The weekend provided a brilliant final chapter for a lot of our competitive youth football for the year. Please check out all the bits below from an excellent weekend which ranged from, CDL matches, tournaments and friendlies. As the season wides to a close, I want to extend my thanks to all the coaching staff and volunteers. This year has been a new chapter for us all and it's been brilliant to see the process the programme has gone on. From my point of view to have such a dedicated set of people around the club makes it a joy to work in and I'm really proud of the last 7 months. Although there are still some real highl;lights for some of our teams, I appreciate term 4 is busy for all, and I want to say I hope you enjoyed your TDP experience this year. Whether a player, supporter or coach, we hope we have brought some joy to you all. Please reach out should you have any questions and I'm looking forward to the development of our players contributing over the coming months! - Tate Macpherson (Director of Football)

Harbour Cup Girls Experience - U14s & U16s 

The Harbour Cup was a fantastic opportunity for our U14 and U16 girls to test themselves against strong competition in a well-run, female-only youth tournament. Over the two days, the teams played multiple matches, showing great energy, teamwork, and resilience. The U14s used the tournament as valuable preparation ahead of their Taupō trip next weekend, while the U16s continued to build on their development and chemistry. Despite the challenging weather conditions, the girls showed real determination, and it was awesome to see them stay committed to playing positive football. Lots of goals were scored, plenty of lessons learned, and most importantly, the team spirit made it a memorable weekend. 

Elise Peet the u16 girls TDP captain had this to say about the tournament.

"The Harbour Cup was a great way to end our season. Our coaches set us the challenge of being competitive at every game and we achieved that, and played some really good team football. When I think about where we were as a squad at the beginning of the season to how we played over the weekend it really shows how far we’ve come with our technical skills and game play improving in every position. This was highlighted in both our improvement over the season, going from a 12-0 loss against Haswell United preseason to 2-0 with some lucky goals and the improvement over the tournament going from a 0-0 draw in our first game to 4-0 win in our last against the same opposition. I would like to thank Kimberley, Tate and Lucky for their time and efforts over the season."

U15 Regional Mixed Trip - Douglas Villa Tournament & Friendly 

Our U15 Regional squad headed over the Remutakas last weekend for a two-day trip, and showed just how far the group has come since the beginning of the season in February. The squad kicked things off on Saturday with a friendly against Upper Hutt Percival. Played over four 12 minute quarters, the match ended 3-2 to Upper Hutt, but the performance meant more than the scoreline. ONW moved the ball really well, connected across the pitch, and played with a confidence that has been steadily growing through the year. It was the perfect test-run for the Douglas Villa Tournament the following day.Sunday brought a full day of competition in Masterton, with matches played in 12-minute halves. The shortened format demanded concentration, composure, and quick decision-making, and the team adapted really well. They opened with a strong 1-0 win over UpperHutt Lions, with Tyler scoring the only goal. The second game against Makoura College was a commanding display. ONW controlled the tempo, pressed well, and finished their chances to record a 3-0 win through goals to Tyler, Jimmy and Ezra. Game three was a differentchallenge, versus Palmerston North United. ONW showed resilience under pressure and were rewarded when captain Jamie stepped up to smash home a brilliant free kick, earning a 1-1 draw.The fourth and final group game brought the toughest test yet, against a very strong Palmerston North Marist side. ONW battled hard and continued to play with confidence, with Jaivant grabbing a goal, but went down 2-1 in a close contest. That result meant the groupstage ended with two wins, a draw and one loss - enough to earn a deserved place in the semi-finals. The knockout match against hosts Douglas Villa proved to be a contested and physical encounter. ONW did not shy away from the challenge, competing strongly and continuing to back each other in every moment. Jaivant scored again to keep us in the fight, while Rowan produced several outstanding saves before coming off injured. Despite our efforts, the match finished 3-1 in favour of Douglas Villa, bringing ONW’s run to an end at the semi-final stage.While results shaped the path of the tournament, the real story of the weekend was the development and spirit of this squad. Since February the group has grown into a team that moves the ball with purpose, can keep possession, and shows composure under pressure.The defensive unit was strong throughout the weekend, while our midfield worked tirelessly to break up opposition play and keep the team moving forward. Jamie’s leadership as captain helped set the tone, but it was our collective spirit that stood out most - celebratingevery success together, digging in during tough moments, and representing Onslow North Wellington with pride. Falling short in the semi-finals did not take away from what was a successful and important weekend away. The team can look back on the trip knowing they have grown again as a group, and can look ahead with real excitement and belief in what they can achieve in coming years.

