Waitakere Score Cup Hat-Trick by Jeremy Ruane Waitakere City pulled off the Chatham Cup hat-trick at Park Island, beating Mt. Wellington  3-1 in front of 2000 spectators to join Christchurch United and Waterside as the only clubs in the competition's history to complete the "three-peat". Mount largely dominated the first half, despite a disjointed opening period. Heath McCormack sent a free header over the top of Waitakere's goal in the tenth minute, on receipt of a Sean Douglas free-kick. The Mount had a goal disallowed in the seventeenth minute, Kara Waetford's strike being ruled out after City 'keeper Grant Schofield had been impeded in attempting to reach a Jeff Campbell corner. McCormack had a golden chance to open the scoring four minutes later, but volleyed wildly wide after being set up by the Jack Batty Memorial Trophy winner as man-of-the-match, Mark Foy. The Morwell Falcons trialist, who, along with Douglas, was given permission to return especially for this game, missed an even better chance to score just shy of the half-hour. Put through with just Schofield to beat, he rolled his shot wide of the mark. A save by Nigel Kelly from a close-range Darren McClennan header in the 37th minute gave Waitakere some inspiration, but their play generally lacked its usual cohesion and fluency. As a consequence, frustrations were much to the fore, with Carl Jorgenson a principle offender in this regard. A reckless lunge by City's midfielder immediately prior to the half-time whistle left Mount's 'keeper, Kelly, nursing a clearly painful leg injury which restricted his motion throughout the second spell. The Mount began this half a goal to the good, and deservedly so. Foy's forward foraging was finally rewarded, with Campbell's cross finding the head of Nick Hyde. He powered a textbook downward header past Schofield's despairing dive to open the scoring in the 41st minute. The cup holders' response was to start the second half in determined fashion. They forced a succession of corners and delivered a series of crosses in the first fifteen minutes of the second half which ultimately gained their due reward. McClennan - who else? - found himself on the end of a Kane Lynch cross on the hour mark, and duly planted a firm header low inside Kelly's near post to level the scores. Unphased, The Mount rallied, with Foy, Paul Bunbury and Campbell all going close after a scramble. Their youthful exuberance had lit up the first forty-five minutes of the final, but Waitakere's big-match nous was by now beginning to make an impact. It was reflected on the scoreboard in the seventieth minute. Mark Elrick floated in a free-kick, Rodger Gray headed the ball downwards, and Neil Woodhams, turning sharply, rifled the ball into the far corner of the net. Eight minutes later, the game was up for The Mount. Liam Mulrooney unleashed a ferocious twenty-five yard drive which had 'nothing but net' written all over it. The Mount were gallant in defeat, though, with a late Foy drive flashing past the upright, and Schofield forced to turn a Gray header around his own post. The drama continued right to the last, with Woodhams' sending-off, for two bookable offences, taking a little gloss off Waitakere's record-equalling achievement. Mount:         Kelly; Brown (Viertel, 85), Waetford, Gillies, Douglas; Campbell (Ashton, 74), Bunbury, Hyde, Bell (Armstrong, 61); McCormack (booked, 69), Foy Waitakere:    Schofield; Fitzpatrick, Gray, Lynch (Allanson, 88); Woodhams (booked, 62, 90 - sent-off), Cain, Jorgenson, Bult, Mulrooney; Elrick, McClennan (booked, 20) Referee:        Howard Potter (Canterbury) Scoring:       Waitakere:  D. McClennan (60), N. Woodhams (70), L. Mulrooney (78)                     Mount:  N. Hyde (41)