Northland FC's top women's team's season was punctuated by their NFF Women's Federation One Cup win over Hibiscus Coast last month. Photo / Phototek
Northland FC's top women's team's season was punctuated by their NFF Women's Federation One Cup win over Hibiscus Coast last month. Photo / Phototek
For Northland FC's top women's football team, 2019 has been a year of highs and lows.
The season started with a bang as they beat Hibiscus Coast in what would become one of the Auckland team's two losses in the AFF/NFF women's conference league competition. After a series of closewins and frustrating losses in the following 13 games, Northland finished fifth on an eight-team table, one point below fourth-placed Central United.
However, the main takeaway from 2019 for Northland's top female footballers will be an extraordinary NFF Women's Federation One Cup win (3-2) last month over old foes, Hibiscus Coast, away from home.
Northland went into halftime 2-nil down in front of a strong home crowd. Thanks to quick thinking formation change from coach Alan Witt, the visitors were soon on a comeback with a goal from left wing Abby Wright shortly after halftime.
Trailing by a goal, Northland looked odds on to score again but wouldn't find the necessary equaliser until the last minute of the game when winger Paige Ihaka levelled the score.
Northland FC winger Paige Ihaka (left) played a big part in the cup win with a goal in the last minute of the second half and the winning gaol in extra time. Photo / Phototek
The two teams then faced a 30-minute extra-time period to decide the winner and Northland immediately took the advantage and scored in the first minute to take the lead. From there, it took bravery and resilience in defence to keep the home side out but riding a wave of confidence and momentum, Northland could not be stopped.
Northland most recent cup win was in 2016 but had not won it before then for about a decade. With the side having about six girls who were getting their first taste of football at this level, Northland captain Georgia Witt-Green said she was ultimately happy with this year's results.
"Going into [the season], we were all a bit unsure on how we'd perform and we started off our first game of the season beating Hibiscus and I think that gave the girls a bit of confidence but we had a few up and down games," the 26-year-old said.
"If you look at the season overall, we should've placed better in the league than what we came out with and proving that was winning the cup final."
Witt-Green, who had been with the team for about three years after she made her debut about 10 years prior, said the team soon realised the level they needed to maintain if they were to succeed in the league.
For the young girls in the group, this season will provide great foil for their future in football, seen here celebrating in the cup final against Hibiscus. Photo / Phototek
After a few hiccups early on, the team started to find some consistency through the return of some key players. Witt-Green, who started the season as a forward, soon found her place in the backline to sure up the team's defence.
"The backline was quite young and there wasn't really someone for that leadership role and we had another striker come back in so [Witt] put me at the back and it worked quite well," she said.
When she remembered back to the cup final, Witt-Green confessed she briefly thought the result was confirmed at halftime trailing by two goals.
With the words of sceptics in Northland's football community fresh in her mind, Witt-Green said an emphatic team talk at halftime from coach Alan Witt was just what the team needed.
"I think definitely getting some sort of serious talk from your coach at halftime it almost gives you that belief and your whole attitude changes.
"A lot of the time you hear about women's football and people are a bit nicer because we're girls but I think Alan sees football in both men and women equally in the way he speaks to us."
Empowered with belief and confidence, Northland secured a piece of history which will pave the way for more interest and development of the region's footballing talent in both the men's and women's game.
Witt-Green said the bonus of having such a young team was it gave the team's senior players and coaches time with a core group to improve their chances in future seasons.
"I can imagine it gives us a chance to build from this season going forward and to win the cup this year gives us confidence that we could in the league and the cup in the same year."
