2017 youth title winners
Cambridge Football Club won the Satellite Final at the national youth tournament in Napier.
After leading 2-0 at half-time, the U19s had to withstand a strong fightback from Tauranga City United before Cambridge clinched victory with a 3-2 win. Cambridge, playing their first final at the tournament in eight years, took the lead through Joshua Clarkin and Mason Woodall. Clarkin’s goal, his eighth in as many games in Napier, came from a corner.
Woodall added another goal early in the second half to give Cambridge a 3-0 lead. But Tauranga came back and Steffano Riley scored to make it 3-1.Nils Winistoerfer scored late for Tauranga but Cambridge ran down the clock to take the victory. Having won the Satellite Final in 2006, and been runners-up in 2009, Cambridge won the 2017 title conceding only three goals in their eight matches.
In the semi-final, the U-19s beat FC Twenty 11 by 2-0, with goals from Joshua Clarkin and Levi Clark. On Sunday, Clarkin’s goal helped Cambridge to a 1-0 win in the quarter-finals against Hawke’s Bay side Havelock North. Wins against local side Taradale, Papakura City and North Shore United, and a draw against Franklin United, earned the Cambridge’s U19s a berth in the sudden death knockout stages of the Labour Weekend tournament. Despite losing their last group game 1-0 to FC Twenty 11, Cambridge progressed to the last eight.