Auckland City have retained the Steve Sumner Cup, a trophy that honours the memory of one of New Zealand’s greatest players.
The Navy Blues beat challengers Waiheke United 2-0 in their Northern League fixture at Onetangi to keep their hold on the cup which the club has held since its inauguration in 2017.
The trophy is named after the legendary All Whites captain who died from prostate cancer in February 2017.
It was donated by former Waiheke United president Mike Gray who was an admirer of Sumner.
The two clubs agreed to use their Northern League fixture on July 2 as a challenge match for the cup.
A double substitution by coach Albert Riera broke the deadlock for Auckland City as they took an hour to exert their superiority over Waiheke United.
The match was scoreless until Riera signalled substitutes Ryan De Vries and Reid Drake to take the field in the 57th minute.
Four minutes later, striker De Vries put the Navy Blues ahead.
Then, in the 65th minute, Drake also found the net to celebrate his 100th first team appearance for the club.
Main photo: Both teams gather with the trophy after the match. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.
Click here for more about the Steve Sumner Cup >>>>
Watch the stream of the match here:
More stories
