Force lads hit full throttle

TRIUMPH: North Force 15Bs happy to finally claim the AFF 15th Conference championship trophy after beating Three Kings in the final game of the season at Keith Park in Auckland on Sunday.

Three Kings 1 North Force 5 (ht 0-1): The Force 15Bs completed their 2015 winter campaign in victorious fashion, winning the AFF 15th Conference league title with an emphatic away performance in Auckland on Sunday.

Coach Dan Johnston admitted to being a little concerned the team had arrived tired, with the Kerikeri players in the squad having to leave at 5.30am in order to arrive Hay Park in Auckland just before 9am for the earlier kick off time at 10am (made in order to allow four Force players to trial out for an upcoming NTC camp later that afternoon).

"We were slow in our warm-up but as soon as the game kicked off we went at them at 100 miles per hour and didn't take our foot off the pedal." Johnston said the visitors controlled proceedings really well, and went on to dominate possession and create numerous goal scoring opportunities whilst giving very little away. The breakthrough goal came just before half time thanks to some creative genius from prolific striker Bobby Ramo.

"Second half went much the same as the first but our finishing was way more ruthless," said Johnston, noting four more goals from captain Finn Diamond, Lewis Miller, Geoffrey Zwaneveld and the goal of the season from Malcolm Young, a 25-yard thunderbolt.

"The boys were in celebration mode as they were finally able to lift the trophy as champions on the last day of the season. Totally unexpected for us to finish near the top this year, never mind win the league."

The result - being the second AFF title secured by a North Force youth side this season - gained promotion to the 16th Metro league in 2016, Johnston believing all his players will be more than happy to step up to a new challenge next season.

The North Force side featured a glut of Kerikeri players including Johnston himself, Reece Noorwalla, Matt Timperley, Russell Benseman and the abovementioned Zwaneveld; while the other Whangarei players not mentioned above include Lewis Miller, Louie Greenaway, Max Thomas, Josh Nisitani-Hart and Kabiro Njenga-Hatful, along with manager Karl Diamond.

15th Conference final standings: North Force (played 16, 77/13) 42 points, Fencibles (16, 62/32) 39, Lynn Avon (16, 77/21) 38, Eastern Suburbs (16, 34/21) 22, Three Kings (14, 32/34) 20, Forrest Hill (15, 35/43) 30, Western Springs (16, 40/49) 15, Ellerslie (15, 10/71) 3, Bay Olympic (16, 13/96) 3.

UNDER 13s.
North Force 1 East Coast Bays Poore 2: The Force 13Bs completing their 13th Conference championship on Saturday with a narrow loss at home to the visiting East Coast Bays side; but not enough the side from retaining second place on the ladder via superior goal difference.

13th Conference final standings: Fencibles (9, 29/4) 24, North Force (9, 25/9) 17, Bay Olympic Mustangs (9, 16/6) 17, ECB Poore (8, 13/9) 16, Central (9, 25/14) 14, Western Springs (9, 18/12) 10, Forrest Hill (9, 18/22) 10, Drury (9/14) 7, Three Kings (8, 7/22) 7, ECB Davey (8, 3/52) 3.