Football: Team miss out, but are still close

He's aged a couple of decades in the past few days, but Otumoetai coach Tony Chegwidden couldn't be prouder despite his under-15 side missing out on a once-in-lifetime trip to China by the width of the goalpost.

Otumoetai have returned from Melbourne, where they represented New Zealand in the Pacific finals of the Nike Manchester United Premier Cup, having lost the grand final in a penalty shootout against Victorian champions Keilor Park.

At stake was qualification for the 20-team Premier Cup global final in Beijing later in the year. Locked at 0-0 after 40 minutes of regulation time and 10 minutes of extra time, Chegwidden's team went into the cruellest tiebreaker of all.

Each team's first three penalty-takers found their mark before Otumoetai goalkeeper Jake Chegwidden saved Keilor's fourth spot kick. Otumoetai then had their fourth shot saved, Keilor scored and Otumoetai's deciding fifth kick was blazed over the crossbar.

Tears flowed on the field and in the changing shed but Chegwidden said the disappointment eased an hour or two after what had been an enthralling final. "We did everything we possibly could on the pitch and that final was just outstanding from both teams, a tight, physical game and the highest level of football I'd ever seen.

"The boys were pretty upset at first, as you can imagine, but as soon as we sat them down in the changing room and explained to them what they'd achieved they realised 'wow, we came pretty close.' There can only be one winner and a shootout is part of football. It's unfortunate we were the ones to miss out."

Midfielder Connor Probert, the son of former All White Paul Probert, was player of the tournament, winning a two-year sponsorship from Nike.

Otumoetai beat Queensland champions North Star 2-0 in their opening pool game before thrashing New Caledonian club side AS Grand Nord 8-1. They were then on the receiving end, turning in a lacklustre effort to lose their final pool game to Northern New South Wales' Charlestown City Blues 4-0, with Charlestown topping the group and Otumoetai second to advance to the semifinals.

There they met Sydney's Manly FC and triumphed 1-0 in extra-time on another open, high intensity game.

Keilor had also finished second in their group after two wins and a loss and made the final when they beat Charlestown 4-3 in a penalty shootout after their semi was locked at 1-1.

Chegwidden said they practiced penalties at every training and had backed his son, who was later judged goalkeeper of the tournament, to make his share of saves too. He went the right way on four of Keilor's five kicks but could only get his fingertips on one.