The long run is over. After five straight titles, the City Highlanders have finally being dethroned as Dunedin premier women’s club hockey champions. Kings United Royals beat City 1-0 in the final at the McMillan Centre on Saturday. Despite City’s long reign, it was Kings who went in with the tag of favourites, but they very much had a job to do. The favourites started the better, controlling possession and territory, but there was little in the way of goalmouth action. Caitlin Tier was called upon, but it was nothing overly arduous for the City keeper, who kept things nice and calm. Those were good early signs for Kings, but they began to wobble in the second quarter as Tessa Jopp got much more involved. She pushed into a more advance role and kept things ticking over. Olivia Rickerby forced a good penalty corner save out of the Kings defence, but other than that it was easy for the favourites — but their wait for the lead continued into the second half. Tier’s influence on the game began to grow in the third quarter, as Kings turned up the attacking dial, but there was no way past her. She made several good saves and it seemed to feel like it just was not going to be Kings’ day — until the fourth quarter. Right at the start of the quarter, that feeling dissipated. Abby Fookes did well to win a 50-50 on the baseline, and pulled it back to Nina Murphy on the spot. She made no mistake. Kings had the lead, and though they had to defend a couple of penalty corners, it was a lead they never looked like relinquishing. It was a classic final, with just a single goal in it, but the long wait was over for the Royals as they won the premier women’s title for the first time. Murphy was an obvious standout in the middle of the field, and played with a real determination to get her side over the line. Ella Booth was a rock at the back, and Anna McLean was industrious. For City, Ava Beens was everywhere in defence, and Jopp was strong, as was Tier, but they were simply left defending too much. Their dynasty has come to an end.
