Former All White chases fitting finale

Club stalwart Justin Gulley could not think of a better way to sign off as a Team Wellington player than by winning the ISPS Handa Men’s Premiership final.

Team Wellington will play their last-ever game against Auckland City at North Harbour Stadium tomorrow afternoon before the national league reverts to a club-based winter-centric competition.

Gulley has made 127 appearances for Team Wellington over the past decade, the second most in club history, and said he wasmotivated to ensure the Scott Hales-coached team bowed out on a winning note before the players went their separate ways.

‘‘It’s a pretty weird feeling to be honest. It’s quite sad as well,’’ the three-cap All White said.

‘‘All that time and hours and the stuff that we’ve won with the club

Devere, who is out until near the end of the season, and Joshua Laws, who was only absent briefly, but is now a fixture on the bench, and has flourished in a role he played pre

What: ISPS Handa Men’s Premiership final

Who: Auckland City v Team Wellington

Where, when: North Harbour Stadium, Auckland; tomorrow 3.10pm

just comes to an end. It will be quite strange not having any more Team Wellington after this.’’

Team Wellington have won the national league twice previously, in 2016 and 2017, but will be the underdogs in their fifth grand final encounter against eight-time champions Auckland City.

Auckland City beat Team Wellington 3-1 in their most recent meeting in February while the two teams played out a tense 2-2 draw in December. Team Wellington qualified for the final after Hamish Watson scored a hat-trick to beat

viously at Eastern Suburbs in the national league.

But with veteran centre back Steven Taylor set to be available now his two-week stay in hotel

Hamiltonwanderers 4-1 last weekend while Auckland City hung on to beat Eastern Suburbs 2-1 in their semifinal.

‘‘We’ve played each other a lot, they know what we’re capable of and we know that they’re capable of, so it’s going to be a game of inches.

‘‘The motivation is huge. To be the last team to win the national league grand final in its current format would be pretty epic.’’

Gulley said the change in format was bittersweet. Some of his greatest footballingmemories have occurred as a Team Wellington player, including attending the 2018 Club World Cup and forcing a penalty shootout when their match against Al Ain ended 3-3 after extra-time.

‘‘It’s been amassive part ofmy life and I’ve been able to experience highs and lows, go to some pretty awesome places with the club which a lot of people haven’t had the privilege of doing,’’ he said.

quarantine is over and expected to come into the starting lineup as soon as possible, coach Ufuk Talay has a decision to make as to who out of Payne and Liam Mcging will partner him.

Payne probably has the edge as things stand – his greater experience and his confidence on the ball in possession could be the decisive factors – though it could cease to be a question at all, depending on how his replacement at right back Louis Fenton, a late withdrawal from Monday’s loss with a hip flexor issue, fares in the coming weeks.

Payne’s versatility is a feather in his cap both with the Phoenix and for All Whites coach Danny Hay, who included him in his first – and to date, only – squad in 2019 as a right back alongside Melbourne Victory defender Storm Roux, with Fenton injured.

Based on performances since then, Payne has arguably been the country’s standout performer in that position.