NUAFC 1968-2018

The Road to the Chatham Cup Semi-Finals 1998
1998
22 JUN 1998 , Edition 2, Page 14.
Ngaruawahia in final 8 after huge Cup boilover
By: ANDERSON Ian
Jeff Coulshed knows how to
talk a good game of soccer.
But it's unlikely he's capable of
scripting a Chatham Cup upset like the
one his Ngaruawahia side produced on
Saturday.
The Northern League division
one side defeated their higher-rated
Waikato rivals Hamilton Wanderers 1-0
to make the last eight of the knockout
competition at their hometown of
Centennial Park.
It was as if a fictional script of
what should unfold on the slushy pitch
over 90 minutes was shown to both sides
before the match started and the players
agreed to follow it to the letter.
The encounter had all the
ingredients of the archetypal Cup shock
result -- conditions which lessened the
skill factor, a below-par performance
from the favourites, a harassing display
from the underdogs, missed chances and
a late winner courtesy of a defensive
error.
That the outcome was possibly
written before the first whistle was
strongly hinted at when roaming
Wanderers defender Paul Caton got in
the way of a goalbound strike from the
premier division side just 90 seconds
into the game.
With Jonathon Perry dictating
in midfield and Scott Pilcher looking
dangerous down the flanks, it seemed a
matter of time before Wanderers
converted dominance into a goal but
chances were continually squandered as
shots and passes went astray and players
went slipping on the greasy turf.
As the central defensive pairing
of Marcus Trail and Aaron Kingi and
rock-solid goalkeeper Neil Mouncher
continued to excel against the strikeforce
of player-coach Darren Fellowes and
Paul Nixon, Ngaruawahia grew in
confidence.
As the second half dragged on
hope grew that the home team may just
somehow sneak a dramatic winner.
Five minutes from the end of
normal time and with a leg-sapping spell
of extra time looming, Wanderers
defender Craig Wallace sliced a freekick
delivered by Stu Watene back over
his keeper Grant Mawston and Kingi
had the simplest of nod-ins from 5m
Coulshed later deservedly
claimed some credit for organising his
side's game-winning tactics.
But there was an undeniable
sense of fate overhanging.
8 JUL 1998 , Edition 2, Page 12.
Ngaruawahia in Cup final hunt
By: ANDERSON Ian
Ngaruawahia could yet host
part of this season's Chatham Cup soccer
final.
The 1998 Chatham Cup final
could be a two-leg affair and Northern
League division one
side Ngaruawahia must at least fancy
their chances of making the last four.
They host premier division
outfit Bay Olympic of Auckland on July
19 while Soccer New Zealand toy with a
number of issues regarding the Cup
competition which has lost most of its
prestige since the switch to summer
soccer in 1994.
The format, venue and date for
the final has yet to be decided but could
be confirmed after the quarterfinals are
played. SNZ competitions manager
Glenn Turner said a two-leg final was an
option with two dates proposed at
present for the final -- September 19 and
26.
The Chatham Cup final was
held over two legs for three consecutive
seasons in the late 1980s, with Waikato
United winning the trophy in 1988 on
the away goals rule against Christchurch
United.
It's possible the final could be
played on a home-and-away basis at the
club grounds of the respective finalists
after being hosted in Napier for the past
five seasons. SNZ have been criticised
for deciding on the Napier venue early
each year when Napier City Rovers only
qualified for the '93 and '97 finals. The
city has hosted two matches between two
Auckland teams and one between
Auckland and Wellington rivals.
Soccer Hawke's Bay is keen to
host the final again this year but at
McLean Park, with the Napier club not
interested in making their Park Island
ground the venue. It's unlikely SNZ
would want the match to be played in
front of a small crowd at a stadium
which can hold 18,000.
The Wellington Football
Association has lost interest in being a
possible host after planning to hold the
final as part of their 75th anniversary
celebrations and it's unlikely Palmerston
North's bid will be approved.
NGARUAWAHIA United will
have the support of all Waikato when it
takes on Northern Premier rivals Bay
Olympic in the quarterfinals of the
Chatham Cup next week.
Northern League Division
One Ngaruawahia has had its best cup
run, beating Three Kings United, the
combined side whose constituent clubs
Eden and Mt Roskill are former winners
and Eastern Suburbs, another illustrious
12 JUL 1998 , Edition A, Page 12.
name from soccer's past.
The small-town upstarts were
expected to get their come-uppance in
the last round when they were drawn
against Waikato's premier winter side,
Hamilton Wanderers. But the surprise of
the round saw Ngaruawahia take the
match 1-0.
"It was a mistake by their
goalkeeper and a defender, who were
both former Ngaruawahia players, that
allowed us to score our goal," club
secretary Kirsten Henckel said.
The club and the town are
looking forward to the Centennial Park
clash against Bay Olympic, the newly
amalgamated club combining Green Bay
-Titirangi and another former cup
winner, Blockhouse Bay.
"We were due to play Melville
in the league that day, but we expect
they'll turn up and cheer us on," Henckel
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