Taranaki champions

Hey there, long time no post I know and I deserve to be ignored.

Nevertheless, I thought I'd share the success of my beloved Waitara FC which has just done the premier league and Duff Rosebowl double here in Taranaki, New Zealand.

Taranaki comes under the auspices of Central Football here and the prems and Duff are the two most prized trophies locally.

 Here's a couple of pic the local paper took of the match and find below an article I put togther for the same paper the Taranaki Daily News.

I know that presents some minor ethical issues but, hell, I sat on the bench for about 80 minutes.

Fletcher guides Waitara to Duff victory

By Robin Martin

  A classy hat-trick from John Fletcher guided Waitara to a comfortable 5-2 victory in football’s Duff Rosebowl final against Francis Douglas Memorial College at Merrilands Domain on Saturday.

The veteran marksman’s first strike on 36 minutes broke the deadlock after Waitara had failed to make the most of its early dominance.

Dead-ball specialist Malcolm Bourgoise found Fletcher unmarked in the box with a pinpoint freekick after the striker had checked his run; he placed his header back across the goal giving the stranded Francis Douglas keeper no chance.

The college side, which had started tentatively and was perhaps lucky not to have conceded earlier, sparked into life after going behind.

Tomas Mosquera got free on the right and his miss-hit shot was cleared scrappily at the back post as his strike partners stood poised to pounce.

Francis Douglas player-coach Ian McGrath also hit a series of threatening crosses after his side won a succession of freekicks, but Waitara weathered the storm and went to the break with its 1-0 advantage intact.

Already premier league champion, Waitara etched its name on the Rosebowl trophy after the interval with a double-strike which effectively ended the contest.

On 52 minutes Bourgoise, playing for the first time after a lengthy injury break, was again the provider and Fletcher the finisher. This time Bourgoise’s freekick found the striker at the back post and he rose amid a pack of bodies to score with his head.

Just three minutes later Josh Herlihy smashed home a half-volley after Francis Douglas again failed to clear a Bourgoise cross.

In what had already been an entertaining match it always looked likely there would be more goals and first Fletcher completed his hat-trick – yes, you guessed it, with another header – before the college side got in on the act.

Andrew Crowe got Francis Douglas on the scoresheet in the 66^th minute, much to the joy of its vocal supporters, when he shot under Waitara keeper Ocko Martens.

The college side rallied briefly before Jason Osborne scored from close range to make it 5-1 in Waitara’s favour and end any hopes of an improbable comeback.

To its credit the Francis Douglas side never let up and its midfield enforcer Dom Squatriti was able to notch another late consolation goal.