Visiting teams dominated the WBS Douglas Villa Junior Football Tournament played over the weekend, winning all but one of the seven grades.
Close to 1200 kids from clubs over the lower North Island and their parents converged on Masterton’s Park Sports Ground for two days of football, which for many was their end-of-season trip away.
The Wairarapa United Wolves were the only local team to taste success, taking out the 10th grade 3–1 in a penalty shootout after their final with Upper Hutt Tigers had finished in a 1–1 draw. The victory capped a great finish to the season for the Wolves, who the previous weekend had beaten Onslow Red 1–0 to win the final of the 10th grade at the Wellington Graded Championships hosted by Western Suburbs.
Other winners at the Douglas Villa tournament were:
8th grade – Petone Blue 2 Tawa 1; 9th grade – Onslow 1 Upper Hutt Eagles 0; 11th grade – Palmerston North Marist 2 FC Western [New Plymouth] 1; 12th grade – Red Sox 4 Petone Blue 3 on penalties [0–0 at fulltime]; 13th grade – Upper Hutt Catalyst 2 Red Sox 1; 14th-15th grade – Red Sox 1 Whanganui 0.
