Soccer: Red mist descends on Onehunga Sports

Onehunga Sports' Haider Jabir is challenged by Hamish Chang of Caversham AFC. Photo / Herald Online.

Caversham AFC have powered through to the semi-finals of the Chatham Cup after defeating Onehunga Sports 4-0 at Waikaraka Park in Auckland today.

With the match played in boggy conditions, the football was never going to be free-flowing. But both teams served up a classic cup encounter, in which four red cards were brandished by the referee - three for the home side and one for Caversham goalscorer Ant Hancock.

Onehunga started the match brightly. Livewire striker Iwa Shaker gave the Caversham defence some cause for concern early on, but goalkeeper Callum Flaws was more than equal to anything the Auckland side had to throw at him.

Neither side could build any sort of momentum on the muddy turf, but it was the southerners who adapted better early on.

The crucial breakthrough came for Caversham on 28 minutes, when Jeremy Wild's shot crashed back off the bar and fell to Tom Schwarz. The Caversham defender was fouled by the last man, Paul Day, who was shown a red card by the referee.

Patrick Fleming made no mistake from the penalty spot to put the visitors 1-0 up.

Things went from bad to worse for Onehunga in the second half.

With 57 minutes played, Tom Jackson beat the offside trap and rounded the Onehunga goalkeeper before coolly slotting the ball into the back of the net.

That second goal sparked some end-to-end action and the home side almost pegged Caversham back minutes later. A weaving run by Shaker ended with a tempting ball across the six-yard box, but Scott Foster couldn't convert.

On 70 minutes the result was put beyond doubt. The excellent Fleming crossed to Jackson, who volleyed home after his initial shot was parried by the goalkeeper.

Ant Hancock added a fourth late on - despite appearing to have handled the ball in an offside position - before a flurry of red cards were issued by the referee.

Onehunga defender Reece Day was sent off for dissent, before Hancock followed for a rash tackle. Scott Foster joined his teammates in the changing rooms after becoming the fourth sending off of the afternoon.

Caversham captain Darren Overton was "ecstatic" with the result and wouldn't rule out reaching the final.

"Anything's possible in cup football," he said.

"It was pretty tight in the first 45, but then we just ran away with it. That was most likely going to happen, being a player up."

In other Chatham Cup results, Bay Olympic beat Dunedin Technical 5-3 on penalties after the score was locked at 3-3 at the end of extra time. Napier City Rovers beat Manurewa 3-2, while Wairarapa United overcame Waitakere City 4-1.

- Herald Online