The Dunedin City Royals ended a challenging season on a rough note with a 5-0 loss to Selwyn in Christchurch on Saturday.
Royals coach Richard Murray said it was a classic case of the scoreline not reflecting the performance.
He felt his team dominated the first half, had a few worthy penalty shouts and should have been a couple of goals to the good, but Selwyn goalkeeper Pieter-Taco Bierema was phenomenal between the sticks.
If the Royals were unable to execute in the first half, Selwyn had no such issues in the second.
Finlay Cotton scored two goals in the space of four minutes then completed a late hat-trick, while Phoenix Coursey and Darius van Wyk padded out the score.
The Royals finished fourth in the Southern League in both 2022 and 2023, just two spots off a place in the National League, but dropped to seventh this year with a younger team.
Their rescheduled clash with Selwyn was the only game of the weekend, Cashmere Technical having already sewn up the league championship and Coastal Spirit nabbed the second qualifying spot.
The Royals’ abandoned game against Nelson Suburbs will not be played.
• Queenstown and Otago University battled to a 1-1 draw in the final game of the ODT Southern Men’s Premiership season on Saturday.
Matias Galanteria gave Queenstown the lead after 54 minutes but Oscar Crowe nabbed the equaliser for University in the 77th minute.
• Wellington Olympic won the Chatham Cup for the first time in 15 years on Saturday.
Olympic beat Auckland City on penalties in the final. goalkeeper Scott Basalaj saved the crucial fifth spot kick to help his side claim the trophy.
A cagey final came alive in the 77th minute when an expertly placed cross from substitute Isa Prins deflected off Auckland City defender Nathan Lobo into the back of the net.
Both teams had goals disallowed in injury time before Auckland City’s Stipe Ukich found himself free in the box and powered a precise header into the back of the net to take the game to extra time.
Neither side could convert in extra time, and after nine successful penalties in the shootout, Basalaj was the hero in goal for Wellington Olympic.
• Auckland United claimed their second Kate Sheppard Cup in three years, beating holders Western Springs 1-0 in the final.
United entered the game as favourites after an undefeated league campaign, finishing with 59 points, 29 more than Western Springs.
Both sides missed big chances until deep into added time when United finally made the breakthrough.
After two close efforts, a rocket from Charlotte Roche from outside the box broke the deadlock.
