The structure of club football competitions in Aotearoa, like most things to do with the game, is a subject of constant discussion. Is the summer national league too much? Should there be promotion and relegation with that national league? Why are so few people giving the women’s comps any decent coverage? All sorts of debates. And that stuff doesn’t exactly stop on Cup Final Day either – like what’s up with playing at North Harbour Stadium – but for the most part it’s a harmonious occasion when grassroots kiwi footy gets the spotlight it deserves. Gotta love it.

And every year it gets a little better. This was the first time that the ‘Women’s Knockout Cup’ was contested as the ‘Kate Sheppard Cup’, a significant upgrade there in the nomenclature stakes (a former player might’ve been even better, but whatever, beats the WKC hands down). Plus this year these two games happened to be pretty extraordinary match-ups too. There was the matter of the 2016 champs Birkenhead of North Auckland returning with a much changed squad against Wellington’s Western Suburbs, themselves featuring some of the best young players in the country and New Zealand’s resident Cruyffian mastermind Declan Edge.

But first was an absolute belter of a game between Dunedin Technical and the local lasses of Forrest Hill Milford. Forrest Hill came into this thing with several players having represented their country from the age levels to the seniors while Dunners Tech were the first Football South representatives in this final ever, making it pretty obvious who the favourites were, yet ten minutes into this thing there was drama as Mikaela Hunt popped up to nod in from Shontelle Smith’s corner and, before you knew it, it was two as Lara Wall skipped past a couple defenders and unleashed one off the underside of the crossbar. Some serious script-ripping.

This was the final game in charge of the team for long-serving Tech coach Graeme Smaill and his side came out and won the tactical battle with room to spare. Their rather routine 4-3-3 formation did the trick, allowing them a good spread of players across the three lines against a team that were looking to get funky with two strikers, two attacking midfielders, a defensive mid, three CBs and a couple wingbacks. A sorts of 3-3-2-2 shape, though it’s always tough to put wingbacks into those numerical formations. In this case, with Dunedin Tech including wide forwards they were largely able to peg their opposition wingbacks down into a back five and still have an extra body in the midfield, giving Forrest Hill fits with their drastic lack of width on attack.

FH might’ve had the likes of Malia Steinmetz and Sammy Tawharu, fresh from the U20 World Cup, but neither had their best games against a difficult opposition. Instead it was Jane Barnett, herself a capped Footy Fern, who looked by far the most dangerous player for Forrest Hill and she bagged one back for 2-1 with a deflected shot in the 21st minute.

That could have been a turning point but actually nothing changed. Forrest Hill still couldn’t string three passes together and Dunedin Tech still looked sharp on the break. A long ball over the top saw Mikayla Gray drop a shoulder and a bit of pace and she set up Emily Morrison who was left stunningly unmarked by the 3CBs and, boom, 3-1 to the southerners. And then a brilliant header from the excellent Mikaela Hunt, coming off another great ball from a Shontelle Smith set piece. 4-1 to Dunedin Tech in the first half. Incredible.

Barnett scored a screamer early in the second half to give her side the boost they desperately needed and they only got more and more aggressive as defenders were replaced by attackers but if anything it was Dunedin Tech who looked most likely to get the seventh goal of this epic battle. Shontelle Smith’s trebuchet shot from distance that popped off the crossbar was a moment of gasp-inducing excitement (Smith went on to win the woman of the match, deservedly). Lara Wall also rattled the frame of the goal later on.

When you’re 4-1 up at the break, you don’t need to throw people forward. You can afford to play steady, plug the gaps, and look for those outlets on attack. That’s how DT approached this thing. It was a composed and remarkably professional performance from start to finish. No coincidence that a number of them were involved in Southern’s great NWL campaign last year and no stunner that a full eleven of this matchday squad have been named in Southern’s squad for the upcoming NWL season.

They were never fully comfortable despite the four first-half goals but the longer this one lasted, the more unlikely the comeback seemed. Chelsea Whittaker and Shontelle Smith were magnificent in midfield. Mikaela Hunt is a player who could go a long way. Such an impressive performance from Dunedin Technical and the perfect way to say cheers to Graeme Smaill.

Which leads us into an engrossing Chatham Cup final. When Birkenhead won the cup in 2016, they had the likes of Jarrod Smith, Keegan Linderboom and Jack Salter playing. But Paul Hobson’s taken the brave move of rebuilding his squad this season, promoting a number of young kiwi players and they had an unexpectedly fantastic season on the back of that. Fourth in the Northern Premier League and this here cup final quite the payoff. Surviving from the 2016 final were Damian Hirst, Christian Gray, Sam Burfoot and Emmanuel Darkwa. Crucial experience, as it would turn out.

