Midfielders Josh Harris and Jarom Brouwer scored two goals each and striker Josh Adams scored an absolute screamer, breaking the side netting of the goal in the process.
United got off to a perfect start. After only three minutes, Josh Harris went like a hot knife through butter, bobbing and weaving his way past three defenders.
He found himself with the goal at his mercy. His initial shot was parried by Wanderers goalkeeper Thomas Hooper, but Harris followed up and smashed the rebound into the net.
Harris was fouled early in this passage of play, but referee Chris Niven played advantage to good effect.
Three minutes later, United doubled their lead. In-form Jarom Brouwer hit a low drive from 30 metres. It seemed intended more as a cross, but its power took it through the defence and Hooper could only watch as the ball crashed into the bottom left corner of his goal.
On 18 minutes, Harris — darting through on one of his countless runs on goal — was brought down heavily by a Wanderers defender and United were awarded a free-kick.
Dead-ball specialist Josh Adams curled the ball around the wall. Hooper could only parry the shot and Harris, following up, again drove the ball home.
Ahead 3-0 at halftime, United looked good.
Eleven minutes after the break, Josh Adams opened his account for the day. He made a run down the left and with his favoured left foot hit a low drive with such ferocity that it broke the strapping around the far post and dislodged the netting.
On 65 minutes, left wingback Malcolm Marfell was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet when his smashing drive stuck the crossbar.
In the 71st minute, Corey Adams played a through-ball in to Brouwer, who beat his man, found himself one on one with Hooper and calmly placed his shot into the left corner of the goal.
With 15 minutes to play, United emptied the bench, giving game time to PJ Goodlett, Lucian Nickerson and Jake Robertson, and a well-deserved rest to Josh and Corey Adams and Marfell, who all had excellent matches.
Wanderers scored a consolation goal when substitute and Federation team assistant manager Dion Adams drove in a 35-metre free-kick. It looked as if he hoped someone would get on the end of it, but the ball beat everyone and went in at the top left corner of the goal. United keeper Jack Faulkner was gutted.
Wanderers head coach Tony Bartlett said United were a side with great quality and were ruthless in front of goal.
Wanderers were focusing on the upcoming U19 tournament and featured five players from that side in Saturday’s match.
Even though Wanderers had been given three Federation team players, they still lacked punch up front. At the back, they did their best to keep Josh Adams off the scoresheet.
United player-coach Corey Adams was ecstatic that the team had secured their first trophy for the season. As this was United’s last home league game of the year, they retain the Challenge Cup for the summer, having defended it for the entire season.
“We were ruthless all over the park,” Adams said.
United were great in defence, put on a superb display of passing in the middle, and showed finishing quality up front, he said.
“We took our chances well and it’s good to see other players getting on the scoresheet regularly.”
Adams gave his man-of-the-match award to midfielder Josh Harris.
On Saturday, United are away to Napier Marist, while Thistle have their last home league game of the season, against Hastings Western Rangers.
