Last weekend saw the semifinals of both competitions, and the finalists are now known, along with the date, time, and venue for the finals.

The Kate Sheppard Cup finalists are Western Springs, the defending champions, and Auckland United. Western Springs reached the final by defeating Dunedin City Royals 3-0 away from home, with goals from Rina Hirano, Liz Savage, and Rebecca Burrows.

Auckland United advanced by coming back from behind to defeat Wellington Phoenix Reserves in a tight contest. Wellington took the lead in the 60th minute with a goal from Georgie Furnell. However, in the 88th minute, with the match nearing its end, Saskia Vosper equalized. It seemed the game might go into extra time, but in the final play of the match, Estelle Harrison scored a stunning goal to give Auckland United a 2-1 victory and secure their place in the final.

The Chatham Cup semifinals were played the following day, and the teams advancing to the final are Wellington Olympic and Auckland City FC. In the first match, “The Greeks” defeated Coastal Spirit 5-1 in Christchurch. The hosts initially led 1-0 with a goal from Alejandro Steinwascher, but Hamish Watson equalized five minutes later, making it 1-1 at halftime. In the second half, Paul Ifill's team took advantage of their opportunities, scoring four more goals to seal the victory. The goals were scored by Jack Henry-Sinclair, Isa Prins (2), and Hamish Watson again.

The second semifinal was much tighter. Birkenhead United started strong at Kiwitea Street and took the lead in the 32nd minute with a goal from Monty Patterson. However, they couldn't hold onto their lead, and Angus Kilkolly equalized from the penalty spot. In the second half, Albert Riera's team started stronger and took the lead with a fantastic goal from Ryan De Vries. Birkenhead pushed for an equalizer, and twelve minutes later, Sam Philip scored to level the match again. Both teams had more chances to score, but neither could break the deadlock, and the game went into extra time.

The “Navy Blues” started extra time better, and in the 99th minute, Angus Kilkolly put the hosts back in front, making it 3-2 at the break. With the need to chase the game, Paul Hobson’s team was left vulnerable, and once again Angus Kilkolly scored, completing his hat-trick and securing a 4-2 victory for Auckland City FC.

With this result, Auckland City FC and Wellington Olympic will face each other once again in a new final, proving that they remain two of the strongest teams in New Zealand Football in recent years.

Both finals will take place on Saturday, September 7, at North Harbour Stadium. The Kate Sheppard Cup final will kick off at 4:00 pm, followed by the Chatham Cup final at 7:00 pm.

Tickets for the doubleheader cup finals will be available in the coming days, with adult tickets priced at $10 (excluding ticketing fees) and free entry for children under 14.

Article added: Monday 19 August 2024