Waitakere, who line up for their fourth Grand Final in five seasons, would cement their place as undisputed kings of New Zealand domestic football with a third straight title victory, their fourth in eight seasons overall. A win would also see the West Auckland outfit return to the O-League next season and earn another shot at qualification for the FIFA Club World Cup, the 2013 edition of which will be held in Morocco.
Meanwhile, Wellington is chasing a treble dream all of their own. Coach Matt Calcott snared the club’s first ever silverware when the capital men swept aside Waikato FC to win the inaugural White Ribbon Cup. But victory in Saturday’s showpiece final would not only hand Wellington their first ever ASB Premiership title, it would see the club become the first non-Auckland side to become national champions and lift them into next season’s O-League competition.
Waitakere have stuttered throughout a turbulent season but look at have hit form at the right time with Roy Krishna and Ryan de Vries in ruthless mood during the 5-3 aggregate win over Canterbury United in the semi-finals, an indication that their big-game players are ready to fire at the business end of the season.
Wellington opened the season with just one win from their first five games but since then they have successfully navigated the remainder of their campaign with just one defeat – a 3-1 loss to Waitakere in Round 12 of the regular season.
Last week’s 3-1 win over Auckland City ensures Wellington enter the Grand Final brimming with confidence and they won’t lack any motivation in trying to wrestle the ASB Premiership back to the capital, and end an Auckland City-Waitakere United stranglehold that has lasted eight years.
Waitakere and Wellington last met in an ASB Premiership Grand Final at Trusts Stadium in Henderson in 2008 with the West Aucklanders winning 2-0. An own goal by Wellington’s Karl Whalen and a strike by Allan Pearce were enough to hand Waitakere their first ASB Premiership title that day and break Auckland’s three-in-a-row championship sequence.
ASB Premiership Grand Final
Waitakere United vs Team Wellington
Trusts Stadium, Auckland
Saturday 28 April
Local kick-off: 7.35pm
Waitakere United: 1. Danny ROBINSON (GK),3. Aaron SCOTT, 4. Tim MYERS, 6. Matt CUNNEEN, 7. Martin BULLOCK, 8. Chris BALE, 10. Allan PEARCE, 11. Ross McKENZIE, 12. Roy KRISHNA, 16. Neil EMBLEN, 17. Jake BUTLER (c), 20. Ryan de VRIES, 22. Matt UPTON (GK), 25. Sean LOVEMORE, 26. Reece LAMBERT, 27. Ross HAVILAND, 29. Jordan VALE, 30. Rory TURNER (two to be omitted)
Team Wellington: 1. Phil IMRAY (GK), 2. Tim SCHAEFFERS, 4. Michael EAGAR, 5. Johnny RAJ, 6. Darren CHERITON, 7. Wiremu PATRICK, 9. Patrick FLEMING, 10. Dakota LUCAS, 11. Henry FA’ARODO, 12. Ethan GALBRAITH, 16. Campbell PARKIN, 17. Dominic ROWE, 18. Michael FIFII, 19. James MUSA, 20. Luke ROWE, 22. Justin GULLEY, 25. Scott BASALAJ (GK) (one to be omitted)
Story courtesy of New Zealand Football.
For more on New Zealand Football visit www.nzfootball.co.nz

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