Tomorrow's cup final won't be the first time Onerahi's Grant Short (left) has faced off against Tikipunga's George Izatt and the pressure will be high at Semenoff Stadium. Photos / John Stone
Tomorrow's cup final won't be the first time Onerahi's Grant Short (left) has faced off against Tikipunga's George Izatt and the pressure will be high at Semenoff Stadium. Photos / John Stone
This weekend's football cup finals will be nothing if not dramatic.
That's because it's more than just silverware on the line ahead of tomorrow's men's Stafford Choat Cup final and Sunday's Northland women's premier cup final, both to be played at Semenoff Stadium.
Tomorrow's men's final, which will be contested by Onerahi's premier side and Tikipunga's division one side at 3pm, is perfect example as the same two sides also met in last year's final.
Despite being from a division below, Tikipunga came out on top in 2018 with a 2-nil win. That result would have seemed as just revenge for the men in orange who lost in 2017 at the semifinals stage to the same Onerahi team, 3-2.
Now with a cup and bragging rights to play for, the team of experienced men from Tikipunga weren't taking their adversaries lightly.
"There's definitely a bit of excitement around it," Tikipunga coach George Izatt said.
"Hopefully at end of [tomorrow] we have bragging rights of two [games to] one but let's see what happens at the game."
Tikipunga finished third in Northland's division one league competition this year, two points behind Bream Bay and five points behind Ngunguru, who finished first.
Onerahi's Grant Short (left) and Tikipunga's George Izatt go head-to-head in tomorrow's Stafford Choat Cup final.
In the cup competition, Tikipunga had to beat Bream Bay in the quarter-finals to progress to a semifinal against FC Whangarei's premier side, which Tikipunga won 2-nil. Izatt said winning against a premier side was a good way to make the final.
"It was a pretty good feeling because we went into game really amped to win and obviously we are taking that line of thought into the final and to win," he said.
Tikipunga are not lacking in experience ahead of tomorrow's final. Izatt, 37, said he had been with the team three years but was one of the newest to the team, and he also said the team's youngest player was just 28 years old.
Izatt hoped the team's composure under pressure would help them prevail in the final.
"We do know how to play the game and we do have experience so that helps in keeping that composure."
With a team full of pride representing its club, Izatt knew his side would have to match Onerahi in one key aspect if there wanted to be competitive.
"[Onerahi] have got speed and some power players so we just have to match their intensity or better it, it's all I can ask of my players."
Onerahi's premier men's coach Grant Short is no stranger to a cup final. Tomorrow's game will be his third consecutive Stafford Choat cup final after 2018's loss to Tikipunga and an agonising loss on penalties to Kamo in 2017.
That agony is compounded by the fact that Short himself played in three cup finals in the 1990s, and won none of them.
While his side finished second in this year's Northland premier league competition, behind newly promoted Kaeo-Inter, Short said the boys were feeling good ahead of tomorrow's final.
"They are confident and excited, sure they will be some nervous energy but [we are] excited to be in the final and to have another crack."
When asked about last year's final, Short emitted a painful laugh and recalled how his side had gone away from their usual game-plan and Tikipunga had taken full advantage.
Now, with only two current Onerahi players having not played in last year's final, Short said they needed to be ruthless against a team of well-drilled, experienced campaigners.
"I think the one thing I keep harping on about is being clinical in front of goal because [Tikipunga] don't tend to give too many opportunities."
Thanks to a semifinals upset in the women's cup competition, Short won't have the second chance he had last year. Short
coached Onerahi's premier women's team to cup glory in 2018 but this year, they were overcome by Kerikeri, who face Madhatters in the final at Semenoff Stadium on Sunday at 1pm.
Finals times are as follows (free entry both days):
Tomorrow (men's finals):
10.30am: Gates open 11am: Stafford Choat Plate Final - Kerikeri Siteworx (div 2) v Central Brown (div 3) 1pm: Stafford Choat Bowl Final - Central Brown (div 2) v Ngunguru (div 3) 3pm: Stafford Choat Cup Final - Onerahi Duder Construction (premier) v Tikipunga Pet Essentials (div 1)
Sunday (women's finals):
10.30am: Gates open 11am: Women's Plate Final - Bream Bay United (premier) v Central Brown (premier) 1pm: Women's Cup Final - Kerikeri Fairview (premier) v Madhatters Stonehaven (premier)
