Suburbs win Kate Sheppard Cup

Eastern Suburbs have won the Kate Sheppard Cup for the first time, completing a league-cup double.

The Aucklanders beat Christchurch’s Coastal Spirit 4-0 in the final of the national women’s knockout cup competition at QBE Stadium in Albany yesterday, controlling the game from start to finish.

Suburbs’ first goal came inside five minutes, when teenager Hannah Pilley finished calmly after they won the ball in midfield and looked to attack at pace.

They doubled their lead in the ninth minute when Tayla O’brien poked the ball home from close range – so close that she in fact appeared to be offside, much to the frustration of the Coastal Spirit defence.

But while the Cantabrians could rightly be upset about that call, they couldn’t argue with the result, as Suburbs were far superior throughout.

The Suburbs front three of O’brien, Pilley and Jade Parris linked up brilliantly at times and it wasn’t long before they found a third.

Pilley did the honours, running free at halfway to meet a pass turned around the corner by Parris, and finishing neatly for a second time in the 25th minute.

O’brien then added her second 10 minutes later, smashing a shot past Coastal keeper Una Foyle after a cross from the right was laid off by Parris.

Coastal Spirit’s main plan of attack was to try to find striker Belinda van Noorden directly, but while they had some success in doing so, they found it hard to fashion clearcut chances.

Suburbs’ four-goal buffer meant they could keep things tight in the second half, and while Coastal saw more of the ball, they never looked like mounting a comeback.

Suburbs had already tasted success once this season, winning the Northern Region League’s premier women’s division.