The Dunedin City Royals have been knocked out of the Kate Sheppard Cup, falling 1-0 to Coastal Spirit in their quarterfinal in Dunedin yesterday.
It was a disappointing end for the home team, which created plenty of scoring opportunities — especially in the first half — but just lacked the finishing touches to find the back of the net.
The visitors’ goal was arguably a stroke of luck, but it was all Coastal needed to squeak through to the semifinals.
The game got under way at a frantic pace in chilly conditions at Logan Park, with a Margarida Dias header just missing the goal within the first five minutes.
Both teams battled for possession and spent long periods looking for an opening to get first points on the board.
That came in the 12th minute — but the Royals were on the wrong side of the ledger.
As the Royals tried to exit their half, goal keeper Hayley Julian sliced the ball off the side of her boot, which unfortunately landed at the feet of Alyssa Whinham close to the goal.
Whinham lined it up and slid the ball down the left side to the back of the net and put the visitors up 1-0.
The Royals had no fewer than five chances to score in the first half, but came up empty handed.
They were strong defensively too, blocking Coastal from getting near the goal again. Coastal’s Darsha Keogan looked as though she was about to do some damage until defender Tahlia Roome — who was strong defensively — put the pressure on, forcing her to boot it out.
Despite the scoreline, it still felt as though the Royals had the better of the first half, putting each other in good positions and taking their chances when they presented.
That went missing in patches in the second half, where the Royals struggled to penetrate Coastal’s strong defence and battled to find their links.
Coastal put the pressure on higher up the pitch, taking the ball from the Royals and shutting down their opportunities at goal.
Shontelle Smith was a standout for the Royals, attacking the line and bringing the ball down with speed.
She took two corners late in the game, with the last looking like the Royals’ big opportunity, but when Hannah Mackay-Wright headed the ball, it snuck just over the bar and went begging.
The Royals were class for long periods, but in the end, Coastal’s defensive effort withstood everything the home side threw at it and proved too strong to overcome, helping it move through to the semifinals.
Eastern Suburbs, Wellington United and Western Springs join Coastal in the semifinals.
Kate Sheppard Cup
The scores
Coastal Spirit 1
Alyssa Whinham 12’
Dunedin City Royals 0
