Game one of the tournament saw the first of three group games played against Football Federation Victoria, which Onehunga Sports won 3-0 with captain Max Mata scoring a brace and Charles Spragg getting on the score sheet. It was a quick fire twenty minutes that secured victory for the team in the first half.
Game two was against tournament favourite Football NSW Institute, who won the game 3-1 courtesy of a penalty in each half. Mata continued where he left off in game one and got on the score sheet with a goal in the 19th minute.
The third and final game of the first day was against Canberra-based side Belconnen United. The game was all but over within the first half with Onehunga Sports putting an unanswered five goals past Belconnen. The Spragg brothers then scored a goal each in the second half to make the final score 7-0.
The team now had a simple equation in game four: a win or draw with the Emerging Jets- NSW State required to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Goals to Hojae Lee and Charles Spragg in the first half and another to Lee in the second, gave the team a 3-0 win.
The semi-final saw the two best club sides in the competition face off against each other. Kingsley Sinclair planted a header in the 30th minute to give Onehunga Sports a 1-0 win and set up a rematch against NSW Football Institute in the final.
Onehunga Sports created multiple chances in the final match but were not able to convert any of these early to combat those chances NSW Football Institute did. NSW were up 2-0 at half-time, before going on to score again in the second half and win the final 3-0.
WPSS director Leigh Kenyon was proud of everyone’s efforts.
“The WPSS players representing Onehunga Sports can hold their heads high. There is absolutely nothing more that they could have done at this tournament. We are proud to have finished as the best club side in the Pacific and knock over two State teams on the way to the grand final”.
Onehunga Sports finished as the best club side in the Pacific and Max Mata took home the Golden Boot with a tournament high six goals.
For more on the Wellington Phoenix Soccer School visit www.wellingtonphoenix.com