2007 Chatham Cup Final

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Central Take Cup After Enthralling Penalty Shoot-Out

by Jeremy Ruane

Central United clinched their fourth Chatham Cup triumph on Sunday afternoon, but made the 2000-strong crowd at the Kiwitea Street final sweat before prevailing 10-9 on penalties over Western Suburbs, after the preceding two hours had failed to produce a single goal.

The clash between the two most recent winners of the cup - Central won it 2005, while Wests won it last season - was noteworthy for the quality of the penalty-taking in the shoot-out.

Not a single effort failed to find the net until Sam Peters ballooned the ball over the crossbar with his sudden death effort, thus handing the home team - the final was the first since 2002 not to take place at a neutral venue - a rare Northern Premier League and Chatham Cup double, a feat last recorded by Manurewa in 1978, in the days when the Premier League was, in fact, the First Division.

The other aspect of note of a final most kindly described as ordinary at best was the profligate finishing of Central United striker Grant Young. Normally as reliable as a Swiss watch when it comes to converting one-on-one opportunities, the South African had a miserable day at the office, squandering a hatful of such openings.

Ironically, it was he who netted what proved to be the winning penalty, and even then, Suburbs goalkeeper Phil Imray got a hand to his attempt. In last season's final - again, another scoreless event - he saved all three Eastern Suburbs' spot-kicks as Wests prevailed 3-0 via the little-liked means of deciding cup-tie stalemates.

This game shouldn't have been one, as both teams - most notably Central - had chances aplenty to win the game inside ninety minutes. The final certainly took a while to get going, however, as both double-chasers - Wests won the Central Region Premier League this season - struggled to string a minimum of three passes together. (Just as well it wasn't televised, as this aspect of the final was particularly poor!!)

The closest the game came to seeing a goal in the opening twenty-five minutes saw a Luiz Del Monte free-kick hooked wide by Paul Urlovic. Soon after, Suburbs retorted through Darren Cheriton, who was sent dashing through Central's square defence by Rupert Ryan, only to poke his shot past Richard Gillespie but past the post as well.

After Jason Hayne had seen a tame shot smothered by Imray, Central contrived the best move of the match thus far, ten minutes before half-time. Craig Dale picked out Young, who slipped the ball into Wests penalty area. Urlovic, Del Monte and Imray all converged on the ball, with the first-mentioned winning the race but lobbing the chance over the bar.

The visitors' response was instant, Imray's goal kick sending Ryan surging through. Gillespie blocked at his feet, but Roddy Brown was following up, only to fire well wide of a completely unguarded target.

Central had three chances to break the deadlock before half-time. An airshot from Young meant an inviting low cross from Hayne went begging, while Del Monte, two minutes before the break, hit the outside of the post with a twenty-five yard free-kick which left Imray rooted to the spot.

The goalkeeper then saved at the feet of Joel Mathews after Kara Waetford had directed another Del Monte free-kick into his path, then had his gloves warmed in the 56th minute by an Urlovic twenty-five yarder, with the striker opting to go it alone despite the options of Del Monte and Young to play to either side of him.

On the hour, with the game starting to open up and offer more appeal as a spectacle, Cheriton slipped Ryan in on the right, an invitation which Suburbs' target man used to curl a delightful cross to the far post, where Brown was charging in at full pelt. He just failed to direct his effort on target.

Two minutes later came the first of Young's one-on-ones with Imray, this one supplied by Joel Mathews. The striker did everything right in lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper, but it drifted past the far post.

Jacob Mathews joined the fray soon afterwards, and made an instant impact, losing then quickly regaining possession before threading the ball through for Del Monte. He held off the challenge of Jon Harahap before forcing Imray to produce another save, a feat twice replicated by Gillespie at the other end of the park over the course of the next three minutes to deny long-range efforts from both Nate Winkel and Peters.

Cue another Young miss, after Greg Uhlmann and Del Monte had been pivotal in unlocking Wests' defence in the 73rd minute. And after Winkel had headed a good cross from impressive substitute Ben Feld over the crossbar, Central substitute Keryn Jordan strode onto a Joel Mathews pass, only to poke the effort past both Imray and the post.

