2003 Grand Final

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2003 Grand Final

Holders Retain League Crown Courtesy Ryan Hat-Trick

by Jeremy Ruane

Defending Southern Trust National League champions Miramar Rangers made it back-to-back triumphs at North Harbour Stadium on June 15, striker Rupert Ryan scoring a hat-trick to secure a last-gasp 3-2 victory over East Auckland.

A gripping encounter between the top two finishers in the premiership campaign concluded in a manner befitting the entire league season, with a closely-fought affair ultimately decided by the winning goal being scored with just thirty seconds left on the clock.

Miramar enjoyed the better of the early exchanges, but the first chance fell East Auckland’s way in the seventh minute. Heath McCormack’s pursuit of Matt West was rewarded by the central defender’s blunder, the striker pouncing on the loose ball to stab a shot beyond James Bannatyne but off the outside of the post.

Rangers’ goalkeeper was fortunate to escape censure in the fourteenth minute, his momentum having taken him outside the penalty area as he slid to smother an East Auckland raid on a pitch which, aside from the inclement, rain-slicked conditions, was picture perfect for a footballing spectacle of this standing.

While a booking for this offence would have been decidedly harsh in the circumstances, a case for the first sighting of referee Ian Walker’s yellow card could have been made for Bannatyne’s response to the incident, throwing the ball away being a bookable offence. But the official opted on the side of leniency, and Miramar comfortably dealt with the resulting free-kick.

Another free-kick six minutes later had the travelling Rangers’ army of support in raptures. Adam Birch played the ball down the line to Simon George, whose slick one-two with Tariq Imam engineered space for a cross to the near post.

There lurked the unmarked Ryan, who swooped to head home via the post and past the despairing dive of Easts’ goalkeeper, Tamati Williams, who justified the faith of coach Chris Milicich in selecting him with a fine performance between the sticks.

The goal was just the catalyst Miramar needed to raise their attacking intensity, and a fine piece of refereeing by Walker four minutes later - he applied the advantage well after a sturdy challenge by Paul Stephens on Tim Butterfield had seen the ball spill to Ryan - resulted in a teasing cross to the far post for the lively Graham Little. But Williams pawed the ball off the striker’s head to safety.

On the half hour, McCormack was released by Paul Bunbury on the left flank, and the striker’s pass found Kasper Burholt surging forward. As the Dane let fly from twenty yards out, he lost his footing in the slippery conditions, and the shot failed to trouble Bannatyne.

Seconds later, McCormack went for goal himself, only to find Andy Hedge blocking his shot to safety. But no sooner had the ball been cleared then McCormack was raiding once more, slipping Nik Viljoen into the penalty area. Bannatyne blocked well with his legs, but the ball spilled out to Burholt, only for West to thwart him with a timely challenge.

Defences dominated the first half, which was no bad thing, as there were some most impressive performances by those charged with this art. Kara Waetford, Sean Douglas and Hedge were the pick of the rearguard contingents of both sides, but the East Auckland men were kept honest by the Brothers Little - the thoughtful on-and-off-the-ball movement by Graham and Brian in this match would have caused problems aplenty for any side, never mind the team boasting the league’s most miserly defence going into this encounter.

It was an off-the-ball challenge by Bannatyne, however, which was the talking point in the 42nd minute. Racing out of his area in an effort to clear the danger as Viljoen and West raced after a lofted ball forward, the goalkeeper missed the ball, but didn’t miss the former All Whites striker, who hit the ground hard.

It was the last sighting of Viljoen in the match, as the collision prompted his premature departure from the fray, to be replaced by Tetsamuru Kimura from the start of the second half. Bannatyne didn’t follow the injured player down the tunnel, however, referee Walker opting to profer a yellow card to the lanky custodian.

While Easts felt decidedly hard done by in the justice stakes on this occasion, they didn’t have long to wait to extract revenge in the best possible manner. The free-kick resulting from the challenge was cleared to Stephens, who clipped the ball over the advancing line of

defenders.

