History has been made in the Women’s Futsal SuperLeague with Auckland becoming the first team to win the title on more than one occasion, picking up their ground-breaking second win at the ASB Sports Centre in Wellington over the weekend.

Auckland had a point to prove going into the tournament as they claimed their first title in 2018 but followed that up with a hugely disappointing fifth-place finish last year.

Motivation was therefore not a problem this time around and Nic Downes’ charges certainly played as if they were looking to banish the painful memories of that previous campaign, winning four of their five group games to earn a berth in the final.

The only team to beat them were reigning champions Canterbury United Pride, who were looking to make history themselves by becoming the first team to successfully defend the title.

The Pride were very much on track in that quest when topping the table with a perfect record and would have been full of confidence going into the final after beating second-placed Auckland 4-1 in pool play.

But Auckland turned the tables on the classy Cantabs when it mattered most, producing an inspired performance in a thrilling final to triumph 4-3.

Captain Maxine Cooper was delighted Auckland were able to put the disappointments of last year behind them and bring the title back north.

“They made it so hard for us so we’re stoked – what a team,” she said.

“Canterbury put a lot of pressure on us in the earlier game and we were ready to fight back, we didn’t want to come out second best.”

Pride coach Ronan Naicker felt his team put in a strong performance but were let down by their implementation of some of the finer basics.

“It’s all about details and, unfortunately for us, the details went against us,” he said.

“We had plenty of opportunities to score and the Auckland goalkeeper Danielle Bradley had an amazing game, pulling off a number of great saves. And Auckland took every opportunity that they got, they were very clinical and we paid for that in the end.”

Capital were the only other side to launch a genuine bid for the title, the hosts winning three matches to finish third, three points behind Auckland.

The individual awards were also claimed by the teams that contested the final with Canterbury’s Serena Patel picking up both the MVP and golden boot after scoring nine goals while Bradley received the golden glove. The closest challengers to Patel in the golden boot race were Canterbury’s Macey Fraser and Central’s Eve Barry, who both found the net seven times.

For the Women’s Futsal SuperLeague final standings and more information please click here

Canterbury topped the group but were beaten in a dramatic final by Auckland (Photosport)

Women’s Futsal SuperLeague Results

Capital 4 (Francesca Grange, Molly Woodhead 2, Katie Barrott)
Canterbury United Pride 7 (Sophie Williams, Tahlia Herman-Watt, Serena Patel 2, Macey Fraser, Britney-Lee Nicholson 2)
HT: 1-4

Northern Lights 0
Auckland 5 (Maxine Cooper, Emma Pijnenburg, Kate Carlton 2, Erinna Wong)
HT: 0-1

Central 4 (Eve Barry 3, Charlotte Lancaster)
WaiBOP 1 (Lilly Muspratt)
HT: 3-0

Capital 7 (Nicole Baird 2, Francesca Grange, Rosie Wild 2, Libby Boobyer, Samantha Whyte)
Northern Lights 1 (Shayden Cathro)
HT: 2-1

Central 3 (Eve Barry, Jessica Mason, Jana Niedermayr)
Canterbury United Pride 10 (Britney-Lee Nicholson 2, Rebecca Lake, Alyssa Whinham, Serena Patel, Sophie Williams, Tahlia Herman-Watt 2, Macey Fraser, own goal)
HT: 1-5

WaiBOP 0
Auckland 11 (Shivanthi Anthony, Maxine Cooper, Hannah Kraakman 2, Emma Pijnenburg, Alosi Bloomfield 3, Jenna Dodd, Kate Carlton, Jess Verdon)
HT: 0-9

Northern Lights 5 (Maclani Michael, Jade Morrissey, Michaela Buckley, Abbey Venmore, Hannah Reddy)
Central 4 (Eve Barry 2, Jessica Mason, Jenna Barry)
HT: 2-2

Capital 1 (Sarah Alder)
Auckland 4 (Maxine Cooper, Alosi Bloomfield, Hannah Kraakman, Corina Brown)
HT: 0-2

Canterbury United Pride 10 (Rebecca Lake 2, Macey Fraser 2, Serena Patel 4, Frankie Morrow, Madison Silcock)
WaiBOP 0
HT: 6-0

Central 1 (Eve Barry)
Auckland 5 (Kate Carlton, Maxine Cooper, Shivanthi Anthony 2, Hannah Kraakman)
HT: 1-3

Northern Lights 1 (Maclani Michael)
Canterbury United Pride 7 (Macey Fraser 2, own goal, Lily Fisher, Alyssa Whinham, Tahlia Herman-Watt, Nicola Dominikovich)
HT: 0-4

WaiBOP 2 (Lilly Muspratt, Cayin Mitchell)
Capital 6 (Sarah Alder 2, own goal, Katie Barrott, Jemma Catherwood, Francesca Grange)
HT: 2-4

Capital 7 (Francesca Grange 2, Katie Barrott 2, Libby Boobyer 2, Samantha Whyte)
Central 1 (Nicole Robertson)
HT: 3-0

Canterbury United Pride 4 (Nicola Dominikovich, Tahlia Herman-Watt, Macey Fraser, Serena Patel)
Auckland 1 (Emma Pijnenburg)
HT: 3-1

WaiBOP 5 (Olivia Hooper 3, Rachel Major, Lilly Muspratt)
Northern Lights 2 (Own goal, Michaela Buckley)
HT: 3-1

Grand Final

Canterbury United Pride 3 (Serena Patel, Britney-Lee Nicholson, own goal)
Auckland 4 (Maxine Cooper, Jenna Dodd, Tessa Leong, Emma Pijnenburg)
HT: 1-1

Article added: Monday 17 February 2020