Hockey: Wellington too strong in tense final

Wellington 4 North Harbour 2

WELLINGTON - Wellington reversed a surprise loss a fortnight earlier to beat North Harbour and win their third national league title in five years at the National Stadium yesterday.

Harbour's defeat, aided by what coach Darren Smith saw as two "debatable" penalty corner calls that led to Wellington goals, dashed hopes of a double for the Albany-based association after their women had upset Canterbury 3-1 a day earlier.

With veteran Umesh Parag - later named man of the match, most valuable player of the season and the top goalscorer - calling the tune and Australians Brent Livermore and Kieran Govers happily playing second fiddle, the home side always looked favourite.

Early goals in each half buoyed the Wellington effort.

The first came inside five minutes when Joel Baker beat his marker and fired a cross into the face of the goal. Goalkeeper Julian Dapena blocked the cross but Parag swooped to push the deflection home.

The visitors got back to 1-1 in the 17th minute when Priyesh Bhana gathered a high ball and played it through to Ben Collier, who provided the deft finish.

Harbour captain Dave Kosoof put his side ahead 11 minutes later, thumping home a low shot after a clinical short-passing build-up.

The equaliser came when umpire Simon Taylor awarded a much-disputed penalty corner with two seconds of added time remaining in the half.

Despite making a mess of the trap, Wellington recovered and Scott Falconer fired home.

Less than half-a-minute into the second spell, Parag got wide and deep and provided the build-up for Govers to finish with a shot through Dapena's pads.

With Harbour showing signs of tiring, Wellington completed the execution six minutes from time when Govers drag-flicked home from a penalty corner.

"It was a game that had everything," said triumphant Wellington coach Peter Miskimmin. "The breaking point came with that early goal in the second half. We had good composure throughout.

"The best two teams played the final."

Smith said Wellington were stronger than the team his side defeated two weeks ago.

"The 4-1 scoreline then was flattering," said Smith. "We defended well in the middle and tried our best to look after Umesh [Parag]."

Of the future, Smith, who has yet to decide whether he will be back, said: "We are fine."

After a season in which they used a pack of get-out-of-jail-free cards, Harbour's women saved their best for last.

From the time Erin Webber hit home a first-time shot to give Harbour the lead, there was only team in it.

Even when Meredith Orr hit a spectacular shot from the top of the circle to get Canterbury back to 1-1, it seemed but a stay of the execution.

Inspired by the play of former internationals Lizzy Igasan, who took over the captaincy in the absence of Paul Enoka - who is on police duty in East Timor - Jaimee Provan and Karlie Maloney, Harbour ran the southerners ragged.

A far-from-convincing penalty corner led to their second goal, with Kushla Glauser deflecting home for the 19th minute lead.

Harbour sealed it on the hour, with Provan running at the Canterbury defence and weaving her way through before finishing the move with a well-taken goal.

In the play-off for third, Auckland reversed the result of last season's final, beating Canterbury 4-3.