Futsal Navy Blues Keep Finals Hopes Alive

Words: ACFC Media

Tuesday 18 March 2025

Picture: Phototek

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Auckland City FC’s Ford Futsal Super League team remains in control of its destiny following a weekend of intense competition at National Series 1 at Akau Tangi Sports Centre in Wellington.

Heading into the weekend in second place behind league leaders Canterbury United Futsal Dragons, the Futsal Navy Blues experienced a mix of frustration, determination, and resilience across four matches.

Tough Start Against Southern United

The weekend opened with a challenging match against Southern United, where despite creating 33 goal-scoring opportunities, Auckland City FC struggled to find the back of the net. The closest effort came from Denny Twigg, whose shot was cleared off the line. Resolute defending and an outstanding performance from Southern United goalkeeper Hayden Cooper saw the opposition claim a 2-0 win, with goals from En Watanabe and Joao Paulo Dias.

Thrilling Fightback Against Palmerston North Marist

The second match of the weekend was an electrifying 10-goal thriller against Palmerston North Marist. Marist stormed into a 3-0 lead with early strikes from Paul Awa, Austyn Beales, and Isa Prins. However, Jafar Ali pulled one back for the Futsal Navy Blues just before halftime.

Oban Hawkins further reduced the deficit in the second half before Gavin Hoy restored Marist’s two-goal cushion in the 30th minute. Captain Stephen Ashby struck back three minutes later, but when Darren Juru made it 5-3 in the 36th minute, Marist seemed to have secured the win. However, a dramatic final push saw Denny Twigg score in the 37th minute, before his brother Sam netted a stunning equaliser with just seven seconds remaining, sending the Futsal Navy Blues bench into jubilation.

Victory Over Capital Futsal

Sunday’s early kickoff saw the Futsal Navy Blues face hosts Capital Futsal in a high-energy encounter. Sam Twigg opened the scoring just before halftime, but an unfortunate own goal from James Marshall saw the home side draw level in the 24th minute. Ashby restored the lead with five minutes left on the clock, before Capital’s aggressive attacking strategy backfired. Deploying a fifth attacker, Capital conceded possession, allowing Oban Hawkins to score into an empty net. Though Samuel Wall struck late for Capital, Ashby capitalised on another empty goal to seal a 4-2 victory.

Battling the League Leaders

The final match of the weekend saw Auckland City FC take on table-toppers Canterbury United Futsal Dragons. A defensive mix-up allowed Benjamin Lapslie to score within the first minute, but the Futsal Navy Blues responded strongly, with Alex Roberts netting a quickfire double to secure a 2-1 lead before halftime.

However, the Dragons hit back early in the second half, with Lapslie grabbing his second and Mark Zimmerman scoring the eventual winner. The match ended in controversy, as Auckland City FC believed Canterbury had conceded their sixth foul, which would have resulted in a 10-metre penalty. However, referee Ben Norman instead awarded a kick-in to Canterbury, securing their 3-2 victory.

The Road to the Finals

Following National Series 1, the Futsal Navy Blues sit in fourth place, with Canterbury United leading on 22 points, Palmerston North Marist second on 16, and Capital Futsal level on 14 points but ahead of Auckland City FC on goal difference.

The regular season concludes with National Series 2 at Pulman Arena in Auckland on March 29-30, where the Futsal Navy Blues will fight for a place in the finals weekend on April 12-13. With everything still to play for, the team is determined to finish strong and secure their spot in the championship showdown.

Ends