Central United v. Eastern Suburbs, 12/8/06

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Suburbs Prise Loose Central's Grip On Cup

by Jeremy Ruane

A new name will grace the Chatham Cup in 2006 after Eastern Suburbs came from behind to end the year-long reign of holders Central United at Kiwitea Street on Saturday, triumphing 5-3 on penalties after the teams had shared six goals in two absorbing hours of semi-final football.

Suburbs enjoyed the better of the early exchanges, but found Central defender Paul Vodanovich in determined mood, as he blocked at least three attempts on goal inside the opening quarter-hour. And after Matt Lear had sent a shot skidding inches past the post in the sixteenth minute, the speedster had the misfortune to get in the way of a goalbound piledriver from team-mate Hoani Edwards.

Roused, the cup holders flexed their muscles for the first time in the tie half-way through the first half, with Sean Dowling saving well with his legs from Luiz Del Monte, before getting down well to a low, long-range effort from Salesh Kumar, easily Central's best performer on the day.

Back came Suburbs, with player-co-coach Sean Douglas letting fly with a dipping thirty yard free-kick on the half-hour which Richard Gillespie tipped over the bar at the last second. The resulting corner from Lear saw the other co-coach, Edwards, hit the roof of the net with a looping header.

The resulting goal-kick saw Suburbs swiftly regain possession, and a swerving thirty-yarder from Andrew Webber startled Gillespie somewhat, the goalkeeper misjudging the shot, which struck his arm and, much to the custodian's relief, ricocheted to safety.

The visitors were relishing the chance to play on a bowling green of a pitch, and weren't affording Central a great deal of a look-in. But the home team were to go to the break a goal to the good, soon after Dowling had raced off his line to thwart John Niyonsaba, the speedster having been put through by Sam Mathews.

Three minutes before half-time, Suburbs' net bulged, and it was Vodanovich wheeling away in delight, Kumar having picked the unmarked defender out with a well-flighted corner to the far post. As the visitors reeled, Joel Mathews came close to doubling Central's advantage with a rasping drive in the shadows of the half-time whistle.

Immediately from the kick-off, the home team should have doubled their lead. Dowling thwarted a Glenn Eie effort, and was grateful to grab the ball again from Del Monte, whose attempt to turn home the rebound had seen his looping header lack the power necessary to beat the recovering goalkeeper.

Suburbs response was to level matters in the 48th minute, with a somewhat strange goal. Matt Wallace careered down the right and fired in a cross, which was blocked and cleared to an area twenty-five yards out from goal.

Players of both teams were seemingly waiting for a whistle from referee Michael Brock - for what reason, heaven alone knows - but everything seemed to happen in slow-motion for a few seconds. Geoff Villaborouth, quite wisely, played to the whistle while stupefied soccer players from both teams looked on, and the midfielder calmly despatched a bouncing twenty-five yard shot into the bottom far corner of the net.

1-1 then, and at long last, we had a game on our hands, the first half having tended to muddle along in the absence of the goals the game needed to bring it to life. Now that we had some, the gloves were off, and a far more salubrious spectacle ensued.

Central came bounding back with a vengeance. Straight from the resumption, the classily-performed Douglas found himself isolated near his own penalty area, and promptly conceded possession to Del Monte. He steered the ball inside to Eie and darted into the penalty area, only for the Norwegian's shot to strike his Brazilian team-mate and ricochet kindly into Dowling's gloves.

But the home team weren't to be denied at this stage, and in the 55th minute, they regained the lead. Kumar led a left-flank raid, the highlight of which was a splendid overlapping run from Ian Hogg. But the youngster was used as a decoy by his team-mate, Kumar instead picking out Eie's angled

run into the inside left channel. The striker calmly rounded Dowling and slotted home - 2-1 Central.

Four minutes on, Central squandered a glorious chance to make the game all but safe. Chad Coombes and Del Monte prised open Suburbs defence on the left, with the latter putting Joel Mathews into the penalty area.

With Dowling lured out of goal, the youngster played the ball across towards the completely unmarked Niyonsaba. But Mathews' pass was far too far ahead of the striker, who could do nothing to retrieve the situation with the untended goal gaping in front of him.

After Gillespie had raced off his line to deny Lear, and a lovely move involving Kumar and the overlapping Hogg had seen Niyonsaba launch into a diving header which, had it hit the net, would have been a candidate for `Goal of the Season', Central substitute Jason Hayne brought a save out of Dowling with fourteen minutes remaining, after Coombes had chested down Dean Tallentire's free-kick into the striker's path.

Back came Suburbs, Edwards hitting the crossbar nine minutes from time with a viciously struck twenty-five yard free-kick, but it was looking like it would be the cup holders' day once more. For with three minutes remaining, pressure from Niyonsaba forced a defensive error which put Hayne through on goal with just Dowling to beat.

The goalkeeper stood his ground on this occasion, and punched out Kumar's cross from the resulting corner. The ball fell perfectly for Hayne, who let fly through the crowd from twenty yards, only to wince in despair as the ball crept just past the post.

It was desperation time now for Suburbs, and they threw on two of their substitutes in the dying minutes in an effort to keep themselves in the contest. The first of them, Rob Spence, was denied by Gillespie as he pursued a lovely pass from Andrew Webber, but the second was to bring about a dramatic conclusion to the tie.