As for Wests, even without such esteemed talent as Callum McCowatt, Noah Billingsley and Owen Parker-Price, they were still stacked with quality. Albeit youthful and inexperienced quality… not that you could hold that against them considering the Birko squad, this was surely one of the youngest Chatham Cup finals ever. Western Suburbs, with their Ole Academy hook-ups, have been immense this season. Finished second in the Central League behind Napier City Rovers, losing just once and that was back in April. 63 goals scored and just 15 conceded. Best at both ends… but a couple too many draws ultimately cost them.

It’s funny how it can be that way with these super progressive teams. The Dutch national sides of the 70s famously lost a couple World Cup finals. Jurgen Klopp loses damn near every cup final he makes. That kinda thing. But chuck in Elijah Just, Harry Edge, Nate Hailemariam, Nando Pijnaker and the rest of them and this was a powerful team list that will look even more impressive in five years’ time. Suburbs might have had to travel up for this one yet they were the the pick to win a tight contest.

They definitely had the total footy ethics down. This was probably the first opportunity a lot of people outside of Wellington had to watch them in action and they’d have gotten the message early. Shaping in a nice Dutch 4-3-3, inviting the keeper to step out of the box and begin possessions, lots of sharp passing and fluid movements, a relentless high press when they lose the ball. What they maybe didn’t come prepared for was that Birkenhead had some heroic levels of energy, countering that press and diligently shutting down passing lanes. They were extremely well organised at the back too, using their superior size and strength to their advantage. And just seven minutes in they took the lead. Alec Solomons nodding down a deep free kick for Alex Connor-McClean who was never going to miss.

Alrighty then. Wests settled into more dynamic possession but space in the final third was tough to come by. That fella Solomons in particular was shrugging buggers off like he was swatting flies on a hot summer’s day. Just too good. Half-chances were coming at both ends. Then Mohamed Awad threw down the cut back and slammed in an equaliser in the 34th minute. Six minutes later Wests had a golden chance to get on top when Solomons coughed up a spot kick. Initially a free kick, then correctly adjudged a penalty upon further consultation. Hailemariam stepped up… and Hirst made a superb save going wide to his right. Not a terrible spottie by any means but a defining moment in this game.

That’s because the further this thing went, the harder it was to see a way through for either team. Solomons may have given away a penalty but he was otherwise incredible, while Adam Thomas and Pijnaker at the back for Wests were almost as good themselves. Chuck in that Hirst was claiming absolutely anything in his vicinity and open shots at goal were at a minimum. Elijah Just had a decent dig or two. Sam Burfoot had a crack. But fatigue was setting in and both sides were too strong at the back to make any silly errors. Mate, Birko’s Bronson Kelly was cramping up after 70 minutes and ended up playing another 35 of them. Alec Solomons did have a few headers from set pieces which he shoulda done better with, but for the rest of them it was pretty hard to create anything when Harry Edge was mopping up almost everything in midfield.

To extra time it went and then to penalties. You do have to wonder how Wests might have fared with one or two of their missing attacking stars but so it goes. They’re an outfit all about player development and few things test the mental side of that development than the boiler room of penalty shootouts.

Gray sent his effort over the top but then Edge struck the inside of the post for his to miss in response. One of those two was much closer than the other yet the same result reigned. Burfoot crunched his for 1-0 and Awad responded by stroking his into the bottom corner. Two excellent spotties. Solomons went soft and easy, Thomas drove one firm across goal. McIssac went comfortably down the middle to score. Sippola went ferociously down the middle to score. Darkwa popped his right in the top corner. Wilkins was just accurate enough to dodge the keeper after Hirst went the right way. Two missed to start and then eight mostly flawless kicks. Neither keeper with much of a chance. Luke Jorgensen went across himself to score. Dominic Wooldridge did not. Damian Hirst living up to the moment once again with a great save and the Chatham Cup is back in Birkenhead.

Alec Solomons was deservedly rewarded as man of the match. Damian Hirst deserved plenty of praise as well but he’d probably be the first to say that his job was made a lot easier by his tall centre-back. Western Suburbs with another set of runners-up medals, not really the metal they deserve for such a great season but you know what? You learn more from your defeats than you do your victories so it’s all just motivation to go on to bigger and better things. A good chunk of them will be featured in Danny Hay’s Eastern Suburbs team next Premiership season, for starters.

But chuck those glasses in the air for Birkenhead and Dunedin Technical. Storylines abound from this Cup Final Day however the ol’ bottom line is all about the winners. That’s what history remembers best. Gotta love it.

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