A Zach Tull double was enough to see off a Queenstown outfit that had squandered several chances and simply ran out of ideas and puff.
In contrast, Old Boys gained momentum and youth played the deciding part. Where Queenstown relied on experience and old legs, it was Old Boys’ young legs that pounced, with Tull making his presence felt and booking his side a place in next season’s Southern Premier League.
The win has been 12 months in the making for Old Boys and president Nic Popham said securing the SPL berth was the reward for the efforts and sacrifices the club has made.
"We’re excited for the step up but particularly that we can now offer a pathway for our junior boys to stay at the club and the ability to play at the highest level of football in the south."
Old Boys will join Queens Park AFC as Southland’s representatives in the SPL. The 2025 season will be Park’s fourth season in the SPL and Old Boys will be looking emulate Park’s opening season that had them finish in fifth spot after a bumpy start.
It won’t be plain sailing for Old Boys either. They finished top of the Fletcher Cup, which is a reserve league for the SPL, but they didn’t finish streets ahead, so they will need to improve to match the higher level the SPL will bring.
Depth is also key. They were lucky this season they didn’t incur any major injuries, but the SPL will be more intense, so I’m not sure they will be so lucky, quality in depth will be crucial.
The club's Donald Gray side was well off the pace this season and will need to improve to support the SPL side. In effect, Old Boys came from the equivalent competition, the Fletcher Cup, so they know where their reserve side needs to be, so there is a lot of work to do in that department.
The goal for 2024 has been reached, but the hard work has to start now.
2025 is shaping up to be an exciting prospect already and for football fans, they will also have a Southland SPL derby to look forward to.
- By Chris Montgomery
