Soccer: Gallant schoolboys go down fighting

By TERRY MADDAFORD

The Mt Albert Grammar soccer team's dream of Chatham Cup glory is over.

They went down fighting yesterday to University Mt Wellington, who killed off the schoolboys' challenge with two goals in just over a minute and went on to win 3-0.

But the win kept another dream alive.

University Mt Wellington are into the quarter-finals and on course for a sixth cup triumph - a record shared between North Shore United and Christchurch United.

Shore are aiming for a seventh win after despatching Southern Trust national league side Tauranga City - also 3-0 - in a good away victory for the non-leaguers.

National league leaders Miramar Rangers are out, dumped in a nine-goal thriller away to struggling Christchurch City, who came from behind to win 5-4 with a 109th-minute golden goal from 19-year-old Jamie Duncan.

City went ahead with an early Ben Sigmund strike, but Rangers hit back with goals from Geoff Brown and Nic Longley for a 2-1 lead at halftime.

Brent Fisher had the home side back to 2-2, but a Tim Butterfield penalty and a second goal for Brown had the visitors cruising at 4-2.

Christchurch then struck again, with Adam Letts and Fisher grabbing the goals to send the tie into extra time.

The first 15-minute period failed to break the deadlock, but Duncan, with 11 minutes to play, made certain City would join Dunedin Technical as a second South Island team in today's draw for the quarter-finals.

"The ball went loose and landed right in front of me. I just shut my eyes and hoped," Duncan said.

North Shore, playing with more commitment than their national league opponents, Tauranga City, went ahead, perhaps a little against the run of play, through Rob Ward.

They held that advantage at halftime and further underlined their claims in the second spell as Jamie McKenna and Ward scored in a game in which referee Graham Whitford flashed half a dozen yellow cards.

Cup-holders Napier City Rovers needed second-half goals from Scott Pilcher and Martin Akers to beat non-league side Lower Hutt City 2-1 after Mark Foster had given the home side a 1-0 lead at the break.

Eastern Suburbs ensured they would be one of four Auckland teams in the last eight with a 4-1 home win over Taupo after the visitors had gone ahead early through an Allan Lamb goal. Mt Albert Grammar's bid to become the first school team in the quarter-finals began promisingly, but in the end the greater strength and experience of their opponents won through.

Captain Paul Bunbury opened the scoring in the 35th minute and Heath McCormack overpowered 14-year-old Mt Albert goalkeeper Roman Priore just 80s later for 2-0.

It was a goal typical of many ruled out by referees for a foul on the goalkeeper, but Peter O'Leary was happy to award it.

The tie was effectively killed on the hour when substitute Stu Roberts played in a ball which Priore was unable to hold and McCormack was on hand to provide the finishing touch.

The last fourth-round tie will be between Central United and Waitakere City at Kiwitea St on Sunday.