EXPERIENCE

KATE SHEPPARD CUP SEMI FINAL

Score : United 2 (Dani Ohlsson, Suzanne Giesen) Technical 4 (Emily Morison 2, Lara Wall 2)

Attendance : just short of a couple of hundred

This year is a big year for New Zealand's third oldest football club, Wellington United, who are celebrating 125 years of since being formed as Diamond FC in 1893. The Women's first team (the Diamond's) decided to get in on the act as well by making it to the biggest game they have ever played in, the semi final of the women's knock out cup, which this year has been renamed the Kate Sheppard in honour of the suffragette that led the campaign for women in New Zealand to get the vote (a world first) which coincidentally happened 125 years ago as well.

With this game being only the third time, and the first in eight years, that a semi final of this competition had been held in Wellington, featuring the newly crowned W-League champions up against the Football South League Champions, both undefeated teams who would make history as neither had made it to the final before, the game deserved some publicity.

Since writing the clubs 125th anniversary book I have become more involved in the club and helped getting some media coverage. Big thanks go out to Riccardo Ball from TAB Trackside Radio, Jason Pine from Newstalk ZB and Cook Straight News. Meanwhile the biggest news organisation in the area, Stuff.co.nz, may as well call themselves Get Stuffed given the attitude they took towards the game, they did say they would likely cover it and they did. It was in the form of an Auckland based journalist rehashing the NZF press release after the game....

The game itself was a good hard cup tie between two evenly matched teams. Wellington United opened the scoring in the 16th minute when a beautiful through ball from Suzanne Giesen found Mickey Robertson who took the ball to the by line before crossing it, Technical keeper Jade Middleditch was unable to hold the cross and Dani Ohlsson was on had to slot in her 83rd goal for the club in only her 55th game!

Dani Ohlsson (WU) makes it 1-0 The JourneyFan

The lead didn't last long when two minutes later Dunedin Technical's Emily Morison, an old foe of United's from her Upper Hutt City days, pounced on a lose ball in the six yard area and made it one all.

The game was switching end to end, Technical managed to scramble the ball off the goal line but only as far as United's Asha Strom, but her shot hit the cross bar. Shortly after Mikela Hunt rose to meet a corner and really should have had the ball in the back of the net but it flew just wide of the post.

Dunedin Technical were starting to get the edge and putting pressure on United, this led to some mistakes and United were severely let off when the ball fell to Lara Wall in the penalty area, but with just an open goal in front of her she scuffed the shot. It wasn't long though until she made up for it and made it 2-1 going into the break, which probably came at just the right time for Wellington United.

 

Dunedin Technical's Mikela Hunt heads just wide The JourneyFan

Whatever United's coach Guillermo Schiltenwolf said to the players at half time, it worked as straight from the kick off Suzanne Giesen had the ball in the back of the net. This obviously lifted United and they pressed for another goal. But this was where the experience of Dunedin Technical kicked in and the were able to slow the pace of the game and frustrate the United attack. In the 75th minute Lara Wall made it 3-2 and then Emily Morison wrapped it up with a goal five minutes from time to make it 4-2 and deservedly book a place in the Kate Sheppard Cup Final.

After the game Dunedin Technical coach, Graham Smail, noted how valuable their experience of the previous years semi final was (when they lost 2-0 to Glenfield Rovers) and that is something Wellington United will take away from this game and hopefully will use next season to make the final!

Full credit to the Dunedin Technical supporters who made the long trip up to support the team and also to their Wellington based fans aka Upper Hutt City - it was great to see you all there.

Dunedin Technical become the first team from the Football South federation to make the final of the Kate Sheppard Cup, they will met Forest Hill Milford United of Auckland and while Technical will likely be the underdogs, FHMU will underestimate them at their peril..

FOR MY PHOTOS FROM THE GAME CLICK HERE 

DR YOMCAT ALSO MADE IT TO THE GAME CHECK OUT HIS PHOTOS HERE 

Dunedin Technical 2018 Kate Sheppard Cup Finalists The JourneyFan