Hamilton Wanderers crash out of Chatham Cup in penalty controversy

Tommy Semmy with a shot on goal against Manukau United in the Chatham Cup at Porritt Stadium. Photo / Grant Stantiall

In their Chatham Cup replay against Manukau United, Hamilton Wanderers loss 3-1 ending their dreams of cup glory before it had really got started.

The replay was because the original fixture was called off two weeks ago, with Manukau 2-0 up with 60 minutes on the clock in that game.

In that game, Manukau had taken the lead within the opening two minutes of the game, Wanderers. This game it took Manukau 20 minutes to break the deadlock through Iwa Shaker.

Until that point, the game had been open and tightly contested, but one team move was able to slip Shaker through who calmly slotted the ball past Wanderers keeper Jackson Hawke.

Wanderers attempted to respond via Liam Fellowes who was gifted a one on one chance with the Manukau keeper. It was a missed chance that proved costly in the full picture.

Tommy Semmy brought Wanderers back into the game with a goal of his own, but it was the pin-point pass from Raheem Hunter which made the goal.

Hunter, who had fought off an opposition defender, was able to perfectly thread the ball to the feet of Semmy who's shot nestled in the back of the net.

The joy did not last long for Wanderers, as Shaker again put Manukau in the lead after an initial shot was saved by Hawke.

Semmy was, as usual, Wanderers' main focal point with chance after chance falling to his feet, but his shots were falling wide of the mark, except one that Manukau was forced to clear away.

At the start of the second half, Iwa Shaker scored his third and completed his hattrick, however it was a penalty shout for Wanderers that spoiled what was a great game.

Tommy Semmy was brought down in Manukau's box due to the clearest of fouls, however the referee failed to award the penalty much to the anger of the home supporters.

Wanderers were fighting back until that point, but after the call was not given, the game began to fall off in quality as both sets of players threw in challenges and halted play due to fouls.

The result leaves Melville United and Waikato Unicol as Hamilton's representatives in the next round of the Chatham Cup