The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home
SWANZ Cup 1996 | SWANZ Cup 2000 | SWANZ Cup 2002 | SWANZ Cup 2003 | SWANZ Cup 2005 | SWANZ Cup 2006 | SWANZ Cup 2008 | SWANZ Cup 2009
SWANZ Cup 1996
Lynn-Avon Triumph In SWANZ Knockout Final
by Jeremy Ruane
Lynn-Avon United clinched the SWANZ Knockout Cup at Park Island on September 21, 1996, a dominant second half display the inspiration behind their comprehensive 4-2 defeat of Petone.
After a tentative start, Lynn-Avon opened the scoring in the eleventh minute through their captain, Terry McCahill. She bundled the ball home from point-blank range after a Katrina Sharpe free-kick had deceived Petone’s goalkeeper, Ruth Graham.
Within four minutes, Petone were level. Maureen Jacobson sent Kim Nye haring through in pursuit of the ball, but after avoiding the challenge of Alisse Robertson, she was upended in the penalty area by Lynn-Avon’s goalkeeper, Yvonne Vale. Joint New Zealand Players’ Player of the Year, Wendi Henderson, converted the spot-kick.
The first half continued with chances aplenty at both ends. Quality crosses from Jill Corner and Maia Jackman were a constant source of trouble to Petone’s defence, while Vale produced a couple of superb saves to foil Henderson and Nye before half-time.
|
Lynn-Avon exploded into action in the second spell, and after Sue Gregory had rattled the crossbar with a screamer, they went ahead on the hour. Jackman, later announced as the final’s Most Valuable Player, crowned her performance by rifling the ball home on receipt of a volleyed Sharpe cross.
Two goals in three minutes late in the game all but killed off Petone. The first, in the 77th minute, came again from McCahill, who scrambled the ball home after yet another Corner corner. United completely dominated their Wellington counterparts from set-pieces throughout the game, and it was no surprise that they eventually scored from one.
Three minutes later, Delwyn Hearn rounded off United’s day with a peach of a goal, cleverly curling the ball over a stranded Graham into the back of an empty net.
Nye pulled one back for Petone with eight minutes remaining, and a late save by Vale denied Henderson a third goal for last season’s beaten finalists, who were destined to fulfil the role of bridesmaids for a second consecutive campaign.
|
