2014 Chatham Cup Final

The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home

Cashmere Claim Consecutive Chatham Cup Triumphs

by Jeremy Ruane

Cashmere Technical became just the seventh club in ASB Chatham Cup history to clinch consecutive trophy triumphs at QBE Stadium on September 7, edging Central United 2-1 in front of 2,671 fans, with a sizable audience watching the match via live streaming on the internet - a first for New Zealand football.

And they witnessed a stirring start from the holders, who opened the scoring just five minutes into the final. Danny Boys' ball forward was allowed to bounce by Central, forcing Ivan Vicelich to take evasive action given the hesitance of United's third choice 'keeper, Blaz Bugarin, and the presence of Technical striker Ash Wellbourn.

Vicelich directed his header towards Dae Wook Kim, who cleared the ball across goal as team-mate Bugarin dived at his feet to smother the danger. Aaron Clapham was swift to accept this gift, and calmly picked out Wellbourn who gleefully turned the ball home from close range.

Cashmere's advantage was short-lived, for within ten minutes, Central were level. Despite Bugarin's obvious lack of confidence following that horror start, United settled into their stride after the early setback and gained due reward with their first attack of note.

Dean Lausev played the ball down the left to Emiliano Tade, who was head and shoulders the best player on the park in a yellow shirt in this match. And he proved it with this goal, a startling individual effort which saw him beat Dan Terris yet stay on his feet despite being tripped by the defender.

As Tade staggered, he managed to evade a further challenge before beating Cashmere 'keeper Dan Knight all ends up - a real striker's goal, and one which underlined why Central considered his return from holiday so crucial to their Cup hopes.

Bugarin's confidence was given a boost in the eighteenth minute as he pulled off a fine save to thwart a well-struck volley from the Cup Final's star turn, Jack Batty Trophy winner Stu Kelly, while four minutes later, Wellbourn volleyed narrowly over after Bugarin had punched out a Clapham corner.

Central responded by taking control of the game, leaving Cashmere to feed on scraps as the Auckland side retained possession. But they created very few chances during this period, the first of which materialised on the half-hour.

Fabrizio Tavano released Tade down the right, from where he pulled the ball back from the by-line. Lausev let rip upon receiving the sphere, only to see Tom Schwarz block his effort to safety.

Two minutes later, Tade had the Technical defenders doing the twist and numerous other anatomical challenges as he jinked this way and that on a mazy run which concluded with a shot from the edge of the penalty area, Again, Schwarz, Cashmere's captain, intervened, much to Central's chagrin.

Once more Central pressed, Tavano this time releasing overlapping fullback Takuya Iwata down the left. He picked out Tade in yards of space, only for the striker to again be denied by Cashmere's defiant defenders, who had their hands full containing him.

Sadly for Central, rare were the occasions when Tade's team-mates were on the same wavelength as the Argentine. His speed of both thought and execution was far superior to that of anyone else on the pitch, but the lack of a like-minded team-mate meant Cashmere could comfortably keep their

opponents at arm's length after channelling their energies towards containing United's most dangerous weapon.

It also meant Cashmere could go about seeking a second goal, which materialised four minutes before half-time. Clapham swept a corner across to the far post, where Terris came hurtling in to meet it. His towering downward header careered into the back of the net to restore the holders' advantage - 2-1.

And so nearly 3-1 on the stroke of half-time. Vicelich headed a Boys free-kick clear, but only as far as Clapham, whose delightful control on the edge of the penalty area enabled him to set up Tom Schwarz for a shot which fizzed inches past Bugarin's left-hand post.

The second spell was slow to ignite, and once it did, tended to fizzle far more than produce the fireworks one hopes to see on such a showpiece occasion. Central's was the task of providing the spark, but all too often their efforts foundered on the fine form of Knight, who was of the shining armour variety as far as Cashmere were concerned.

He produced his first save of note in the 57th minute, Tade's off-the-ball run inviting Karl Reimann to run at Cashmere's defence. He couldn't engineer the space to shoot, unlike substitute Mario Ilich, whose drive was turned round the post by Knight.

Two minutes later, the 'keeper denied Tade in like manner, the striker having unleashed a quickly-taken free-kick awarded by inconsistently performed referee Chris Kerr - not his most memorable ninety minutes, it must be said.

Cashmere occasionally threatened - Bugarin's flying save to deny Clapham on the hour was a highlight of the half, as was Terris' teasing cross-shot, which the 'keeper watched very carefully until he was satisfied it would just clear his crossbar.

Otherwise, it was Central who probed and prodded, occasionally creating an opening such as that in the 72nd minute, when Tade let rip with a thirty yard free-kick. Knight smothered this, before producing a stunning save three minutes later to match Iwata's volleyed attempt from thirty-five yards.

The 'keeper brilliantly tipped the fullback's effort over the bar, only to flail in vain as Tade's resulting corner arced across the goalmouth. Sadly for Central, the ball struck Ilich and rebounded off him into the side-netting.

Inside the last ten minutes, just two chances of note materialised. Bugarin denied Wellbourn after substitute Andy Barton released him down the left in the 83rd minute, to which Central responded with another Tade-inspired raid five minutes from time.

Knight turned Reimann's rasping drive round the post, and with United unable to muster anything further of note in the time remaining, it was a save which ensured Cashmere Technical became the first team since Central themselves, in 1997 and 1998, to win consecutive Chatham Cup Finals, courtesy the half-time 2-1 scoreline.

Cashmere: Knight; Terris (booked, 44), T. Schwarz, D. Schwarz, Boys; Collett, Clapham, Kelly, Wortelboer (Halligan, 80), O'Brien (Barton, 61); Wellbourn (Mitchell, 85)

Central: Bugarin; Kim, Vicelich, Dawkins, Iwata; Cochran, Tavano (Hoyt, 76), McGeorge (booked, 48) (Ilich, 51), Lausev (booked, 23) (Murati, 87); Reimann, Tade

Referee: Chris Kerr

Chatham Cup