Gore Wanderers dominate annual awards

The Gore Wanderers AFC trophy cabinet will be full after the 2017 Southland Football Awards held last night at Stadium Southland.

The Hyde Park-based side not only picked up a swagger of men’s team trophies, claiming the Donald Gray Cup, Charity Cup, Larry O’Rorke Challenge Trophy along with the pre-season Waihopai Cup, but they also claimed two of the top individual awards.

Striker Miguel Ortiz won the Senior Player of the Year Award after scoring 38 league goals and the golden boot as the Donald Gray Cup’s leading goal scorer.

The 32-year-old Chilean-born player edged team-mate Andy Roberts and Southland United and Thistle goalkeeper Elliott Binks for the highly prized trophy.

Gore Wanderers coach Phil Wil- liams picked up the Coach of the Year Award, defending his mantle from last year, with Richie Sutherland from Thistle and Old Boys coach Reuben Lindsay also named as finalists.

Promising Old Boys player Xavier Meurier won the Young Player of the Year Award from Gore’s Ben Rea and Thistle’s Sean Angus, with all three involved with the Southland United Southern Premier League side.

Old Boys secured men’s division one President’s Cup bragging rights, while Thistle claimed the Edinburgh Cup Trophy.

In the men’s division two competition, Old Boys Black picked up the Patron’s Cup, while Southend United Green claimed the top six and Gore Wanderers the bottom four competitions.

In the women’s section, Queens Park coach Cory Johnson received the Coach of the Year Award, while leading goal scorer Maryann Cant was named Senior Player of the Year, as Queens Park took out the Premier Women’s title.

Johnson took the coaching trophy from fellow Queens Park coach Carl Lambert and Thistle’s Douglas Ballie.

Cant’s 18-goals during the regular season earned her the golden boot and top award, while Kaitlyn Michelle secured the Young Player of the Year mantle.