Wanganui Athletic clinch third straight Charity Cup with stunning Ryan Holden free kick

Wanganui Athletic's Scott Burney opened the scoring in Saturday's entertaining Charity Cup final. Photo/ Lewis Gardner.

Well, that settles it.

After a season in stalemate, one Whanganui football club has finally claimed local bragging rights.

GJ Gardner Wanganui Athletic sealed a Charity Cup three-peat with a clinical 2-1 win over rivals Versatile Wanganui City on Saturday.

Scott Burney's opener and a sensational second-half free kick from Ryan Holden led Athletic to the win in the season finale in front of a healthy Wembley Park crowd.

The result was also the perfect way for Athletic coach Jason King to end his three years at the helm of the club.

"To be able to hold it for three years the lads were absolutely rapt. And to be able to do it in regular time as well," King said.

"And for me it was a great way to finish up on that note, and for the lads to show that we could actually beat that team."

In a much more expansive game than the two Lotto Federation League derbies between the sides – both scoreless draws – it was Athletic who went up early when Burney tapped in a cross in the 17th minute, on a back of a period of probing around the City defensive line.

Athletic's confidence was charged after that with Holden launching a rocket of a volley from outside the box, which sailed just wide, while Jake Simcox also fired from distance – forcing a save from City keeper Merrick Slade.

Another goal-mouth scramble in a tense derby. Photo/ Lewis Gardner

But no team can ever boss a derby for too long and a 30th minute handball allowed City's Kyle Graham-Luke to step up and slot the penalty to equalise, both teams heading for the sheds with one hand each still on the cup.

The moment of the match came in the 64th minute when Holden, stepping up to take a free kick right on the edge of the box, curled and dipped his shot around the City wall to nestle the ball into the top right hand corner.

City upped the ante in search of a response, as player-coach Anthony Bell put himself on to try to change things up, and they did create a couple of decent chances.

Athletic's Ben Huijs was forced to scramble to shut down Graham-Luke in the box late on, but Athletic were able to close out the match, albeit with a nervous few final minutes.

"We had a bit of carpet down to keep the shoes clean but I think I might have worn a hole in it moving backwards and forwards," King said.

"I think we probably had more chances than they did, and at the end of the day, they got theirs through a penalty and we got ours through earning them through natural play.

"We didn't change too much in our shape, I think it just clicked together really well.

"We had some good subs sitting there which allowed me to tell my wide players to run a their defenders and hopefully tire them out and hopefully chuck on a couple of fresh players to run at them."

James Satherley gets on the ball for Athletic. Photo/ Lewis Gardner

For City it was bitter disappointment.

"When you're sitting in the changing sheds at the end of the game it's just dead silence," Bell said on Sunday.

"You do hurt. To be fair it could have been won by both teams yesterday, but Ryan Holden with a fantastic free kick - that's the kind of goal to win a final.

"It's a top class effort, you're not going to save that."

Bell said City may have been sore from last week's Federation Cup semifinal loss to Gisborne United, which went to extra time, and were not helped by having only two on the bench, including Bell at only "60 per cent" in his second game back from injury.

"We just need to look forward now," Bell said.

"Yeah, we've had some good results but, same as last year, we just haven't had the player depth that Athletic have had to delve into and utilise.

"We did have a few chances. But credit to them, they did see out the win. It's their time with the cup.

"We've got a positive plan for next year. Obviously, getting an established coach because having players do it isn't easy."

Meanwhile, King was happy that a big part of his project – bringing young players through – bore fruit.

"I've always been a believer in trying to get the young guys in as early as possible, without being silly about it, into these senior competitions because then we can get the best years out of them before they head off and often come back," he said.