Division one football for Force after win

North Force saved the best for last in their Northern League Division 1A season, defeating top-placed Hamilton Wanderers 3-0 at Kamo.
It was their first win in the grading round for places in next year's Northern League Competition, leaving them in fourth place and allowing them to earn a place in next year's Northern League Division One.
Led by a great performance by skipper Scott Burgess, North Force struck first 25 minutes into the spell, with Burgess making the running for Danny Lavelle to strike home a half-volley from the edge of the penalty area.
Burgess then scored an individual goal, chasing a seemingly hopeless cause and robbing the Hamilton goalkeeper of the ball before slotting it home for a 2-0 lead at the break.
Midfielder Chris Peck then made sure of the points, 15 minutes into the second spell, by finishing one of the team's best goals of the season that was set up by a patient build-up containing more than 10 passes.
The game was a stark reminder of just how well the team could play against some of the competition's top teams - after a poor start to the grading competition.
"It was our best performance by far of the season by a long shot and the only disappointing thing was to think what could have been if we had played like that all along," North Force coach Bruce Plunkett said.
He said the team earned a pass mark for the season after the win against Hamilton meant they avoided finishing in the bottom two teams in the grade - and possible relegation to Northern League Division Two next season.
"We're back where we were before they changed all the leagues around, so the boys deserve a pass mark - and if we keep the majority of the squad together - keeping in mind that the majority of the players have never played at this level before and have learned that they need to train harder to compete in it - I'll think we'll be able to compete a lot better next season," he said.
Since North Force unexpectedly were defeated 2-1 at home by Matamata, they changed their structure and style of play and it seems to have paid off  with two draws and now a win.
"We've been getting better and better each week since then, so the changes have worked for us and we were superb on Saturday, I couldn't fault the performance," Plunkett said.
Hamilton's loss means they need to win their last match against Matamata on Saturday to win the league and claim a place in  next season's premier division.
 Takapuna beat Papatoetoe 5-1 in the other Division 1A match, while Albany defeated Ngaruawahia 1-0, Glenfield beat Birkenhead 2-1 and Onehunga beat Ellerslie 2-1 in Northern League Division 1B.