Round-up: Top regional sides clean up in Chatham Cup quarter-finals

The Chatham Cup is heading towards a showdown between the country’s top regional sides.

Northern League leaders Auckland City, Central League leaders Wellington Olympic and unbeaten Southern League side Coastal Spirit went through to the semi-finals with Saturday wins.

On Sunday, Birkenhead United, the Northern League’s second-placed side, added their name to the semi-final draw with a 2-1 win at Napier City Rovers.

The quarter-finals produced 19 goals in outfield play, and a tense penalty decider that ended the hopes of underdogs Hibiscus Coast.

Main photo: Coastal Spirit players celebrate after Coast’s Cooper Tyler (left) penalty miss. Photo credit: Dave Barker.

Hibiscus Coast 3 Coastal Spirit 3

*Spirit win 6-5 on penalties after extra time

The Battle of the Coasts produced a Chatham Cup tie for the ages — six goals, nerve-jangling extra time and a penalty shootout that saw 11 successful spot kicks before a miss.

Hosts Hibiscus Coast, who play in the northern region’s second-tier Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship, went into the game as underdogs against a Coastal Spirit side unbeaten in this year’s Southern League.

A packed Stanmore Bay Park provided home support but the quarter-final seemed to be going to expectations when Spirit’s leading goalscorer, Alejandro Steinwascher, put his side ahead in the 18th minute.

It was Steinwascher’s third goal in this year’s cup, to go with the 15 he’s plundered in 13 league outings.

The home side’s hopes were boosted when Dan Cyra found an equaliser just before half-time, to the delight of the locals.

Early in the second spell, Hibiscus Coast striker Adam Dickinson scored a peach of a goal, steering the ball past Spirit’s Ellis Hare-Reid, to give his side a 2-1 lead.

Dickinson (37), a former English pro’ with Tranmere Rovers, had spent most of this season turning out for Coast’s Over-35s in the NRF Masters’ Division, but he stepped up to help with only his third first-team appearance in more than a year.

Spirit came back with a leveller from captain Joe Hoole only three minutes later.

The sides traded chances, fought for every ball and played on adrenaline.

Referee Ashley Wilson ended the 90 minutes, and the teams set up for extra time.

The Aucklanders struck again in the 108th minute, through defender Alex Windleburn, whose joy was offset by his departure through injury almost straight after.

Spirit’s Hoole produced his side’s third goal four minutes later.

In the dying minutes of extra time, Hibiscus Coast goalkeeper Josh Precious pulled off an outstanding double save, ensuring the tie would not be decided in match play.

The penalty shoot-out produced 11 well-executed spot kicks, none of which went close to being saved by the ‘keepers.

The tragedy of this game was that one player would inevitably miss, and it turned out to be defender Cooper Tyler.

The game should be long remembered for its contribution to the folklore of New Zealand’s oldest club competition, and not for one missed penalty.

Tyler and his teammates deserve that, at least.

— Jack Sharp

Wellington Olympic 4 Manurewa 0

Wellington Olympic overcame their poor recent Chatham Cup record against Northern League sides with a 4-0 win at Wakefield Park.

READ MORE: Olympic need to overcome Northern League hoodoo >>>>

Blue skies and little more than a gentle zephyr greeted Manurewa as they stepped onto the recently re-laid artificial turf at Wakefield Park, Wellington Olympic’s home ground for the tie.

A tentative opening quarter by both times with a few strong Manurewa challenges produced little more than a yellow card for the visitors, but gradually Olympic took control of the midfield and created a few half-chances.

The best of these was a Jonty Roubos rocket that ‘keeper Vadym Patkevych tipped over the bar.

Manurewa’s few attacks were on the break and Olympic kept up the pressure and were rewarded just before the break when, following a drop-ball, a cross was sent to the far post where the towering Hamish Watson was unmarked and he headed home.

Early in the second half, questionable defending allowed Olympic skipper Ben Mata to leap above his markers and head home a corner to make it 2-0.

Manurewa started to press more, but that left space at the back and when Watson was given plenty of time and space, he was able to pick his spot and fire a 30-metre screamer into the top corner for Olympic’s third.

