KEY POINTS:
If anyone had told Sean Douglas two weeks before the start of the New Zealand Football Championship that he would be playing for Team Wellington in the final next Sunday, he would have thought they were joking.
Not only does he live in Auckland and work as director
of football for the Auckland area, but he hadn't been training for seven months - and Wellington had never made the final.
But it was no joke when Wellington beat champions Auckland City 4-3 in extra time on Saturday to earn a place in the final against Waitakere United at the coincidentally named Douglas Field, Henderson.
"It was 10 days before the first game that coach Stu Jacobs got in touch and told me Wellington might need my help for three or four games. Now we're into the final and I've played 20 of the 22 games," said a delighted Douglas.
"It will be a home game for me as I'm still living in Auckland and travel for most games. It was difficult at first with no one to train with, but they're the best group to play with and they've made me feel really welcome."
Douglas' steadiness at the centre of the defence was a key factor in limiting the effectiveness of Auckland's experienced strikers, Grant Young and Keryn Jordan, in an open game that produced action aplenty for a rare television audience.
Wellington led 1-0 at halftime after Graham Little neatly finished off some Luis Corrales magic in the 24th minute. Auckland drew level in the 70th minute when substitute Jeff Campbell tapped in a Jordan cross and they went ahead three minutes later as Chan-Goo Yoon, another replacement, headed in a freekick from Ki-Hyung Lee.
With four minutes of regular time left, giant striker Peter Halstead, yet another substitute, grabbed a lifesaver for the visitors.
They made it count in extra time with a Little penalty when one of Auckland's heroes, goalie Tamati Williams, was left exposed once too often by his defence and was adjudged to have brought down Corrales as he dived for the ball.
Halstead added a fourth against a very tired defence and George Suri's last-minute effort was no consolation for Auckland, beaten for the first time by Wellington and surrendering the title they had held through the first three seasons of the championship.
Wellington have an extra incentive for Sunday. Waitakere have already clinched one O-League berth for next season by topping the league. Auckland will have the other spot as runners-up in that contest unless Wellington can win the grand final.
Victory over Waitakere would bookend their season perfectly. They began with a 2-1 away win over the West Aucklanders back in November.
