Auckland United stormed to a third Delivereasy Kate Sheppard Cup Final triumph in four years at North Harbour Stadium on September 7, dominating Wellington Phoenix throughout proceedings en route to a decisive 4-1 victory. Fuelled by the frustration of missing out on the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League title a week ago, Ben Bate's charges set about the pursuit of their ninth trophy in four seasons with a vengeance, and came desperately close to opening the scoring just five minutes into play. Talisha Green picked out Ava Collins, who spread play wide to Zoe Benson. Her cross through the corridor of uncertainty found Chloe Knott stealing in with a well-timed run in an effort to turn the ball home, but she just failed to get sufficient purchase on the sphere to do so. In Poppy O'Brien, the reserves of Wellington's A-League squad boasted a player who had won all there was to win with Auckland last season, and she swiftly looked to remind her old team of her mercurial talent just two minutes later, inspiring a counter-attack which culminated in Lily Brazendale stinging the gloves of Hannah Mitchell. United's response to this threat saw them open the scoring in the ninth minute. Alexis Cook was felled in the area by Alyssha Eglinton while pursuing a Danielle Canham pass, prompting referee Beth Rattray to point to the penalty spot. Zoe Benson drilled home beyond the dive of Brooke Neary to open the scoring. Wellington were rocked by this early setback, and Auckland wasted little time in trying to press home their advantage. Zoe McMeeken combined with Benson on the left, the latter delivering a deep cross which Alexis Cook latched onto. Mackenzie Green thwarted her bid to score, while Knott, to whom the clearance fell, sent a twenty-yarder sizzling over the bar. Former Auckland player Manaia Elliott enjoyed the benefit of a ricochet to break clear on the right in the 22nd minute. Her cross was cleared by Green to Brazendale, who found Mitchell up to the task of denying her an equaliser. But one materialised two minutes later. Amber de Wit threaded a ball through which rewarded the untracked run of Grace Bartlett, who slipped the ball through the legs of the advancing figure of Mitchell and into the net via the far post - 1-1. That goal gave Wellington brief hope, but served only to stoke the fire of the cup holders, who had no desire to experience the feeling of losing a trophy two weeks running. Within ninety seconds of conceding, Cook released Green down the right, from where she fired a searching cross into the goalmouth. Collins flicked it on to Benson, who was denied by Greene's vital clearance. Seconds later, Auckland were denied a second penalty when Green was flattened off the ball as she looked to get on the end of Benson's cross to the far post. Then, in the 29th minute, an angled cross from McMeeken was spilled by Neary, inviting Collins to set up Canham. Greene again stood tall for Wellington, the captain thwarting a certain goal by throwing herself into the path of the shot. A second Auckland goal seemed almost inevitable, however, and it duly materialised in the 32nd minute. Canham was flattened by Neary as she pursued a cross, prompting referee Rattray to stop play as both players felt the effects of the collision. Auckland were in possession when play stopped, so the resulting uncontested drop ball saw them able to resume their attack. Knott played the ball wide to Cook, whose cross was cleared to the edge of the area. Wellington's former A-League star was arriving on cue, and Knott duly thundered an emphatic volley into the far corner of the net to restore Auckland's advantage. Wellington looked to muster a second equaliser, Elliott leading the charge in the 39th minute. Her cross picked out Brazendale, whose shot ricocheted off the head of Green and into the grateful gloves of Mitchell, who had to race out of her penalty area

soon afterwards to clear off the toes of Brazendale, who had forced Greer MacIntosh into a hurried but inaccurate clearance. United heeded the warning, and broke Wellington's resistance with a third goal on the stroke of half-time. Knott and Benson combined on the left, the latter's cross for Collins forcing Eglinton to turn the ball past her own post for a corner. Auckland took it short, with Benson playing the ball back to Yume Harashima, who had a superb game in the heart of United's midfield. She delivered a gem of a ball into the penalty area from deep, a delivery which Ella McMillan directed straight to Collins. She smashed the ball home on the volley - 3-1. The cup holders were swiftly into their stride after the interval, Knott's cross-shot being spilled by Neary in the 47th minute. Collins was following in, but Greene stepped in to concede a corner, from which Benson's low drive drew a smothered save from the goalkeeper, whose uncertainty under the high ball is quite concerning - memories of her efforts in the Young Ferns' 2024 campaign in the Dominican Republic instantly spring to mind. It's a shortcoming Auckland looked to exploit during the second spell, the 'keeper often under pressure from crosses, corners and shots from distance - a twenty-five yarder from Knott, after a super interchange featuring Mitchell, Green, Collins and Benson, wasn't far away in the 65th minute. Three minutes later, any hopes Wellington harboured of recovering the deficit were dashed by Auckland's fourth goal of the afternoon. Canham won the ball in midfield and instantly fed Cook, whose threaded through ball found Collins careering through the inside right channel, from where she drilled an unerring finish into the far corner of the net - 4-1. Despite their best efforts, there was no way back for Wellington from this, especially with the mood Auckland was in - they wanted more! And they came desperately close to going nap in the 72nd minute. Tui Dugan - a brief cameo as a substitute before injury befell her - gave a glimpse of her undoubted brilliance with an inch-perfect pass into the stride of the overlapping Green. Her measured cross found Knott - later named winner of the Maia Jackman Trophy as the game's best player - arriving on cue to execute a stooping header which Neary kept out at the second attempt. The move deserved better fate, as did Auckland's next attack in the 86th minute. Rene Wasi won possession on the left and invited fellow substitute Piper O'Neill to let fly with a twenty-five yarder which deflected narrowly past the far post, the same upright past which Neary directed Wasi's shot in stoppage time, the winger having been played in by Benson seconds after Green had brought down Sienna Candy - a foul which went unpunished. McMeeken - another Wellington old girl - headed Green's resulting corner narrowly past the far post, the last attack of note on a red letter day for Auckland United Football Club, the first in New Zealand to field teams in the finals of both the Chatham and Kate Sheppard Cups. And while their male counterparts had to make do with the Bob Smith Memorial Trophy, the honour presented to the beaten Chatham Cup finalists, "Kate" retains pride of place in Auckland's trophy cabinet for another summer, alongside the OFC Women's Champions League title won earlier this season. Auckland:     Mitchell; Green, MacIntosh (Philpot, 79), Granger, McMeeken; Canham (Dugan, 69 (O'Neill, 83)), Harashima, Knott (McConnell, 89); Cook, Collins (Wasi, 69), Benson Wellington:     Neary; Bartlett (Candy, 59), Des Fountain, Greene, Eglinton; Elliott (McDonald, 90), D. Brazendale (Robins, 77), McMillan (Young, 59), O'Brien (Pugh, 70); L. Brazendale, de Wit (Jerez, 59) Referee:     Beth Rattray