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LYNN-AVON UNITED
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LYNN-AVON UNITED
by Jeremy Ruane
The Lynn-Avon United club came about in time for the 1996 season, following the merger of the Lynndale and Avondale United clubs, which were formed in 1947 and 1969 respectively.

Both clubs played a part in developing women’s soccer in the Auckland area during the 1970s and 1980s, Lynndale more so than Avondale. Indeed, Lynndale’s efforts were rewarded with success in the Second Division championship in both 1987 and 1990.

It was the establishment of a Premier team at Avondale United in 1993, however, which saw the seeds of the club’s success in the women’s game being sown. Under a handful of high calibre coaches, they have been a highly prominent combination in the Northern Premier Women’s League and Auckland Knockout Shield, twice winning the Auckland Champion-of-Champions trophy as a result of winning the league and knockout ‘double’.

Their form in the Women’s Knockout Cup was less noteworthy for a number of years, although their initial success in the competition, achieved when battering Petone 4-1 in the 1996 final in Napier, brought with it the honour of being the first Auckland club to clinch northern women’s soccer’s “Grand Slam” - all three senior regional honours and the Women’s Knockout Cup in the same season.

Since that success, they have joined their arch-rivals of years gone by, Three Kings United, in winning the cup three times.

Their record since 1993 is summarised below:

Year
Premier Women's
League
Premier
Women's
Knockout
Champ.-of-Champs.
WSANZ Knockout Cup
Coach
1993
Champions
Winners
Winners
Doug Moore
1994
Runners-up
Runners-up
Runners-up
Bob Jarman
1995
Champions
Did not enter
Winners
Semi-finals
Maurice Tillotson
1996
Champions
Winners
Winners
Winners
Maurice Tillotson
1997
Champions
Runners-up
Runners-up
Quarter-finals
Maurice Tillotson
1998
Runners-up
Runners-up
Runners-up
Last sixteen
Steve Cain
1999
Runners-up
Winners
Not held
Semi-finals
Dave Wileman
2000
Champions
Runners-up
Not held
Winners
Gary Jenkins
2001
Champions
Not held
Not held
Runners-up
Gary Jenkins
2002
Champions
Not held
Not held
Winners
Bob Limb
    
In 2000, Lynn-Avon went from strength to strength under the guidance of Gary Jenkins. Convincing Bluebird Northern Premier League championship winners - they had clinched the title with three games still to play, United overcame their nemesis, Three Kings United, in the Women’s Knockout Cup semi-final, and went on to defeat Wairarapa United by a record margin of victory - 6-0 - in the final.

Their hopes of completing the “Grand Slam” for a second time had already been dashed, however, as just three days prior to the WSANZ Knockout Cup Final, Three Kings turned the tables on Lynn-Avon in the Auckland Premier Women’s Knockout Shield Final, recording the first-ever penalty shoot-out win at this stage of the competition in what was the fifth consecutive clash between these clubs in the Auckland Knockout final.

A core group of players have been at the heart of Lynn-Avon’s Premier Women’s team since its inception in 1993, with the majority of the side having played together over the last six seasons.

Captain (and club secretary) Terry McCahill is the sole survivor since that first season, although it's only in the last couple of years that Jill Corner, Lyn Pedruco and Angela Vujnovich have stepped aside. Patrice Bourke, Dana Heiford and, until her departure part-way through the 2000 season on a scholarship, Alisse Robertson, are other long-serving team members at the Ken Maunder Park club.

Their efforts in wearing the red of Lynn-Avon with pride have been complemented by a group of players who have either joined or come through the grades within the club in the last three seasons or less, namely Jennifer Carlisle, Amanda Crawford, Julie Houghton, Rebecca Parkinson, Melissa Reber, Melissa Wileman and Yvonne Vale.

In 2001, a crop of highly promising youngsters were introduced to the fray, and the likes of Amber Hearn, Hayley Moorwood, Rachel Doody, Melissa Ray and Kirsty Yallop are players of whom you can expect to hear much in the coming years.

Lynn-Avon's grip on the Uncle Toby's Women's Knockout Cup was prised loose at the end of the season by Ellerslie, who inflicted upon the 2001 Northern League champions a 1-0 defeat in the country's showpiece women's fixture at club level - the first time the final had featured two teams from Auckland, the traditional power base of New Zealand women's soccer.

The pair clashed again in the 2002 final, with Lynn-Avon prevailing on penalties at the conclusion of an epic scoreless draw. A few weeks later, United completed the double by winning the league once again - the second time in the team's ten-year history they have won the championship three years running.

The efforts of coach Bob Limb were recognised by his receipt of a Bank of New Zealand Badge of Gold Award, an award which recognises the people behind our champions, those who provide what it takes for others to achieve sporting success.


Women's Soccer - Auckland