With the Aucklanders getting desperate to trouble Olympic keeper Alex Britton, a few rash challengers went in, prompting a brief confrontation in midfield, and Manuwera’s Eber Ramirez joined in the altercation a little too physically for the ref’s liking, copping a red card.

Down three goals and a player, the Auckland side struggled to create any clear chances, and when their captain Shuiab Khan, who had been trying valiantly to conjure something up from midfield, was forced off with a leg injury, it was clear the game was up.

Olympic completed their win when after more ordinary marking, Kaelin Nguwan scored a headed goal from a corner.

— Warren Olson

Otago University 1 Auckland City 5

Auckland City secured their place in the Chatham Cup semi-finals with an impressive 5-1 win against Otago University at Dunedin’s Artificial Turf on Saturday night.

The match was marked by dramatic moments and standout performances, including a hat-trick by Navy Blues striker Angus Kilkolly.

Key moments:

First team debut: Seventeen-year-old goalkeeper Areya Prasad, from St. Peter’s College, made his first start for the Navy Blues’ first team.

Delayed kick-off: The game got off to a dramatic start when the floodlights went out less than a minute after kick-off, causing a 45-minute delay.

Injury substitution: In the 21st minute, Auckland City were forced into a substitution due to an injury. Rayan Tayeb replaced the injured defender Christian Gray.

Opening goals: Kailan Gould set up Angus Kilkolly, who clinically finished from inside the box in the 34th minute. Six minutes later, Derek Tieku doubled the visitors’ advantage.

University’s response: Just before half time, Liam Buyck’s great strike beat Prasad at his near post, pulling one back for University.

Kilkolly’s brace: Kilkolly extended Auckland City’s lead with another clinical finish six minutes into the second half. He narrowly missed completing his hat-trick, denied by a fantastic save from Otago ‘keeper Oscar Ekhdahl.

Late drama: Substitute Alex Dale came close to narrowing the gap, but his chip went wide in the 75th minute. In the 83rd minute, Ryan de Vries delivered a great header to Kilkolly, who blasted over the crossbar from inside the box. Kilkolly redeemed himself almost immediately, sealing his hat-trick with a cool finish. Moments later, the City striker made way for another first team debutant, Matthew Matanyayire.

Own goal: Tong Zhou’s corner caused late drama as it ended up in the back of the net, credited as an own goal by Milo McBride.

— Report courtesy of Auckland City FC Media.

Napier City Rovers 1 Birkenhead United 2

Birkenhead United have kept alive their hopes of winning their third Chatham Cup in eight years.

The Northern League side, who won the cup in 2016 and 2018, took a 2-0 half-time lead at Napier City Rovers’ Bluewater Stadium.

Midway through the half, midfielder Corban Piper, playing his 50th first-team game for the club, scored the opening goal.

In the 33rd minute, former All Whites striker Monty Patterson continued his goalscoring form, doubling United’s lead.

Napier City Rovers, who won the trophy in 2019, pulled back a goal straight after the interval through Jack Albertini, setting up an intense second half.

Birkenhead held their lead, ensuring two Auckland clubs go into the semi-final draw.

Results

Games played on Saturday July 27, 2024

Hibiscus Coast 3 (Dan Cyra 45′, Adam Dickinson 52′, Adam Windelburn 108′)
Coastal Spirit 3 (Alejandro Steinwascher 18′, Joe Hoole 55′, 112′)
*Coastal Spirit won 6-5 on penalties, after extra time

Wellington Olympic 4 (Hamish Watson 44′, 59′, Ben Mata 51′, Kaelin Nguyen 90+3)
Manurewa 0

Otago University 1 (Liam Buyck 45+2′)
Auckland City 5 (Angus Kilkolly 34′, 51′, 87′, Derek Tieku 41′, own goal 89′)

Game played on Sunday July 28, 2024

Napier City Rovers 1 (Jack Albertini 46′)
Birkenhead United 2 (Corban Piper 23′, Monty Patterson 33′)

Past rounds

RESULTS: Fourth round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>

RESULTS: Third round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>

RESULTS: Second round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>

RESULTS: First round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>

RESULTS: Preliminary round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>

Key dates

Semi-finals
Weekend of August 16-18, 2024

Final
Sunday September 8, 2024

READ MORE: History of the Chatham Cup >>>>

All the past winners — Chatham Cup

This story was first published on July 28, 2024

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