Braybrook Cup victory completes perfect season for Wainui Riverina

Braybrook Cup and Women’s Eastern League winners Wainui Riverina, and friends . . . back (from left): Carlotta Paewinsky, Mila Ngarimu Yarza (in front), Katerina Ngarimu, Larisa Allan, Lizzie Hall (player-coach), Renae Lolohea, Jess Colebourne, Catherine Walker, Amy Burgess, Tiara Weir and McKenzie Holmes. Front: Jack Burt, Tori Burt, Sophie Hemmington, “Papoose” (in front), Manaia Mill, Lily Auckram (captain), Amandine Mariette and Alexandra Megaw. Picture supplied

Six goals for six players . . . Wainui Riverina shared the joy around as they completed a Women’s Eastern League-Braybrook Cup double at Childers Road Reserve on Sunday.

Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina had won the women’s league with a 100 percent win record from 15 games. They scored 95 goals and conceded seven for a goal difference of 88.

Their opponents in the Braybrook Cup final on Sunday, Gisborne Girls’ High School, had league stats of two wins, two draws and 11 losses, with a goal difference of minus-47. Expectations were modest.

But at the end of a game that had plenty of sparkling play, both teams had smiles on their faces.

Sure, Wainui Riverina beat Girls’ High 6-0.

Girls’ High, though, were up against a team who had beaten them by double figures in one league game and by comfortable margins in the others.

No one outside family and best-friends-forever expected them to get within cooee of Wainui Riverina.

And it wasn’t close . . . but it was always competitive. Neither team eased up because of the score; no one took the mickey.

Everyone treated the game, the occasion and their opponents with respect.

Girls’ High conceded two goals relatively early — to leftback Tori Burt in the eighth minute and player-coach Lizzie Hall in the 17th.

But at halftime it was still 2-0 and Girls’ High were definitely in the contest.

Frontrunner McKenzie Holmes eased Wainui Riverina nerves when she scored the third goal, in the 50th minute, and fellow striker Larisa Allan added another 10 minutes later.

Jess Colebourne, who had come on for Holmes, scored in the 69th, and Catherine Walker, on for Hall, netted in the 76th.

Wainui Riverina put in a good team effort. Defenders Sophie Hemmington and Burt were steady on the flanks and broke from deep positions to send over dangerous crosses.

Centreback and captain Lily Auckram was solid for the first 30 minutes but aggravated a quadriceps injury and had to be replaced by Renae Lolohea, whose position in midfield was taken by Katerina Ngarimu.

Amy Burgess and Auckram, then Lolohea, tied up the middle of that defence till it was watertight.

Hall was pleased with her midfield, where Manaia Mills, Amandine Mariette and Lolohea, then Ngarimu, formed a compact unit linking defence and attack.

Up front, Wainui Riverina played three strikers, with the roles shared among Hall, Allan, Holmes, Walker and Colebourne.

And at the back, goalkeeper Tiara Weir added a notch to her clean-sheet belt.

The final was a great way for the four Year 13 players to finish their time in the Girls’ High team. Centreback Kimberley Hayes, fullback Danni Feisst, striker Stephanie Collier and rightback Stevi Reid may well remember this game for decades to come.

Goalkeeper Taylor Carrington made some good saves to keep the eager Wainui Riverina forwards at bay.

In front of her, fullbacks Naiya Powley, sisters Summer and Danni Feisst, and Reid combined well with centrebacks Kaitlyn Priest, Ava Duncan and Hayes.

Melody Lamb shone among hardworking midfielders who did their best to feed good ball to lively wingers Jade McVey on the left and Natalie Land on the right.

Strikers Claire Hopper and Collier, up against a strong defence, kept probing for a way through.

The Braybrook Cup was the third trophy Wainui Riverina won this season, the first two being the season-opening Hall Shield traditionally contested by the previous year’s league and cup winners, and the Women’s Eastern League trophy.

Sunday’s match was well controlled by referee Geoff Griffin.