Former Football Fern Martine Puketapu fired home Auckland United’s winning goal in the Kate Sheppard Cup national women’s knockout football final against a Northern Rovers side fielding All Blacks coach Ian Foster’s daughter.
Michaela Foster was one of Rovers’ best, creating several good chances, but Puketapu’s 56th-minute strike ensured Auckland United collected the silverware at North Harbour Stadium on Sunday.
Puketapu – 25 on Friday – scored both goals in Three Kings’ United’s cup final victory in 2012 as a 14-year-old.
This time, the four-cap Football Fern lofted the ball over Rovers’ onrushing keeper Ellie Blount getting in behind the defence.
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Puketapu went close soon after with a similar effort, but her shot rolled past the post.
United’s other ex-Football Fern, Katie Duncan, collected the Maia Jackman Trophy as the player of the match.
Her experience was vital as Auckland United scrambled to keep out Rovers near the end.
Foster set up Leanna Ryan with an inch-perfect cross, but Ryan’s shot thudded off the post and bounced into the grateful arms of United’s 17-year-old keeper Amy Danieli, who impressed with several brave saves.
Alexis Scott tested United with her pace, but the rearguard, marshalled by Duncan and captain Jess Philpott, held firm till the final whistle, to the delight of coach Mauro Donoso, a former Football Kingz defender.
Philpott said the side was “absolutely buzzing’’ after the first win over Rovers this season after losing twice in league play to the northern champions.
“From the beginning of the season this was our goal, we are absolutely fizzing that we managed to do it.’’
She said United had conceded late goals to Rovers in their league defeats, but “this time everyone wanted it and worked to the final whistle’’.
Rovers captain Talisha Green said it was “a good battle between two good sides’’ and praised United for their win.
She said it had been “an amazing season’’ for Rovers, “but we couldn’t get the icing on the cake’’.
It was a tough blow for Foster and Rovers teammate Chelsea Elliott, who commute from Hamilton, who suffered Kate Sheppard Cup final defeats for two different clubs in the same year.
The Hamilton-based duo were in the Hamilton Wanderers side that lost to Wellington United in the 2021 final, which was delayed until March 2022 due to Covid pandemic complications.
Foster, 23, captained New Zealand at the Fifa Under-17 World Cup finals in Jordan in 2016 played at Under-20 World Cup in 2018.
She graduated from four seasons of football at San Diego University in 2021 and returned home to Hamilton.
A fullback in her national age-group days, Foster has been a key attacker for Rovers, top scoring with 14 league goals and 15 assists.
AT A GLANCE
Kate Sheppard Cup final
Auckland United 1 (Martine Puketapu 58min) Northern Rovers 0.
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