The cliche is that defence wins championships and cliches are usually cliches for a reason. The two best defences in the Women’s National League met in the grand final at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday as Auckland United and Southern United duelled it out for the trophy and it was the better of those defences which got their hands on it. A couple of timely goals also assisted the cause... though those goals came about from the exact situations that Auckland United never allowed Southern to have. Particularly the first goal which stemmed from a high-pressin’ turnover as Southern tried to build from a goal kick.

The men’s final seemed likely to have goals in it, given the teams involved. That’s not how it turned out with a cheeky 2-0 result abetted by a 90+5th minute runaway goal. This women’s final was never likely to serve up a plethora of scoring so the first goal always shaped to be crucial. These two teams simply don’t go around coughing up leads very often. Plus they’d sparred it out with a 1-1 draw about a month ago so there were no surprises to be found in the match-up. But something had to split them and in the end it seemed that Auckland United were able to handle the occasion that little bit smoother than Southern United – who might not have played like underdogs this season but they still didn’t quite have the precision of their opponents on this ultimate stage.

Southern did win the 2021 South Central Series. There is championship pedigree there and they still have a chunk of that squad remaining – the likes of Rose Morton, Hannah Mackay-Wright, Amy Hislop, Toni Power, and Margi Dias. But there wasn’t a grand final that season. They did still find themselves in a decisive final round fixture against Canterbury United, which they won 5-3, but that game was played at their home field of Logan Park. This game was at Mt Smart Stadium straight after the men’s final and a day after a Wellington Phoenix double-header.

The big field is a factor. The stadium is a factor. And while this was Auckland United’s first National League grand final too, they did win the Kate Sheppard Cup final at North Harbour in 2022. Ironically more of this team actually kitted up for the team they beat that day, Northern Rovers (including coach Ben Bate), with six Rovers starters from that day in this AU XI and only Bree Johnson remaining for the victors. But that’s still big game experience that the Southerners didn’t quite have. They’ve got it now. If this team still exists next year then that might make all the difference. But for the year of our lord twenty-twenty-three it was Auckland United who delivered the type of composed, commanding, tightrope-walking, error-free performance that wins trophies.

There were no surprises in the Southern United team that was picked. They know exactly what their first eleven is and Kris Ridley rolled it out as expected. There had been some question as to whether Lauren Paterson would retain the gloves ahead of Amelia Simmers, who’s been available again for two weeks, but she did. Bianca Park has well and truly earned that right wing-back spot, this was her seventh start in a row. And other than that they pretty much knew from day one, a formation change aside, who they wanted. Toni Power, Hannah Mackay-Wright, and Marissa Porteous formed the back three. Freya Partridge-Moore at LWB. Midfield duo of captain Rose Morton and Kendrah Smith. Abby Rankin and Margi Dias supporting Amy Hislop up front. That’s the one.

Lots of uni students in that bunch, some of whom had to extend their stays in Dunedin at the end of semester after Southern made the final. Only a handful of them are originally from the region but even the outsiders have entirely bought in. It’s a beautiful thing. Mackay-Wright was part of the U17 World Cup bronze medallist squad five years ago. Porteous and Smith had plenty of hometown support in the crowd as West Coast Rangers players who made the move after WCR missed out on WNL qualification.

Not as much support as Auckland United mustered though. All their mates were crammed into the stands to enjoy the party... and it seems nobody got in without a cardboard sign. Brilliant atmosphere (even some of the West Coast Rangers whanau got amongst it for their girls). Main yarn for Ben Bate was the selection of Rene Wasi up front ahead of Shannon Henson. Wasi is the better player, a recent age grade rep for Aotearoa, but Henson is the better fit as a number nine. However, AU decided to lean all the way into the speed freaks up top with Wasi flanked by Bree Johnson and Alexis Cook.

Otherwise it was all the usuals, the CB pairing dilemma having been unfortunately solved by the injury to captain Jess Philpot – who was there waving a sign in the crowd and would eventually lift the trophy alongside fellow captain Talisha Green. Midfield was Maisy Dewell and Danielle Canham ahead of deep playmaker Yume Harashima. Green was at right back with Suya Haering on the left. Chelsea Elliott and Greer Macintosh in central defence. Aimee Hall in goal. Cook and Haering went to last year’s U17 World Cup. Both, along with Canham, were also part of this year’s U19 Oceania champs. Plenty of pedigree.

