Player/coach Chris Greatholder pictured in action for Havelock North Wanderers. Photo / File
Player/coach Chris Greatholder pictured in action for Havelock North Wanderers. Photo / File
No matter the result, Havelock North Wanderers football team will be crowned 2021 champions of the Central Federation League at their final game at Guthrie Park tomorrow.
The Wanderers host Gisborne Thistle at 3pm having already sewn up the title with victory over Levin last weekend leaving them on anunassailable 37 points.
Coach Chris Greatholder's side won 11 straight games to start the season before back to back losses against Napier Marist and second-placed Palmerston North Marist (31 points).
"It was all a bit easy, then we had a bit of a wake-up call," Greatholder said.
"It made us rethink, it made us refocus, it made me as a coach go back to basics almost."
The coach thought his team got ahead of themselves before the blip in form, focusing on the playoff to get into the 2022 Central League before they had actually secured it.
Now as Federation League winners they can turn their attention to said playoff against the winner of the Capital Premier League, likely Wellington United or Lower Hutt City Reserves, next month.
But first, Havelock North want to win their final game against Gisborne before they lift the trophy tomorrow.
Greatholder said it is great reward for the players' hard work having finished only fourth last season, 16 points off the pace.
Injuries meant the Wanderers fielded 23 different players over the season, including six schoolboys.
The coach said it was a little frustrating having to change lineups and formations week to week:
"It's been far from a breeze really, it's been a slog at times. But that makes it all the more rewarding."
Of Havelock North's impressive 14 goal scorers over the season, Dakota Lucas (14 goals) and Bjorn Christensen (12) have bagged the second and third most in the entire league.
