A 2-0 grand final win over Team Wellington has confirmed Waitakere United's ascension to the throne of New Zealand domestic football.
Their deserved win at Trusts Stadium in Auckland today not only secured the West Auckland club a first New Zealand Football Championship title but kept them on course for an unprecedented treble.
Auckland City had won the three previous NZFC finals, twice over Waitakere, but bragging rights have moved across New Zealand's biggest city.
After Wellington's Karl Whalen turned a Benjamin Totori cross into his own net just before halftime, top qualifiers Waitakere rarely looked losing.
Allan Pearce drove home the second in the 66th minute and the competition's best defence did the rest against the game Wellington challenge.
Waitakere football manager Chris Milicich said there was no question his team were the best club in the country.
"It's fantastic, the club deserves this," he said.
"We've been the best club all year, and we've dominated the competition, which is tremendous given the other competitions we've been involved in.
"A big weight has been lifted off the club. The title's ours, and the Auckland hoo-doo, that's all gone."
With a second minor premiership banked a few weeks ago, and the New Zealand Football Championship trophy set for pride of place in club headquarters, Milicich's attention now switches to defending their O-League title against Kossa FC and earn a return to the FIFA World Club Cup in Japan.
"Now we head to the Solomons on Thursday morning for (Saturday's) O-League final. No-one's ever done the treble before, but it's firmly in our sights," he said.
Waitakere lost captain Danny Hay to an Achilles injury minutes before halftime but once again Waitakere's back three -- with Darren Bazely filling in for Hay alongside Jonathan Perry and man of the match Neil Emblen -- were well worth their clean sheet.
It is the the 12th time in 22 NZFC matches they have kept their opponents scoreless.
Graham Little, playing his 82nd and final NZFC match, went closest to scoring for Wellington but his long range effort was spectacularly tipped onto the post by Richard Gillespie in the 73rd minute.
Gillespie also denied Darren Cheriton in the second half, closing the midfielder down quickly after Raf de Gregorio's through ball unlocked Waitakere's defence.
But it was substitute Roy Krishna who provided the game's spark -- flicking a pass between two defenders with his first touch to set up Pearce's match-sealing goal.
Stu Jacobs was philosophical after guiding Wellington to the final in his first season in charge but missing out on next year's O-League.
"We made them work hard for it and we were close, but nobody likes losing," Jacobs said.
"We know we can compete with these teams now so as a franchise we have to make sure we don't take the foot off the throat and come back stronger for the experience next season."