One of the traits of this Southern team is that they really try to set a tone early in halves. A grand final was never going to be any different so they pushed nice and high in the early phases, with Hannah Mackay-Wright leading the way. That did leave them vulnerable to pace in behind, especially on a large field, but it also put Auckland United on the back foot. Eight minutes in, it might have done exactly what they were aiming for as Dias played a quick pass out to Smith who’d drifted wide. Smith swung a fine cross into the middle for Hislop. And Hislop headed it off the crossbar. So close.

Smith also glanced a header over from a corner kick, while Green had to make a great tackle against Rankin or else more trouble might’ve brewed. Auckland Utd hardly caught a glimpse of the other half of the pitch in the initial 15 minutes but that wasn’t likely to worry them. They’re so good defensively, having only conceded three goals in their previous six games, and the steel was shining as they withstood all that and soon began to gain some territory.

One thing in AU’s favour was that their midfield trio outnumbered the duo of Southern. Ordinarily that doesn’t matter because Southern have defenders who step forward and Rose Morton and Kendrah Smith cover so much grass anyway that they do the work of three players. Yet on the bigger field there’s more grass to cover and AU did seem to be winning that arm-wrestle – which is such a key factor in how Southern dominate games.

And you know what? Auckland Utd soon pounced. 24th minute. Rene Wasi rushing HMW as she tried to play the ball out from a goal kick. Didn’t give her a split-second of relief and before you knew it Wasi had slid the ball to an open Alexis Cook on the right edge. Porteous came surging across to try and block the shot but Cook’s touch had bobbled so she was able to drive it over the challenge and no keeper was saving what conspired from there. 1-0 to Auckland United. They handled the early jandal, with only a dent to their crossbar to worry about, and then scored from the first major chance they created.

There have been games in which Southern United had to rally from a goal down. They conceded first against Western Springs and Canterbury Utd yet won both of those fixtures. But it’s different against Auckland United. That lot are as comfortable at 1-0 as most teams are at 3-0. After blowing a 2-1 lead in the last ten against Eastern Suburbs in week two they’ve not let slip another one. They also hadn’t conceded more than once in another game since. As soon as that goal flew in off the boot of Alexis Cook, the complexion of this thing changed. The Aucklanders were confident, they were in their element. The Southerners were not and some unsteadiness began to show. Having started so well, they hardly really threatened for the rest of that first half.

So changes were made. Two half-time subs: Tahlia Roome and Jemma Wilson on for Park and Partridge-Moore in the wing-back positions. And that did seem to give them a shot in the arm. SU were first on the attack as the game resumed. Aimee Hall suddenly had saves to make. There was a good one off Hislop from range, low and driven, which Hall then managed to regather before Rankin could pounce on the rebound. The intent was there from the team in blue. Unfortunately they often left themselves a bit shaky at the back and that caught up with them on 57’ when a very deep Chelsea Elliott free kick (still in shooting range if you know CE) was punched away by Paterson but not punched clear. Southern couldn’t get rid of it and Maisy Dewell was able to lift the wee thing over Paterson’s head before she could recover her position. Lovely finish from Dewell, who usually sets them up but in the biggest game of the year she went the other way.

Writing was kinda on the wall from that point. Barely half an hour to go and needing to score twice against this defence? Good luck with that. Then again, if anyone could it was Amy Hislop who very much chose to accept that mission. There was a curling effort that went agonisingly past the post, while Margi Dias also flipped an effort on target that Hall dealt with. Down the other end, Paterson made a great stop against an Elliott free kick. Elliott who was also bringing the requisite physicality to that duel with Hislop. The way AU marked the Southern striker went a long way towards their success in this game.

Even still, Hislop continued to try her best... it just wasn’t happening for her. Nor for her team. Roome slid a low cross slightly beyond Dias (after Hislop and Morton had won the ball in a good area). In fact the chances seemed to be trending more towards a third AU goal than a first for SU. Penny Brill was given the last twenty for AU, while Pia Vlok and Shannon Henson joined in the last ten. Vlok is a particularly exciting talent, one of the creative forces for the NZ U16s this year, and she nearly got herself a goal when an Elliott header from a corner was blocked in her direction. Could have been a moment to rival Ela Jerez scoring in the Kate Shep final a few months ago, also aged 15... but PV lifted it over the bar.

