Greyfriars Greytown have finally been rewarded for their stellar 2022 season in Capital division four, with late promotion to division three for the upcoming season.
Greytown finished second in division four last season, only to miss out on promotion because of the inclusion this season of teams from the Wellington Phoenix Academy in the Capital leagues.
Their tally of 42 points, from 13 wins and three draws, would normally win a 10-team league, but they were usurped by an outstanding Wellington United side.
“Wellington United were deserved winners, but I think in the end we were 13 points clear of third place and had only two losses for the season,” 2022 coach Gary Hewson said.
“In an ordinary season, that would have been good enough to pick up the trophy, but that Wellington United team was exceptional.”
Hewson said Greytown are building nicely for the new season under the guidance of new coach, former Wairarapa United boss Phil Keinzley.
“We managed to help a number of our younger guys to move on to stronger Wellington clubs, and we’re trying to create a pathway to help them, so that means we’ve had a few gaps to fill,” Hewson said.
“We’ve had one or two other young players to come in, which is fantastic, and we’ve picked up a bit of local experience as well, but if you compared the team with the same stage as last season, we are probably stronger.”
The major gain for Greytown could be veteran midfielder Josh Stevenson, the record holder with more than 250 appearances for Central League club Napier City Rovers.
Greytown kick-off their new season on April 1, hosting Naenae at Greytown’s Soldiers Memorial Park.
