provided by the same player, Jendi Frank signing off on the season with a double.

The other game took place on Saturday at Memorial Park in Wellington, where Canterbury’s hopes of hosting the final suffered a near fatal blow at the hands of Capital. Kennedy Bryant, Emma Main, Meisha Boone and Danielle Ohlsson all scored for Capital in the 4-3 win while the Pride replied through Whitney Hepburn and a Cody Taylor double.

The identity of the second finalist and confirmation of the host will arrive on the coming weekend when the regular season of the National Women’s League wraps up.

Article courtesy: NZ Football.

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am unsure at this point and time what the next step is, but I will be doing my part to make sure this group and the ones that are missing from this group have an opportunity to progress again by setting up for next year’s campaign in a better place, technically, physically and, most importantly, mentally.

I want to thank all my management group for their efforts this season. It’s been a hell of a learning process for everyone but I know there were some really positive moments throughout for everyone involved. To the sponsors and supporters behind us, thank you for the continued support in a season of mixed feelings and results. To the ground staff

and those at every ground that looked after us, thank you for the volunteered time you invested this campaign.

Finally to the players, we have one last job today but I want to thank you for the commitment you have shown and your ability to deal with adversity this season. I hope you are better for the experience and can take away some important lessons as players as you move forward.

Lastly, I look forward to today’s game and congratulate to Gemma and her squad for reaching the final next weekend. I really hope you take out this competition.

NAGT Teams Announced Here are our two female squads for the 2018 National Age Group Tournament, which begins in Wellington on Wednesday: 14 Girls Jyoti Singh, Nidar Bun, Bella Stark, Ella Pryde, Georgia Cutler, Amelia Wilkinson, Lydia Marsters, Shayla Ridgway, Brianna Wilson, Neve Simpson, Giorgia Lawson, Trinaka Kenny, Aneesha Shallcross, Charlotte Ulyatt, Alexa Harvey, Kia Smith, Emily Pilbrow, Kloe Robinson.

Juan Propato (Coach), Jasmine Quilligan (Assist Coach).

16 Girls Jordana Bremner, Cayin Mitchell, Lisa Evans, Rylee Godbold, Maddy Burnett, Courtney Bennett, Caitlin Byrne, Meila Story, Chloe Henderson, Brehana Venimore, Rachel Major, AdiGrace Mooar, Evaline Bruce, Kieran Davidson, Lilly Muspratt, Isla Allen, Grace Wisnewski, Holly-Reese Walsh.

Cliff Harris (Coach), Natalie Broadhead (Assist Coach).

Your Loaded WaiBOP Playing Squad

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GEORGIA CANDY

OLIVIA HOOPER

EMMA CAWTE

ELLA GOLDING

CHLOE HENDERSON

STELLA NEEMS

LILLY MUSPRATT

KATE WILLIAMS

JAYDEN WATTS

HELEN TALBOT

KELLI BROWN

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TIANA HILL

GRACE WISNEWSKI

ASHLEY WELD

LAUREN HENRY

RICHLYN TUHORO

KIM MAGUIRE

CHELSEA ELLIOTT

AMY HARRISON

GRACE COX

SARAH MONTEITH

RYLEE GODBOLD

SHAE BRADY

Vital Statistics 2018 NWL Table

Northern Lights Canterbury Utd Pride Auckland Football Capital Football Southern United WAIBOP FOOTBALL Central Football

P W D L F A Pts 11 8 2 1 31 7 26 11 8 0 3 40 14 24 11 6 4 1 26 10 22 11 6 2 3 28 22 20 11 4 1 6 32 24 13 11 1 1 9 13 34 4 12 1 0 11 5 64 3

2018 NWL Fixtures Date Opponents H/A Venue Sep 15 Auckland H Gower Park, Hamilton Sep 22 Cant.Utd Pride A English Park, Christchurch Sep 29 BYE Oct 7 Southern United H McLennan Park, Papakura Oct 13 Capital A Memorial Park, Petone Oct 20 Central H Massey Uni, Palmerston North Oct 22 Central A Massey Uni, Palmerston North Oct 28 Northern Lights A McFetridge Park, Auckland Nov 3 Cant. Utd Pride H Gower Park, Hamilton Nov 10 BYE Nov 17 Capital H Gower Park, Hamilton Nov 25 Southern United A Tahuna Park, Dunedin Dec 2 Auckland A McLennan Park, Papakura Dec 8 Northern Lights H Gower Park, Hamilton Dec 15/16 Grand Final * Please check for any alterations at www.waibopfootball.co.nz

2018 NWL Golden Boot 10 - Cody Taylor (Canterbury Utd Pride).

8 - Sarah Gregorius (Capital).

7 - Annalie Longo (Canterbury Utd Pride), Jade Parris (Auckland).

6 - Emily Morison (Southern United).

Result 0-4 loss 0-6 loss 3-6 loss 1-2 loss 0-1 loss 3-0 win 0-3 loss 1-3 loss 2-3 loss 2-5 loss 1-1 draw 2pm

Jasmine Quilligan was our Acting Head Coach while Michael Mayne was in Uruguay with the NZ U17s. Here, she points the way forward against Capital.

Photo: WaiBOP Football.

Head Coach Michael Mayne 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Georgia Candy (GK) Kate Williams Olivia Hooper Chloe Henderson Jayden Watts Emma Cawte Stella Neems Helen Talbot Ella Golding Lilly Muspratt Kelli Brown Tiana Hill Richlyn Tuhoro Grace Cox Grace Wisnewski Kim Maguire Sarah Monteith Ashley Weld Chelsea Elliot Rylee Godbold (GK) Lauren Henry Amy Harrison (GK) Shae Brady

Match Officials Referee S Jones Asst referee K Browning Asst referee J Lee 4th official R Al Rabea

Head Coach Gemma Lewis (GK) Lily Alfeld Alaina Granger Greer MacIntosh Emma Turnbull Saskia Vosper Nicole Stratford Talisha Green Dayna Stevens Ava Pritchard Niamh Quann Helena Kelderman Liz Savage Jane Barnett Vegas McCaroll Hannah Reddy (GK) Emily Couchman

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