On came Kate Mawdesley for Southern. On came Kate McConnell and Riley Sheldon for Auckland. Southern kept slogging away right until the end, with Hall making a tremendous save from a Hislop free kick. That was the last realistic hope for Southern... and the first chance Auckland Utd had to raise their noses from the grindstone and realise exactly what they’d done. Defence wins championships. Auckland United are National League champions.

It was such a combined team performance that it wasn’t easy to pick a player of the day. Whoever decides the official award, they gave it to Rene Wasi which was basically an acknowledgement that she provided the most important instance in setting up the first goal. But she didn’t have a very influential game outside of that, none of the forwards did (except the constantly toiling Amy Hislop). It wasn’t that type of game. But then that’s also exactly why it was so hard to pick someone.

The TNC recommendation would’ve been for AU goalie Aimee Hall after a flawless performance – Hall is an Australian keeper who has been around the Western Sydney Wanderers system and actually spent a year with the Wellington Phoenix when they were based in Wollongong. She was a training player and might’ve gotten onto the bench for the game when Lily Alfeld went away on international duty... alas Hall wasn’t yet 18 at the time. Even though she was training down the road from where she lived it still technically counted as playing for an overseas professional team. Not allowed to do than before your 18th birthday. Call it the Milly Clegg Rule. Charlotte Lancaster had to be the designated backup goalie instead that game. But yeah Hall was excellent on her way to a fourth clean sheet in nine appearances.

Kaley Ward was given the overall season MVP award. Usually you’d want someone from one of the top teams to win that trophy but in this case... yeah fair enough. Ward was essential to Waterside Karori’s efforts, both as a goal-scorer and also as a creator. She’s one of those players that everything goes through. She makes her team so much better with her presence. There might have been consideration for players like Charlotte Lancaster, Lara Colpi, Charlotte Wilford-Carroll, or Hope Gilchrist. And you could pick a bunch of candidates out of these two finalist teams... hence why none of them got it. Too many key players to share the responsibility. Nah, Kaley Ward is a deserving winner. No complaints.

Just like how Auckland United are deserving National League winners. Lots has changed in this squad since the 2022 Kate Sheppard Cup triumph. Lots has changed even since they won the NRFL Premier Division a few months ago. That squad had Chloe Knott, Marisa van der Meer, and Ruby Nathan to help them out. But they’ve got an excellent coach and a deeply talented group of players, capable of spreading out the workload (as evidenced by them not even skipping a beat after their captain was injured five weeks ago). Bree Johnson’s goals have carried them through much of the season yet here it was Wasi and Cook combining for one and Dewell for the other. Dewell and Canham were powerhouses in midfield, matching the challenge laid down by Morton and Smith. And, again, the way that Macintosh and Elliott handled Hislop was quite frankly something that most other WNL teams aren’t even capable of.

You can handle losing to a team like that. Southern United may have been beaten, but captain Rose Morton was beaming as always in her post-game interview and that smile still hadn’t left her face as she collected her runners-up medal. If that’s her after a loss, imagine the joy if they’d have won the thing. That’s just Rose Morton for you. The positivity is infectious and although Southern didn’t get their hands on that trophy they gave it all they had in the quest and there’s never any shame in that. With a bit of luck they’ll still exist next year and can try and do what Wellington Olympic did in the men’s comp and take the experience of losing a final into winning the following one. To do so, they might just find themselves cheering on a few more of these Auckland teams so that West Coast Rangers miss the top four again and they can get Smith and Porteous back.

Auckland United could now become the first NZ team to compete in the Oceania Women’s Champions League. That competition began this year and Eastern Suburbs were supposed to be there but they opted out, pretty much saying that the tournament had been rushed and would be a shambles. Second time lucky, we’ll see how it goes. There’s a very good chance we see players from this AUFC squad at both the U17 and U20 World Cups next year and, with the impending Auckland A-League team coming in 2025, there’s plenty of professional potential here as well. The Kate Sheppard Cup win launched Milly Clegg and Ruby Nathan into prominence. Maybe this WNL final will do the same for the likes of Suya Haering, Alexis Cook, and Danielle Canham. Time shall tell.

Auckland United 2-0 Southern United

Goals (Assists)

24’ | AU | 1-0 | Cook (Wasi)

57’ | AU | 2-0 | Dewell

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