Michael Smith entered the fray in stoppage time - the board indicating a minimum of three minutes' added time had already been shown when he took to the park, and the thirty seconds which his substitution added to that time were the very thirty seconds which changed the match.

The three minutes expired as Wallace waltzed down the right once more and fired over a cross. Its recipient was Smith, who was completely unmarked on the edge of the penalty area, and he took his time before placing the equaliser into the far corner of the net with the very last kick of the ninety minutes - Central didn't even have time to kick off again!

The holders, understandably, were stunned by this unexpected setback, but swiftly sought to rectify the issue. Straight from the kick-off, Dowling was racing off his line once more, this time to thwart Hayne, who was guilty of the miss of the match in the 94th minute.

Kumar switched play to Coombes, who barrelled past an opponent en route to the by-line, from where he whipped a driven cross right into the goalmouth. With the goal at his mercy inside the six yard box, Hayne somehow skied the ball over the bar - a quite unbelievable miss!

And how it was punished!! Dowling thumped the goal-kick downfield, and who should be galloping through the inside left channel but Smith, who lifted the ball over the advancing figure of Gillespie to put Eastern Suburbs in front 3-2 for the first time in what was, by now, a gripping semi-final.

Back came Central, Hayne leading the charge on the left three minutes later. His low cross to the far post saw the sliding figure of Niyonsaba unable to direct the ball on target, while in the 103rd minute, a rasping Sam Mathews drive careered through a crowded penalty area after Coombes' free-kick had been blocked. The ball thudded into the netting, but much to Suburbs' relief, it was the wire netting behind the goal!

Dowling - a praiseworthy display - raced out of goal to deny Hayne once again in the 106th minute, after which Central seemed to taper off as an attacking

force, so much so that, should another goal be scored, it would almost certainly be Suburbs who would be celebrating.

They certainly made every effort to. Ten minutes from time, Smith, Andrew Webber and Spence combined, the last-mentioned pulling the ball back for Shaun Easthope. He played the ball square to Webber, whose shot was blocked by Gillespie. Suburbs' leading goalscorer wasn't able to turn home the rebound.

Two minutes later, Gillespie was beaten all ends up by a Spence volley, but the post came to his rescue. Then it was Spence's turn to go close. Dowling released Smith down the left, and he picked out his fellow substitute, who directed a header wide. Seconds later, Smith himself had a go, directing his drive at Gillespie.

Into the final minute of extra-time we went, and Easthope found himself all alone with just Gillespie to beat, as he raced through the tiring Central defence. Surely this was the coup de grace? No - Gillespie somehow deflected the substitute's drive onto the crossbar, off which the ball ricocheted for a throw-in.

Central cleared the ball downfield, their grip on the cup all but released. But there was still time to play, as a collision between Del Monte and Dowling - the goalkeeper had prevailed once more - had left both players requiring treatment. And as in normal time, those additional seconds would prove decisive.

For a defensive blunder near the edge of Suburbs' penalty area was pounced on by Del Monte, some ninety seconds into stoppage time at the end of extra time. He instinctively let fly, and the ball deflected off an opponent and flew past the stunned figure of Dowling into the bottom corner of the net - 3-3!!

This time, there was scarcely time for Suburbs to resume play before referee Brock brought an end to the action, and brought on the art form that is the penalty shoot-out.

In an unusual move, goalkeeper took on goalkeeper with the very first kick, Gillespie being beaten all ends up by Dowling. Sam Mathews stepped forward for Central, and made an issue of the penalty spot's seemingly sunken appearance. It clearly affected his mind-set, because his penalty was both woeful and wide of the mark.

Edwards came forward, and looked on as Gillespie saved his effort. But eagle-eyed linesman Steve “Crash” Budai had his flag raised - the `keeper had moved before the kick had been taken. This time, Edwards made no mistake, his example followed by Coombes, Spence, Tallentire - in off Dowling, Andrew Webber - the cheekiest of chips, and Hayne.

It all came down to Mark Webber's effort. Five years ago, Central had beaten Suburbs 3-1 at this stage of the competition, while exactly three decades ago, the East Auckland club last graced the final of a cup they have won five times. Webber's confident conversion ensured they'll get the chance to make it six.

5-3 on penalties, then, the holders' reign over. Joel Mathews, who had been substituted five minutes from the end of normal time, was far from amused with referee Brock, who had been very particular about the placement of the ball on the spot by all players throughout the shoot-out.

The Central man was shown the red card after the final whistle for his outburst, while “The Lilywhites” went into celebration mode at the prospect of playing in the North Harbour Stadium final on September 2, having emerged triumphant at the end of their second semi-final in three seasons, and a memorable one at that.

Central: Gillespie; Joel Mathews (sent-off, 120) (Robson, 85), Tallentire, Jovanovich (booked, 80), Hogg (Jacob Mathews, 97); Del Monte, Coombes (booked, 49), Sam Mathews, Kumar; Niyonsaba (booked, 77), Eie (Hayne, 71)

Suburbs: Dowling; Davidson, M. Webber, Douglas, Findon; Wallace (booked, 66), Edwards, Villaborouth (Easthope, 65), Lear (booked, 33) (Smith, 90); A. Webber, Shin (Spence, 87 (booked, 104)) Referee: Michael Brock

Chatham Cup