Wai Utd U19 dominates at Harbour Cup
“I’m very happy and very proud of the team,” says Wairarapa United U19 coach Patrick Wootton after the teams decisive clean sweep at the annual Harbour Cup Tournament for female youth players at Wellington’s Wakefield Park over the weekend.
The team played five games and won them all, and without conceding a single goal.
Team manager Jen O’Donnell added that she was also very proud of the girls. “They played really well. There’s not a single weak link in the team, like you know anytime anyone’s on the field you don’t think why are they on. They’re all really solid. They work well together.”
Unfortunately the final game had to abandoned because of the atrocious weather. Sunday morning’s games against New Plymouth Rangers and Wellington United Emerald’s were played in a howling wind which didn’t lend itself to well structured and controlled football, but the team coped with the conditions much better than their opponents. The weather turned to torrential rain and a freezing southerly wind, so organisers cancelled the final game and awarded the Harbour Cup to Wairarapa as they finished with maximum points at the top of the table.
The win is a big boost for the team as they prepare for the U19 National Championships in Napier over Labour Weekend. “We’re really confident. This was an excellent warm-up fixture, and so we’ll take some good confidence to Napier,” Wootton said.
Results
Wairarapa Utd 1 (vs ) Wellington Utd Opals nil
Wairarapa Utd 4 (vs) North Wellington/Onslow nil
Wairarapa Utd 1 (vs) Western Suburbs nil
Wairarapa Utd 1 (vs) New Plymouth Rangers nil
Wairarapa Utd 3 (vs) Wellington Utd Emeralds nil
All the photos are here