16 September, 2019

Forrest Hill Milford win promotion – and the league

“We’re going up,” roared an ecstatic Forrest Hill Milford United football team as they were sprayed with Champagne and captain Jack Caunter held aloft the Northern Regional Football League first-division shield. The team was celebrating its victory in the league after beating Fencibles United 3-0, in Pakuranga on 31 August. They had already won promotion to the premier division but needed to beat Fencibles to secure the league-promotion double.

“The boys were under a lot of pressure we had to win – so to be under that much pressure and play as well as they did, it’s a great compliment,” says coach and player Adam Dickinson. The team finished the first division one point ahead of rival Bay Olympic, which also won its game against Tauranga City 1–0.

Adam Dickinson scored after 19 minutes and followed up with a second goal at the 26th minute. “The score was 2–0 at half time, with Forrest Hill very much on top,” commercial manager Andrew Diver says. “Fencibles came out fired up in the second half and really took the game to Forrest Hill. “Forrest Hill had to defend against wave after wave of Fencible attacks, with Fencibles having a strong wind at their backs. “A goal for Forrest Hill in the 69th minute by defender Caunter eased the pressure somewhat and Forrest Hill were able to see off the rest of the game without conceding,” Diver says.

Over the season, Forrest Hill Milford played 22 games, won 17, drew two andlost three. The new coaching team this season of Dickinson and Nathan Cranney as assistant was very successful, Diver says.

As testament to the club’s junior development programmes, 11 junior/youth player were introduced to first-team football during the season. Top goal scorers were Jayden Englefield, who finished the season with 13 goals, and Dickinson with 12.

The team will play in the Northern Premier League next year, which it last did in 2017. Meanwhile, in the same weekend, Forrest Hill women’s premier player Kelli Brown scored 11 goals as the New Zealand women’s U19 team beat Samoa 30–0. Fellow Forrest Hill players Arabella Maynard and Rene Wasi were also in the goals, scoring 5 and 3 respectively. Forrest Hill has five of its premier women’s team in the NZ U19 squad.

This article originally appeared in the September 13 edition of the Rangitoto Observer.