The Hamilton team took the silverware home by edging their Auckland rivals 5-4 in an action-packed encounter.
Player of the final Olivia Chance, one of six players from Claudelands and eight overall to back-up from the FIFA U-17 World Cup, eventually sealed the dramatic win in the 114th minute, converting a penalty to complete her hat trick after the fulltime scores were locked at 4-4.
Rovers took the lead in the 13th minute when a brave punched clearance from Three Kings goalkeeper Jo Kennedy was knocked back to Football Fern Sarah McLaughlin who smashed in the opener from just inside the 18-yard box.
Ten minutes later, Holly Patterson took two stabs to finish a cross from fellow U-17 international Kate Loye to put the Hamiltonians, who were on the end of a 5-1 defeat in last year’s final, into a seemingly comfortable 2-0 lead.
A Rosie White header from a well-worked corner teed up Three Kings captain Kristy Hill to reduce the deficit with ten first-half minutes remaining and Hill went close again with a header just before the break, while White and Sarah Gregorius both hit the side netting.
Chance and Loye both hit the crossbar before Chance netted her first of the match to re-establish Claudelands’ two goal cushion in the 54th minute.
In a second half full of opportunities, Emma Kete hit the post for Three Kings, but White was on target with a pair of classy strikes – a firmly struck shot from the edge of the area and then a diving header – to level the scores at 3-3 with just over 15 minutes to play.
Chance, who missed a gift-wrapped opportunity to seal the game moments earlier, latched on to a through ball and rounded the advancing Kennedy to put Claudelands back in front in the 75th minute but Emma Kete curled another equaliser into the top corner to restore parity.
Three Kings had their chances to win the match in the final minutes but Claudelands keeper Naomi Beth-Carter was equal to a pair of Kete shots, Chelsey Wood hit one over the bar from close range and impressive Rovers defender Kate Carlton headed a goal-bound corner off the line.
The game was finally decided when Hill, a standout for the Aucklanders despite the score line, brought down Patterson to concede the match-winning penalty and cop a red card for her troubles to leave her side a player short for the last six minutes.
Claudelands coach Dave Edmondson had few nerves in tact at the end of the match.
“Even I was beginning to stop believing after we went two goals ahead twice and threw it away,” Edmondson said. “But the girls kept fighting and got the rewards.”
Edmondson, who also coaches the New Zealand U-17 women’s team that arrived back from the Trinidad and Tobago-hosted World Cup on Friday morning, was full of praise for the mental endurance of his players after 120 minutes of end-to-end football.
“Liv was out on her feet by the end, as was Kate Loye, and Holly Patterson played with an ear infection so it was a gutsy performance from the players that just got back. But all the players were sensational today.”
Nomads United from Christchurch, winners of the inaugural Women’s Knockout Cup final in 1994, and Waikato Unicol, who lifted the Cup a year later, are the only other non-Auckland sides to win the trophy.
17th Women’s Knockout Cup Final
Claudelands Rovers 5 (Sarah McLaughlin 13, Holly Patterson 23, Olivia Chance 54, 74, 114-pen)
Three Kings United 4 (Kristy Hill 35, Rosie White 67, 73; Emma Kete 80)
After extra time.
Fulltime 4-4, halftime 2-1.
Sunday 19 September, 2010
North Harbour Stadium, Auckland
Referee: Anne-Marie KEIGHLEY
Claudelands Rovers: 1-Naomi-Beth CARTER (GK), 2-Alex SHADBOLT, 4-Kylie JENS (11-Katherine ROBINSON 11), 5-Kate CARLTON, 6-Sarah MCLAUGHLIN, 8-Kate LOYE, 9-Hannah WONG (7-Grace PARKINSON 65), 10-Holly PATTERSON, 12-Nicole STRATFORD (captain), 13-Olivia CHANCE, 14-Holly NIXON.
Substitutes not used: 3-Kerri O’CONNELL, 15-Kate CROSS, 16-Rachel PORTEOUS.
Coach: Dave EDMONDSON
Three Kings United: 1-Jo KENNEDY (GK), 2-Tessa BERGER, 3-Anna GREEN, 4-Libby WILLIAMS (18-Jessie MATHEWS 106), 7-Kristy HILL (captain), 8-Chelsey WOOD, 11-Rosie WHITE, 12-Claudia CRASBORN (16-Stephanie SKILTON 65), 13-Nadia PEARL (9-Leah TAGALOA 79), 15-Emma KETE, 19-Sarah GREGORIUS.
Substitutes not used: 10-Annalie LONGO, 21-Aroon CLANSEY (RGK).
Coach: Andrew CLAY
Cautions: None
Red Cards: Kristy Hill 113’
Story and photo courtesy of New Zealand Football.
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