Coach Akers said it was heartening to see that as NBHS were guilty of not going for the jugular for clinical finishes in the Bay secondary schools' competition.
Hamilton adopted a formation of three in the back and had a lion's share of possession but Akers felt NBHS profited from their extra player on waves of counterattacks.
"It's not pretty football sometimes but, at the end of the day, no one is going to remember how well we played but that we had beaten Hamilton," Akers said.
NBHS have yet to concede a goal, surpassing an enviable record in the HB league of just one goal this winter.
It's a collective kudos for goalkeeper Daniel Robinson, centrebacks Campbell Hantler (also captain) and Kaeden Atkins, and right wing Sam Murphy. Dylan Barron scored the other goal for NBHS.
Hamilton coach Aaron Scott, a centreback in men's league as well, consoled Clout in reassuring him that he would have probably done the same if put in a similar position.
"When we conceded a goal from that free kick it sort of became a bad decision but sometimes in football you make those decisions so sometimes they work and sometimes they don't," Scott said, lauding his captain for falling on his sword.
He saluted NBHS for reactive play in patches to find the net although Hamilton had decided to shut up shop to concede defeat in the hope of bouncing back today with a bit more vigour.
"To be fair, there isn't too much between Palmerston North and Tauranga now but we have to get things done in the morning now," Scott said, finding comfort in the variables of wins, draws and goal differences.
Scott praised tourney co-ordinator Dean Hulls, of HBHS, because he appreciated the work required to make it run smoothly.
"I'm just hoping the pitches stay in a playable position because it was pretty tough on our boys today," he said, agreeing they had less grass on surfaces in Hamilton but they competed on club venues rather than at schools.
Against New Plymouth there were four yellow cards as NBHS led 2-0 at halftime.
Hosts Hastings Boys' High School didn't win either of their pool B games on their school grounds, going down 5-0 to Hamilton with Harry Stocker scoring a hattrick and Luke Woolerton a brace.
"We're probably a bit shy of a touch of quality but we're getting there with better second halves in how we started out so, I think, we're a little camera shy," said Grant Hastings, the director of football at HBHS.
Hastings said his boys were a little naive and young as Qing Feng Du, Cam Burnell and Kernow Phillips scored for New Plymouth in a 3-0 victory in the afternoon.
"I think it's a confidence thing and getting used to playing against opposition at this level. We have good sides here so you can only get better playing against quality sides - we'll come right," he said.
Akers said they would not take HBHS lightly this morning because of the derby rivalry.
"If we stay on the top then we'll play Palmerston North, by the looks of it," he said, expecting a hammer-and-tongs battle to ensue between Hamilton and Tauranga this morning.
"We'd prefer to play Palmy than Tauranga because they are pretty strong as well," he said in anticipation of crossover matches in the afternoon against the top two qualifiers in pool A.
Akers echoed the sentiments of Hastings in that the city was bathed in sunshine while the rest of the country seemed saturated. However, the ground underfoot was beginning to get lumpy yesterday.
With no soccer at Akina Park all year, Akers said the surface looked fine as NBHS chase a maiden crown in more than a decade of Super 8 tourneys.
No 2 seeds Palmerston North overwhelmed Rotorua BHS 5-1 with Kaykay Adeyinka scoring four goals and Jeff MacGregor one while Elijah Robinson pulled one back for Rotorua.
Palmy beat Gisborne 2-0 with first-half goals to Jaeden Shaw and Josh Davenport, while Tauranga crushed Rotorua BHS 7-0.
Alex Elliot scored four and Rowan Martin, Lewis Reid and Ryan Peddle a goal each.
