Soccer: Waitakere battle hard to make Chatham semis

By Bob Pearce

Waitakere City, kings of club soccer in the mid-90s, are back on track to finish the decade with a flourish.

The West Auckland club, who won a hat-trick of Chatham Cups from 1994, battled into the semifinals with a hard-fought 4-3 win over Tauranga City at Fred Taylor Park yesterday.

They will be joined in the semis by Takapuna from the northern first division, who beat fellow Aucklanders Bay Olympic 4-0, Dunedin Technical, 4-3 winners over Miramar, and Napier, who needed extra time to beat Wellington Olympic 3-2.

The draw for the semifinals will be made this morning.

After a moderate start to the season, Waitakere have fought their way up to third place in the North Island soccer league with a mixture of youth and experience in their ranks.

And they needed plenty of both to foil Tauranga, who lead the northern premier league and play like a team deserving a step-up.

Yesterday they were undone by a touch of early nerves, allowing Waitakere to establish a 2-0 lead in the first 19 minutes - and it could have been more.

Young Hamish Carmody, who had moments earlier missed a clear chance, scored the first after 15 minutes, capitalising on a pass from veteran striker Darren McClennan.

Four minutes later Jonathon Worley made it 2-0 with a left-foot curler from 25 metres, which left goalkeeper James Pamment clutching air.

Worley was in the action at the other end just before halftime when he cleared off the line when a Waitakere defender's clearance went awry.

Two goals down at halftime and a lesser side would have folded. Not Tauranga. Tony ter Ellen put them on the scoresheet with an unchallenged header from a Paul Probert freekick in the 52nd minute.

Then David Manville took a pass from brother Kevin on the right and drove home the equaliser from 19 metres.

Waitakere were stung out of their complacency and when Tauranga failed to clear a corner, Carmody produced an athletic header to make it 3-2.

The red-headed youngster seemed to have put the victory beyond doubt when he completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 76th minute after Pamment had brought him down.

Tauranga's final flourish produced the best goal of the game. A great buildup started by Kevin Manville was again finished off by his brother with a well-placed strike.

Takapuna made Bay Olympic look very ordinary with the experienced Paul Hobson scoring one goal and dominating proceedings.

Dunedin were 2-0 up at halftime but were hanging on at the end for their 4-3 win over Miramar.

Napier had to come from 2-1 down against Wellington Olympic to force extra time when Warren Gilbertson scored the winner in the 114th minute.

In a North Island league game played yesterday, Central inched closer to the title with a 1-1 draw with Lower Hutt.