Del Monte rewarded Young's angled run across the defence in the 78th minute with a slide-rule pass which put him one-on-one with Imray once more - no prizes for guessing the outcome.

It was Central's last chance in the ninety minutes, because the final stages were dominated by the cup holders. Feld pounced on a stray Del Monte pass, set off down the right and cut inside before unleashing a screamer which Gillespie was at full stretch to tip round the post - had he missed, the cup was heading to Wellington, for certain!

Peters whipped in the resulting corner, and found the head of Mike McKinley. He directed the ball into the goalmouth where, from four yards, Ryan scooped a shot over the bar when scoring seemed easier.

The striker's attempts to make amends saw him, seconds later, lash a twenty-yarder over the crossbar, then direct a header into the hands of Gillespie following a Cheriton cross to the far post three minutes from time.

Cue extra time, and Young's fourth one-on-one missed opening in the 98th minute. Del Monte, who engineered that chance, then unleashed a dipping twenty yard volley which just cleared the crossbar much to the frustration of a fully deserving winner of the Jack Batty Memorial Trophy as the Chatham Cup Final's best-performed player.

From Imray's resulting goal-kick, Feld sped down the right before crossing. Dale cleared his delivery, but only as far as Cheriton, whose shot deflected

off Moses Petelo onto a post.

Central scrambled the ball to safety, Dale leading the charge, before picking out Jordan wide on the left. Young was storming through the middle and latched onto the resulting pass, but was unable to beat Imray at close quarters - the `keeper had anticipated the danger well.

A technically superb volley from Ryan warmed the gloves of Gillespie from twenty-five yards at the end of the first half of stoppage time, and when the teams turned round, Central were soon on the attack through Jordan.

To the by-line he burrowed, evading two challengers before checking and drilling a low cross to the far post which was inches too far in front of Del Monte.

Jacob Mathews was next to explore the right flank, from where he whipped in a low cross for Young. His shot was blocked, with the rebound falling to Joel Mathews. He set up Del Monte for a bicycle kick which Imray grabbed gratefully in the 108th minute.

Wests then had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock, with Peters' free-kick being headed down by McKinley for Ryan. He mistimed his shot with the goal at his mercy, allowing Central to clear for a corner. Cheriton's delivery found the head of Michael Smith, but Gillespie was right behind his effort.

Sam Campbell was the next player to thwart an attack - defenders from both sides frequently made timely tackles when opposing strikers appeared poised to pull the trigger - when denying Petelo in what proved to be Suburbs' last attack of note.

The remainder of extra-time saw Central looking to break the deadlock, and they should have. Del Monte's twenty yard free-kick deflected off the wall straight to Imray, while Jordan spurned two great chances in the dying minutes, the latter in the last few seconds as Wests' defence failed to deal with Uhlmann's nod-down of a Dale free-kick.

Referee Kevin Stoltenkamp - he handled the game superbly - blew the final whistle, which meant that for the second time in history, and the second year in a row, a scoreless Chatham Cup Final would be decided by a penalty shoot-out.

The goalkeepers were the only two players who ended up not setting their sights from the twelve-yard mark, and neither Imray nor Gillespie could do anything to prevent shot after shot sailing past them into the net - the spot-kick-taking was top drawer stuff, particularly from those players who hoped their services wouldn't be required.

All, that is, except for one young man. And when Peters sent his effort soaring skywards, Central United began celebrating their fourth Chatham Cup triumph in eleven seasons.

Central: Gillespie; Dale, Waetford, Campbell, Uhlmann (booked, 28); Hayne (Jacob Mathews, 67), Joel Mathews, McGeorge (Niyonsaba, 95), Del Monte; Urlovic (Jordan, 62), Young

Wests: Imray; Broadhurst, McKinley, Harahap, Peters; Rowe (Feld, 52), Smith, Cheriton, Brown (Petelo, 81); Ryan, Winkel

Referee: Kevin Stoltenkamp

Chatham Cup