Southland footballers knock over Aucklanders
“This is awesome. There are some great players in that team, there is a good bunch in that age-group."
The province’s leading under-16 girls players were the talk of Southland football on Wednesday.
The Southland United Under-16 team claimed a South Island title in Dunedin.
The tournament attracted both club teams and provincial composite teams from not just the South Island but the North Island as well.
Southland United progressed to Wednesday’s final against Auckland United.
Southland had already beaten Auckland 1-0 earlier in the tournament and backed that up with another 1-0 victory in the decider.
The team took the lead in the first half with a goal from tournament MVP Isla Smith.
The Carl Lambert and Brandy Brown-coached Southland team was largely made up of players from the Queens Park and Old Boys clubs.
The impressive performance was another boost for the female game in Southland.
Southland Football operations and development manager Iain Walker was proud of what the team had achieved.
“This is awesome. There are some great players in that team, there is a good bunch in that age-group.
“They’ve done exceptionally well. It goes back to that under-11s and under-12s team that have success in the past, it’s the same group.”
While the under-16 girls put their names in lights with the title, the Southland United under-17 boys team has also produced an encouraging performance.
They progressed to the semifinal of their tournament.
“That’s a great achievement for them as well. That was a good outcome for them,” Walker said.
Treasure the moment, we don't get too many.
The future looks bright, congrats to all involved.