Central’s Cup Runneth Over For Second Straight Year by Jeremy Ruane (photo courtesy Colin Cook) Central United maintained their grip on soccer’s Chatham Cup on September 19, the 1997 cup winners handing out a 5-0 thrashing to Dunedin Technical in the 1998 final before a 5000-strong crowd under the North Harbour Stadium lights. Three goals in the last eleven minutes killed off a gallant challenge from the southerners, who had proven to be quite a handful for the co-coached Central combination up to that point, a fact borne out by the final shot-count - 13-9 in United’s favour. But if you don’t take your chances, you don’t win your matches, and Dunedin, unbeaten all season prior to this game, will be well aware that their inability to find the back of the net ultimately proved to be their downfall. Unlike the majority of cup finals, this one began brightly, with Terry Torrens, later to be named winner of the Jack Batty Memorial Trophy as man-of-the-match, sending a twenty-yard drive whistling past Rod Renfrew’s upright barely forty seconds after referee Bruce Grimshaw had blown his whistle to start the game. The fleet-of-foot Noah Hickey supplied the next chance, but Paul Urlovic was unable to direct his sixth minute header wide of the well-positioned Renfrew, whose resulting clearance sparked a Dunedin attack which culminated in a splendid save from Ross Nicholson, as he flung himself to his right to deny Rodney Fleming. Hickey was leading Hamish Gowans a merry dance in the early stages, and he broke clear down the left again in the fourteenth minute. Mathew Urlovic came steaming in at the far post as the All White’s low cross sizzled across the face of goal, and the striker only just failed to get the vital touch which would have given Central the lead. Barely a minute had passed before the opening goal came to pass. Matt Fowler, impressive throughout, slid the ball through from the right for Urlovic, scorer of two goals in the 1997 final. After scything into the penalty area, he opened his account in this match with an unerring fifteen yard drive into the bottom far corner of the net. Former All White defender Graham Marshall has proved a hit since moving into the frontline at Dunedin Technical, and much of what was good about the southerners’ play in this game invariably involved the shaven-headed targetman. He it was who sparked Dunedin’s response to Urlovic’s strike five minutes later, surging through the middle before linking with David Johnston. His low cross found the overlapping Aaron McFarland in space with just Nicholson to beat, but his shot sailed over the crossbar, and Central’s three-man defence regrouped with some relief. Another Hickey spurt, following some fine interplay by the Urlovic brothers, almost brought the speedster a goal in the 24th minute, his deft effort, struck with the outside of his right foot from near the byline, curling agonisingly across the face of the target, much to Renfrew’s relief. This was Central’s last attack of note in the first half, the remainder of which saw Dunedin determinedly going about the task of prying open the cup holders’ rearguard. But Torrens and company repelled just about everything the southerners could throw at them, although the means Jason New used to curtail a Marshall surge in the 38th minute left a great deal to be desired - he was extremely fortunate to escape with just a lecture from Referee of the Year Grimshaw. Two minutes prior to this, Marshall had found a way through Central’s defences, after Jeremy Seales’ delightful through ball had released Gowans down the right. He cut inside before floating in a teasing cross which picked out the inrushing Marshall, who had done well to avoid the offside trap. Due to the fast-approaching Nicholson, however, he snatched at the chance, and once again, the ball cleared the crossbar. The second spell began with more Dunedin pressure, Fleming unleashing a snapshot into the midriff of Nicholson in the 48th minute. The cup holders’ response, five minutes later, saw them extending their lead. Bruce Hill released Hickey down the left with the sort of through ball which any speedster would relish pursuing. The All White, playing in his first Chatham Cup Final, made the most of the chase, leaving his marker for dead as he latched onto the ball before cutting inside and drilling his shot underneath the falling Renfrew - 2-0. It was do or die now for Dunedin, and they poured forward in search of the goal they needed to get back into the match. But try as they might, it would not come. A Johnston free-kick in the 55th minute picked out Nick Longley, whose looping header deceived Nicholson, only to hit the top of the crossbar. Seconds later, Marshall charged through, only to be denied in the act of shooting by Torrens’ superbly timed recovering tackle. Darren Melville spurned a shooting chance in the 62nd minute, but was relieved to see McFarland steal in to take up the option, only for his shot to be deflected to safety. Central came back, Hill and Paul Urlovic combining to release Mathew Urlovic on one of his languid runs at goal. Seales came roaring back to emulate Torrens’ tackle on Marshall some ten minutes earlier. Paul Urlovic had the scent of victory in his nostrils, however, and went goal-hunting again in the 68th minute, unleashing a twenty-yard grasscutter which left Renfrew beaten all ends up, only to creep inches past the upright. Fleming lifted a shot over the top in response to this effort, and Marshall sent another effort curling narrowly wide, but by this time, the roof had caved in on Dunedin’s Chatham Cup dream. Central were awarded a free-kick some thirty-five yards out from goal on the angle in the 79th minute, and newly-crowned Young Player of the Year Paul Urlovic stepped up to unleash a thunderous drive at the target. Such was the ferocity of the goalbound shot that Renfrew’s attempts to parry the ball to safety resulted in the sphere spinning over the line by his right-hand post. Another rasping drive from Central’s two-goal hero two minutes later left Renfrew floundering as it crashed against the crossbar, but Central had two minutes to wait before they were celebrating again. Hickey burst through in the 83rd minute to fire home his second goal of the game, a grasscutter which whizzed past Renfrew and under the net behind him, much to the delight of one group of Central fans, who set off a flare to celebrate, something which didn’t greatly amuse the security team! The speedster went hat-trick hunting two minutes later, only for the beleaguered goalkeeper to parry his shot to supposed safety. But Ivan Vicelich, who had entered the fray fourteen minutes previously, pounced on the loose ball to crack home number five. The All White defender was denied by Renfrew two minutes from time, while Marshall, who never gave up the fight despite the numerous late alterations to the scoreboard, forced a fine reflex save from Nicholson with the last attack of note in the match. While the biggest margin of victory in the Chatham Cup Final since 1993 was a little flattering to Central in the end, the holders were worthy winners of the honour for the second successive year, and in 1999, will look to repeat the recent Chatham Cup ‘three-peat’ of Waitakere City, the holders of the trophy prior to Central’s 1997 victory. At least Dunedin Technical have something in the way of a consolation prize to take home with them, in recognition of their feat in reaching the final after being ousted in the semi-finals in both 1996 and 1997 - the rediscovered Bob Smith Memorial Trophy, last presented to the Chatham Cup runners-up in 1981 before going AWOL, will take pride of place in the club’s trophy cabinet for the next twelve months. Central:     Nicholson; New, Torrens, Uhlmann; Fowler, Hill (Philpott, 87), Farrington, Ridenton (Loftus, 62), M. Urlovic (Vicelich, 71); P. Urlovic, Hickey Dunedin:     Renfrew; Gowans (Wilson, 85), Longley, Seales, Harahap (Jack, 84); McFarland, Morris, Scoullar, Johnston (Melville, 57); Marshall, Fleming Referee:     Bruce Grimshaw (Hawke’s Bay) Scoring:     P. Urlovic (15, 79), N. Hickey (53, 83), I. Vicelich (85)