Masterton Athletic have fallen at the first hurdle in the Chatham Cup national knockout men's soccer competition..
The defending Wairarapa local league champions were beaten 2-1 in extra time by Eastbourne in a first round match played in Masterton on Tuesday.
Coach Stu McLean admitted the loss was disappointing as Eastbourne play
at a lowly fourth division level in the Capital Soccer leagues and Masterton Athletic had beaten teams graded well above them in preparatory matches.
"It was a game we should have won but we simply didn't make the most of our opportunities," McLean said. "We were gifted four or five really good scoring chances and didn't take them and that's what did us in the end,"
The two teams were locked together at 1-1 at the completion of ordinary time with Eastbourne scoring what was to be the winning goal in the first half of extra time.
The early elimination of Masterton Athletic leaves Wairarapa United as Wairarapa's sole remaining hope in the Chatham Cup series and they have drawn Petone in their opening match to be played within the next month.
Wairarapa United and Petone have already met in a Capital premier division inter-club this season with Petone taking the honours there.
With five wins from their five games Petone now have a clear lead on the premier division points table.
They are siting on 15pts, two more than Tawa and Wairarapa United a further point back in third place.
The full points table in order of matches played, matches won, matches drawn, matches lost, goals for, goals against and total points is:
Petone 5, 5, 0, 0, 15, 3, 15; Tawa 5, 4, 1, 12, 5, 13; Wairarapa United 5, 4, 0, 1, 16, 9, 12; Waterside-Karori 5, 2, 1, 2, 7, 9, 7; Western Suburbs 5, 2, 0, 3, 12, 8, 6; Brooklyn Northern 5, 1, 3, 1, 2, 3, 6; Island Bay United 5, 1, 2, 2, 6, 6, 5; Marist 5, 1, 1, 3, 6, 15, 4; North Wellington 5, 0, 2, 3, 2, 9, 2; Upper Hutt City 5, 0, 0, 5, 5, 16, 0.
