Glorious Gille's Cup!

Yesterday afternoon the Wainui Beach School Thunder soccer team went down to Mangapapa school to challenge them for the Gille's cup. The school sent down about twenty kids to support us as well which was awesome. The Mangapapa school pitch was very bumpy and the goals were small compared to the ones we normally play with. The game began with me (Kya) in striker, Seve striker, Gavin left wing, Sam right wing, Ziggy centre mid, Charlie left back, Toby centre back and Shea Right back, Nikau in goal and Rory as a sub so he would have fresh legs to go on in fifteen minutes.

In the first half we managed to get two nice goals which had us in a comfortable lead. The atmosphere was amazing with both schools chanting and cheering. There must have been about one hundred supporters all together. We had a five minute rest and we all got some water and looked enviously at the delicious donuts that Charlie's dad had delivered for after the game.

In the second half Mangapapa had a few chances on goal but Nikau still looked bored and managed to take only two goal kicks in the end! We managed to get another two goals and then one final one at the very end. We were all puffed when the final whistle blew and Mangapapa hadn't given us an easy match. The trophy was presented, it was handmade of wood and painted with stars and a soccer ball. It is now on beautiful display in the school office! The final score was 5-0

Goals - Ziggy (1), Seve (1), me - Kya (2), Gavin (1).

Fantastic football!

On Wednesday the 7th of August my football team, the Wainui Thunder and another Wainui team went to the primary interschool football tournament. In the tournament we played on a small pitch with 6 players on at a time. We played five or six games, including a semi-final and a final. The first game we played was against Te Hapara where we won 5-0. We played a couple other games after that which were both tight, one of them 1-1 and the other 1-0 against our rivals, Mangapapa.

After those games we went into the semi-final where we played St Mary's, winning 4-0. Then it was the final against Makauri and after a tight game we were forced into penalty's. Gavin, Toby and Ziggy were taking the kicks. Two of Makauri's players missed their shots but one went in. We were all very nervous as our players took their kicks. Toby took a kick hitting the goal post. Luckily, he got to retake it because he hit it before the whistle had blowed and he scored. Then Gavin took a kick with so much power that it just made it across the line even after hitting the goalies hands.

We had won the finals very well deserved, everyone was excited and also relieved that the nerve wracking penalty kicks were over.