If three-cap All White Joel Stevens is a good judge, domestic football fans are in for a treat in Sunday’s ISPS Handa Premiership final between Eastern Suburbs and Team Wellington.

Suburbs are the top scorers in the competition and feature the two sharpest shooters – Golden Boot winner Callum McCowatt and All White Andre de Jong – while Stevens’ Wellington are no slouches in front of goal themselves, leading him to believe it could be a goal-fest at QBE Stadium.

“They’ve got really good players who can finish well,” Stevens says.

“You can never tell but it might end up being really high scoring because we can also be a very attacking team, which you saw a couple of years ago when our semi-final against Waitakere United ended 6-6. I think it’s two very good teams coming up against each other and it’s going to be a great game overall – whoever is better on the day will win.”

Stevens helped his side get to this point – the fourth consecutive year they have made the final – by coming off the bench to notch a late goal and seal a shock 3-1 win over previously unbeaten Auckland City in the semi-finals. While the eyebrows of many were raised as the men from the capital knocked out the minor premiers, Stevens was not among them.

“Everyone seemed surprised with the result but we knew we could produce something like that, it’s not like we’re a team that can’t win those sorts of games,” he says.

“We were just really up for it – everyone was really fired up and really wanted to win that game. The game plan was really good and we just stuck to it.”

Stevens and co will need more of the same on Sunday as Suburbs have enjoyed an outstanding campaign, being kept off top spot only by the imperious form of Auckland City and posting the best goal differential by some distance. Wellington ended six points further back and struggled for consistency after the festive break, appearing to suffer a hangover from their maiden FIFA Club World Cup appearance.

But the manner of that win over Auckland has given them a timely confidence boost and Stevens, who missed out on the Club World Cup as he was playing professionally overseas, says there is now a real spark around the squad.

“Everyone is buzzing and it’s like a different team – it’s crazy,” he says.

“Not that it wasn’t a good atmosphere before but I just think after last week everyone is so much more eager. We’ve been training really well and everyone is really positive but we’re not going to take Suburbs lightly because they’re a very good team, especially on that attacking front. They’re very unpredictable and can be very classy.”

Putting in a pleasing personal performance and lifting the trophy would be a cathartic experience for Stevens as he has endured a frustrating time in recent months. He achieved a lifelong dream of playing professionally in Europe when signing for Swedish outfit Husqvarna FF this time last year but it soon turned into a nightmare he became desperate to escape.

Things went well initially but the vibe around the team turned toxic due to issues among the coaching staff and a series of questionable player selections, leaving Stevens out of the team and keen to move elsewhere. But the club blocked any potential trials and, by the time he was allowed to try his luck elsewhere, he had grown tired of the situation and was keen to return home.

“It was a really cool experience and I did enjoy it,” the 24-year-old midfielder says.

“But it was also very frustrating, professional football overseas can be very hard and things can either go really right for you or really wrong. Unfortunately, I was on the bad end of that. I just got fed up with it and said to Team Wellington that I wanted to come back. I just wanted to go home and play because I’d had about four months of not playing by then.”

Due to that lack of match fitness, Stevens is not certain of a starting berth tomorrow but is sure to play a role at some point and certainly has plenty to offer off the bench, as he proved with his strike against Auckland.

“I’ve had a few rough months with football and I just want to get my enjoyment back. So scoring a goal and winning would be great for me but it would also be really good for the team,” he says.

“The win over Auckland City showed we can do it and are capable of beating teams like that. A win over Suburbs would reiterate that and give us some good form going into the quarter-finals of the OFC Champions League. Everyone has had a taste of the Club World Cup now so they would love to get back there and do it again."

ISPS Handa Premiership Grand Final

Eastern Suburbs vs Team Wellington
Sunday 31 March, 4.35pm
Live on SKY Sports
#ESvTW #ISPSHandaPrem

Referee: Nick Waldron
Assistant Referees: Mark Rule, Edward Cook
Fourth Official: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh

Eastern Suburbs (from): 1. Andrew Withers, 2. Alexander Clayton, 3. Kalvin Kalua, 4. Nando Pijnaker, 5. Adam Thomas, 6. Harry Edge, 7. Tim Payne (c), 8. Owen Parker-Price, 9. Callum McCowatt, 10. Andre de Jong, 11. Mohamed Awad, 12. Kingsley Sinclair, 14. Elijah Just, 15. Dalton Wilkins, 16. Dominic Wooldridge, 17. Michael Built, 21. Justin Biega (GK), 22. Hayden Johns, 2. Campbell Strong, 24. Jack Duncan
Coach: Danny Hay

Team Wellington (from): 1. Scott Basalaj (GK), 2. Tiahn Manuel, 3. Adam Mitchell, 4. Mario Ilich, 5. Liam Wood, 6. Taylor Schrijvers, 7. Eric Molloy, 8. Henry Cameron, 10. Nathanael Hailemariam, 11. Bill Robertson, 12. Andrew Bevin (c), 13. Daniel Mulholland, 14. Jack-Henry Sinclair, 15. Joel Stevens, 16. Angus Kilkolly, 17. Alex Palezevic, 18. Aaron Clapham, 19. Ross Allen, 22. Marcel Kampman (GK), 23. Charlie Morris (GK)
Coach: Jose Figueira

Article added: Saturday 30 March 2019