Mixed Central Development league Final Round

CDL U13 Mixed - Mark Gilchrist & Chris Bailey

Match Report vs Upper Hutt

Our U13 TDP boys wrapped up the season in style today with a convincing 4–0 win over Upper Hutt, showing real intent, focus, and teamwork from the very first whistle.After a tough loss last week, the message going into this game was clear: we needed to want it, play simple football, and work as a team. The conditions made things challenging, with strong winds making anything aerial unpredictable, so the boys were tasked with keeping the ball on the deck, passing firmly and accurately, and building play through combinations.The response was fantastic. From the outset we pressed their back line hard, moved the ball quickly, and carved out early chances. The breakthrough came when a smart through ball sent Alex clear. He controlled it well, rounded the keeper, and calmly slotted into the bottom right corner for 1–0. Our second came from a Tobiah free kick into the box. The swirling wind made defending difficult, and an Upper Hutt player’s attempted clearance ended up looping off his head and over the keeper for an own goal. Alex then struck again, finishing neatly from a tight angle to make it three, before Tobiah capped things off with a superb strike of his own to seal a deserved 4–0 win. Man of the Match went to Tobiah, who was immense throughout. His relentless defensive work, composure on the ball, and ability to turn defence into attack stood out. He also delivered real quality from set pieces and crosses, causing problems all game. Other standout performances included Dylan, who was feisty and energetic in midfield, breaking up play and driving us forward, and Arlo, who stepped in at centre-back for Milo who was unfortunately sick today. Alongside Jack, Arlo showed excellent composure and game awareness, helping secure a clean sheet.This was a fitting way to close out the season. Four goals, a shutout, and most importantly, a display of the intent and teamwork that we’ve been building towards all year. The boys should be proud of how they played and the progress they’ve made together.

CDL U15 Mixed - Steve Fullelove & Jeremy Young

Match Report vs Petone

U15 CDL. Very tough conditions today for a thread bare squad. With all 3 CDL teams in different locations and the Regional side (+CDL players) away at a tournament we were down to 12 players (with 3 of those carrying injury/illness). Cooper volunteered  to be keeper and pulled off some great stops. No excuses though, we didn’t quite adjust to the conditions as well as Petone and didn’t execute or play as consistently as we have been doing. We weren’t able to take advantage of the wind when in our favour as well as Petone and ended up with a 3-1 defeat. The boys left it all out there and though they didn’t get rewarded with a result got rewarded with a BBQ and refreshments at the end courtesy of Petone. The end of the league season and the end of our 6 game unbeaten run. Not how we wanted to finish but a goal to remember for Connor with a well struck free kick from just outside the box. Proud of the boys' effort and development this season.

CDL U17 Mixed - Hayden Polyansky & Tate Macpherson

Match Report vs Wellington Olympic

Another tough day at the office! St. Pats turf is always a battle when the weather doesn’t cooperate – and today it dictated everything.We played into the wind in the first half and were pinned deep in our half for long periods. Anything in the air blew straight back at us. We tried to keep the ball low and play out, but it was scrappy, and too often we turned over possession, leaving us open to the counter. Around the 35th minute, Olympic won a corner and with the wind on their side curled it straight into the far post. 1–0.We dug in and looked to break forward when we could, creating the odd half chance. Thankfully, the conditions worked both ways, with the wind carrying several of their through balls across the by-line. Jack in goal made some sharp saves to keep us in it and at the break we knew the shoe would be on the other foot.The second half started brightly for us with Olympic now under pressure. We pinned them back and felt it was only a matter of time before the breakthrough came. We had good spells of possession and wave after wave of attack, but that final pass or finish just wouldn’t click. The frustration began to show, and a few key turnovers in and around the box kept Olympic in the game.To their credit, Olympic defended bravely and broke out a couple of times, forcing Jack into more great saves, including a huge 1v1 stop that kept our hopes alive. We pushed right to the end, never giving up, but the elusive equaliser never arrived.A hard pill to swallow, but that’s football. The effort from everyone in tough conditions was outstanding.Man of the Match: Hugo – tireless work on the wing.Special thanks to Lachie and Jamie for stepping in, both solid through the core and fought hard.We’ll meet Olympic again next week in the tournament – hopefully with better conditions so we can play with more control.

Next Match - The u17s will compete in a postseason CDL competition vs central and capital teams. First game: Sunday 28th Sep 1pm vs Wellington Olympic @ Te Whaea

Article added: Friday 26 September 2025