A standout team performance against Waitemata has secured Kerikeri FC their spot in the next round of Chatham Cup football.
Kerikeri's player/coach Jeremy Rintoul said his team on Saturday played high-quality football at Waipapa Baysport ground and shut down the visitors to win 4-1. "For the first 35 minutes we absolutely
dominated them," he said. "We were passing well and played well in the midfield, and managed to put the game out of their reach in the first half so in the second we were just cruising," he said.
Sixteen minutes into the match, Mark Coleman put the first goal away for the hosts, and five minutes later teammate Tibor Velska followed his lead.
Zdenek Rosa also found the back of the net before Waitemata showed a glimmer of hope, sinking one. But just on halftime, Colin Taylor scored Kerikeri's fourth goal, sealing the visitors' fate. The win put Kerikeri in the next round of the Chatham Cup, the draw of which was to be made official today.
Next Sunday the Kerikeri women will host Waitakere City at Waipapa Baysport at 2pm, in the New Zealand Knockout Cup.
Things were not so rosy for FC Whangarei on Saturday when they were knocked out of the Chatham Cup by Auckland Sunday League frontrunners Bohemian Celtic 2-1.
Coach Carl Compaan said both teams produced an aggressive spectacle. After 62 minutes Bohemian Celtic got their first point, a penalty, and the score was evened up again just before fulltime when FC Whangarei's Isaac Jerez kicked a penalty.
However, yet another penalty went the visitors' way, and they wrapped up the game at fulltime.
Two red cards in the first 20 minutes to FC Whangarei's Adam Sharp and a Bohemian Celtic player for a "bit of niggle" between them left each side with 10 a side. After 80 minutes, Bohemian Celtic incurred another red card, but they still secured the win.
Compaan said goalkeeper Graeme Yearbury, in his 35th year involved with the Chatham Cup, played an exceptional 90 minutes for FC Whangarei.
