Football: Concentration lapses costly

Russell Baddeley gives a halftime team talk to his Kamo football team.

It only took two lapses of concentration to cost the Kamo women's team the Federation One Cup, losing 2-0 to Hibiscus Coast in the final in Kamo.

Having turned on an entertaining first half for the biggest crowd a women's football game in Kamo has seen for quite some time, the home side was gradually chipped away at as the Hibiscus team put away enough opportunities to see them home.

With football finals, it is all about taking the opportunities that present themselves, something the Kamo women's team coach believes they should have done better.

Russell Baddeley believes his team put up a mighty effort but was beaten by a well-drilled and highly competitive team on Sunday.

"They were just a little too good for us ... we had two lapses of concentration and we were made to pay," he said. "[Kamo] gave it everything as they always do.

"Unfortunately the women's local league has dropped off in the past few seasons, with probably only three or four reasonable sides in it whereas these Hibiscus Coast girls are playing sides like us every week.

"Talking to their coach, he was surprised at how competitive we were."

Having said that, Baddeley was quick to reinforce Kamo had opportunities to get on the scoreboard - especially in the first half.

Baddeley felt his team did themselves proud in reaching the final of the knockout cup, with the game proving to be quite an experience.

He said striker Trudy Sandle was a real handful as usual while Ayla Witehira at the back was named player of the match. He added Janelle Abbott, at sweeper, and Leah Botica played good games also.

While Hibiscus Coast play in a higher division to Kamo, Baddeley wasn't about to use that as an excuse, instead challenging Northland women and North Force to step the game up.

"I think it's got to be through North Force. The North Force women aren't all the best players around, they don't have experience in there, it's all youngsters and I think they need to do what the men did and get the best ones back," Baddeley, who coaches the North Force men's team, said.

"It's about making the team attractive to the experienced and good players. We need to ask how we can make it attractive to those players."

The Kamo women's team has been the dominant Northland women's team this season, winning every local game and Sunday's loss was the first of the season.

Also competing in the final of a women's knockout football cup was FC Whangarei who travelled to Auckland to face Oratia, losing 4-2 after being in the lead at one point.