2010 Chatham Cup Final

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Miramar Down Bay To Win Fourth Chatham Cup

by Jeremy Ruane

An outstanding performance from goalkeeper Phil Imray played a significant part in Miramar Rangers winning the Chatham Cup for a fourth time on September 12, as they downed a beaten but unbowed Bay Olympic 3-1 at North Harbour Stadium.

After a bright start by Bay, built predominantly on the prodigious throw-in technique of Nathan Strom, Miramar fired the first shot in anger in the tenth minute. Gary McDermott’s twenty-five yard free-kick was comfortably dealt with by Danny Robinson.

The ‘keeper was less fortunate two minutes later, as Rangers opened the scoring. Leighton Wills clumsily fouled the charging Michael White just outside the penalty area, from where Darren Cheriton whipped a vicious free-kick low round the defensive wall. Robinson parried it, and Tim Schaeffers was first to react, the defender gleefully stabbing home from close range.

Bay squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to equalise virtually straight away. Craig Wylie’s free-kick to Joe Edwards saw the winger pick out Ross McKenzie, completely unmarked six yards out at the near post. How he contrived to head wide with the goal at his mercy only he will know.

Miramar looked to make good on this let-off, via Dominic Rowe. His lovely touch to bring down a ball on the right was followed by a delicious low cross across the face of goal. White raced in to turn the ball home, but was thwarted by Richard Beeston.

That seventeenth minute opening was followed up two minutes later by a Cheriton corner. Rowe flicked it on at the near post, and the ball went out beyond the far upright, apparently via a Bay defender, according to well-performed referee Mirko Benischke.

McDermott took the resulting corner, and Bay clearly hadn’t learned their lesson. Again, Rowe nipped out from behind a couple of defenders at the near post to flick the ball across goal, this time with success. Campbell Parkin came steaming in and slammed a ten-yarder through the gathered throngs and into the far corner of the net - 2-0.

Bay were shell-shocked, and came close to conceding a third goal soon after. White chased a lost cause to the by-line, pulling the ball back for Rowe. His shot was blocked, but Wiremu Patrick swooped on the rebound, swivelled and slammed a ten yard volley over the bar.

After Tristan McCormick had unleashed a twenty-

five yard skimmer past Imray’s left-hand post, to which Miramar responded via a Schaeffers header from eight yards, the defender heading over on receipt of Cheriton’s corner to the far post, Bay, who needed to change the game by this stage, produced their best move of the match in the 33rd minute.

With Julyan Collett warming up on the sideline, Colin Gardyne gathered the ball on the right and jinked inside before angling a cross outside the area to Michael Mayne. He steered the ball into McKenzie’s path and, with his last contribution to the match, the midfielder brought the best out of Imray with a stinging twenty yard volley.

The substitution took place before Mayne delivered the resulting corner to the far post. Yoji Tanabe rose high to head the ball back across goal, and up popped Strom at the near post to head Bay back into the final - 2-1 after 34 minutes.

That certainly wasn’t in Miramar’s script, and they looked to restore their two-goal margin just before the half-time whistle. White volleyed wide from six yards seconds before Rowe stole in to direct a shot straight at Robinson, the latter opportunity arising from Cheriton’s delightfully flighted ball in from the left flank.

Bay came out all guns blazing in the second spell, but found Jack Batty Memorial Trophy winner Imray - the man of the match - in superb form. He kept out a towering header from Wills as the defender met Wylie’s free-kick in the 49th minute by tipping the ball onto the bar, then punched out an Edwards free-kick seconds later, as the Auckland team sought an early equaliser.

Three minutes later, another long throw-in from Strom wasn’t dealt with by Miramar’s defence, and Collett stole in to direct a powerful ten-yard header goalwards. Imray’s reflex save was right out of the top drawer - he launched himself to his right to keep his team in front.

Having survived this onslaught thanks largely to their ‘keeper’s exploits, Miramar looked to press home their advantage around the hour mark. Michael Woodside taunted Wylie on a run into the area, from where he whipped a low cross towards Rowe on the far post.

Beeston stepped in to clout the ball to safety, and from the resulting corner, Rowe’s header sailed over the bar. Four minutes later, the striker was in again, only to be denied in the act of shooting by a superb covering tackle from Strom, Rowe having been released through Bay’s defence by a measured pass from Patrick.

Both Robinson and Imray blocked shots by their near post around twenty minutes from time, the Bay custodian thwarting White, while Rangers’ stopper denied Edwards, then smothered a curling effort from Wylie after Gardyne and Collett had linked on the right.

Fifteen minutes from time, the destiny of the Chatham Cup was decided by a splendid solo goal. White gathered the ball on half-way near the right-hand touchline and set sail downfield, racing past all-comers before beating Robinson all ends up at his near post - a goal worthy of winning any match, but especially a Cup Final!

There was seemingly no way back for Bay now they were 3-1 down, but Shane Knowles’ charges had other ideas. In the time remaining, they threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Rangers’ rearguard, but Imray would not be beaten again.

The ‘keeper even saved a piledriver penalty from Strom in the 78th minute, swatting away a spot-kick awarded after Edwards had been felled by Schaeffers as he skipped along the by-line into the area.

Bay threw caution to the wind in their quest for a second goal, even throwing Robinson forward in the dying stages as they looked to keep their Cup dream alive. But Imray again prevailed, blocking a close-range Tanabe shot following an Edwards corner.

Another flurry of opportunities, with Robinson causing chaos in Miramar’s penalty area, was scrambled clear by the defending team, and suddenly they were on the counter-attack, with Strom the lone Bay defender between Rangers and a fourth goal.

Substitute John Sutherland’s delight at stroking the ball home into an untended net was quickly tempered - he had strayed offside in his eagerness to score. But after Bay’s final flurry had seen substitute Andrew Campbell volley narrowly wide after a fine move featuring Gardyne, Wylie and Tanabe, Sutherland and his team-mates could begin celebrating Miramar’s fourth Chatham Cup triumph.

Bay Olympic: Robinson; Beeston, Strom, Wills (Campbell, 83), Wylie; Gardyne, McKenzie (Collett, 34 (booked, 55)), McCormick, Mayne (Norris, 76), Edwards; Tanabe (booked, 76)

Miramar: Imray; Woodside, Schaeffers, Parkin, Cheriton; Jenkins (Johnston, 74), Eager, McDermott (Smith, 83), White (booked, 56); Patrick (booked, 73), Rowe (Sutherland, 90)

Referee: Mirko Benischke

Chatham Cup