Nathan Strom turned to pursue it inside the area, but was felled by the similarly turning West. Referee Walker didn’t hesitate in signalling a penalty, which Waetford rammed home from the spot to bring about the half-time 1-1 scoreline.

Which could have read 2-1 to Miramar, George driving a fine cross-field ball from Hedge into the sidenetting in stoppage time at the end of the first half. Rangers’ momentum continued into the second spell, with Imam’s off-the-ball running a new source of danger to Easts, who initially failed to respond to the threat this posed.

The midfielder’s first involvement saw him arriving on the far post to meet a deep cross from Graham Little, who had teamed up with brother Brian on the left. The unmarked Imam’s drive brought a spritely save from Williams, whose next involvement, sixty seconds later, owed more to good fortune than anything else, as Brian Little’s shot, following a delicious curling cross from Butterfield, ricocheted off the goalkeeper’s heel and spun inches past the post.

Rangers restored their advantage on the hour mark, with the familial combination doing the damage once more. Graham’s pass to the overlapping Brian - a well-timed run - resulted in a low cross for the untracked Imam, whose effort cannoned off the legs of Williams. But Ryan was following up, and stabbed home his and Miramar’s second goal of the game.

After Waetford and Williams had combined to thwart Graham Little, Easts went to the bench for a second time, throwing Joey Waugh into the fray at the expense of Burholt in the 67th minute.

It was an inspired change, for within sixty seconds, the substitute had levelled the scores with his first contribution. Stephens fed Waugh the ball, and a slick one-two with McCormack took the newcomer clear of the Rangers rearguard, Waugh luring Bannatyne out of goal before deftly slotting home Easts’ second equaliser of the day - 2-2.

After Waugh had gone close five minutes later, further inspired off-the-ball movement by the Little brothers prised open East Auckland’s left flank. The cross from the Adidas Golden Boot winner was of the teasing variety, but that mattered not to Ryan - what did was Williams’ fine save from the hat-trick hunter’s shot.

Back came Easts, who, having downed Miramar in the play-off between the pair in Wellington two weeks ago, were technically the home team in this encounter. A low cross from Kimura was steered narrowly past his own post by Hedge twelve minutes from time, while Waugh went for glory from distance four minutes later, much to the despair of McCormack, who was unmarked and far better placed inside his fellow front-runner.

The resulting clearance from Bannatyne saw play swing downfield, Ryan flicking the ball on for Brian Little, who deftly tried to take the ball round Williams. But the former New Zealand Under-20 goalkeeper showed sharp reflexes to foil this threat.

As the clock wound down, thoughts turned to "Golden Goal" extra-time, but while there was still time to play in stoppage time, the defending champions went for the jugular. Waetford and Douglas appeared to be thinking of extra-time when a hopeful ball forward from substitute Geoff Brown arced over them in the third minute of stoppage time. That ball had a target, however, in the form of the elusive Brian Little, who galloped goalwards, only for Williams to get enough of a touch on the ball to turn it past the post.

Referee Walker looked at his watch once more, and in came the subsequent corner. Up rose Ryan, his salmon-like leap culminating in an emphatic header which bulleted in by the post, Graham Pearce’s despairing attempts to head the ball off the line only directing it into the roof of the net.

It was a sight which sent the players, coaching staff and supporters of Miramar Rangers into seventh heaven - 3-2, with time all but up. Sure enough, just seconds after the resumption, referee Walker blew the final whistle, and East Auckland’s despair at being so near, yet so far, was a stark contrast to the unrestrained delight of the travelling army, as they rejoiced in the crowning of Miramar as New Zealand’s foremost Southern Trust National League football club - again.

Easts: Williams; Strom, Waetford, Douglas, Pearce; Hogg, Bunbury (booked, 39), Stephens; Burholt (Waugh, 67), Vikjoen (Kimura, 46), McCormack.

Miramar: Bannatyne (booked, 42); Birch, West, Hedge, Cheriton; Imam (Brown, 81), Butterfield, George, B. Little; G. Little, Ryan

Referee: Ian Walker

National League