Second half goals to Tayla O’Brien and Georgia Brown were enough to ensure the title remained on the northern side of the Harbour Bridge for another year.
The win was built on defence with Bridgette Armstrong and Tessa Berger working hard in tandem to halt the scoring run of former Football Fern Rebecca Tegg.
“For the last four matches we’ve been able to keep a clean sheet so our defence has been very strong,” Northern coach Mauro Donoso says.
Tegg bundled Northern goalkeeper Pam Yates into her own net in the opening quarter as Auckland started the final stronger in search of their first national title since 2009. The talismanic striker also hit the frame of the goal in the first half and headed a late chance straight at Yates.
A couple of half chances to Tegg and Hannah Kraakman were the closest Auckland came to breaking Northern’s resolve. The defending champions too, could only muster a handful of openings in the first half as the cross-town rivals headed into half time locked a nil-all.
“The first 45 minutes was intense and there was a lot of nervous energy but the second half was excellent and the players showed that they are a great team,” Donoso says.
Shortly after the restart, a teasing cross from Estelle Harrison from the left bounced invitingly in the area for O’Brien to head unopposed past Erin Nayler.
O’Brien had come close to opening the scoring moments earlier with a curling effort that went wide of the Auckland goal.
The lead was extended on the hour when a long-range Harrison free kick was palmed onto the crossbar by Nayler, unfortunately for the Junior Football Ferns custodian the rebound fell at the feet of Brown to bundle home.
Brown nearly doubled her tally with a late drive from distance that Nayler tipped onto the crossbar before a last-gasp tackle from Jess Verdon was needed to thwart Rebecca Burrows.
The win is a testament to the depth of talent within Northern Football with only Yates, Brown, Burrows, O’Brien and Caitlin Smallfield remaining from last season’s title-winning side.
“Losing a player like Hannah Wilkinson is a big thing but also Young Football Ferns like Hannah Carlsen and Megan Lee who were pivotal parts of last year’s squad is massive. We’ve had other players step up to fill the gaps,” captain Yates says.
Yates was also quick to credit the federation for their support of the team in securing back-to-back ASB Women’s League titles.
“It shows how much Northern is behind us, right from the board all the way down to our management.”
A number of Football Ferns were in attendance at Fred Taylor Park including NCAA Women’s Division One winner Katie Bowen, Sarah Gregorius, Rosie White and Katie Hoyle, all back home in New Zealand for the festive season.
Story courtesy of New Zealand Football.
For more on New Zealand Football visit www.nzfootball.co.nz