It was Champion vs Champion at Martin Luckie on the 3rd of March as new Head Coach Paul Ifill and his crew took on ex-Club, 2023 Chatham Cup Champions Christchurch United in the NZF Charity Cup with Heart Kids NZ (Wellington) being the benefactor of donations on the day.

Wellington turned on an exceptional day as the sun burst out from behind the clouds to give supporters an unforgettable pre-season match which debuted a number of newcomers to the Club alongside Olympic's core players.

With two new coaches at the helm of each respective Club, it was certainly going to be entertaining with neither coach able to foretell what strategy the other would bring to their new post.

But it was Olympic Captain Ben Mata who opened the scoring for the National League Champs with a great header in the 33rd minute following by Hamish Watson's slip pass the Keeper 5 mins in the second half.  International newcomer Joel Coustrain slotted in Olympic's third in the 76th minute to seal the game with a 3-0 win much to the delight of the fans.

Olympic have now secured their first piece of silverware for the 2024 season and looking to continue the legacy former coach Rupert Kemeys and his technical staff had strived for and achieved.

For those who missed the opportunity, it's not too late to donate to Heart Kids NZ - just text "heartwelly" to 2427 and make a $3 automatic donation. Our thanks to all those who donated on the day!! 

Article added: Thursday 14 March 2024