Michael Gwyther stole the show in a heated North Shore derby with a hat trick in Glenfield’s 3-1 win over their near neighbours. Rovers lead 2-1 at the break with Robbie Lee netting for Birkenhead.
At Napier’s Park Island, Garry McDermott scored just before half time to give visiting Miramar the lead, which John Sutherland doubled within 15 minutes of the restart. Andy Pickering scored for the home side with six minutes left to set up a tense finish but Rangers hung on to keep alive hopes of a fourth Cup title.
On Saturday, Caversham’s Tom Jackson lead the way with a hat trick in an 8-2 rout of Roslyn Wakari in Dunedin. Patrick Fleming and Anthony Hancock both grabbed doubles and Seamus Ryder also got on the scoresheet for Caversham while Tim Dalman and Peter Rae netted consolation goals for Roslyn.
There were also hat tricks for Forrest Hill Milford’s Ryan De Vries and Wellington United’s Emiliano Tade as the strikers fired their clubs into the July 24 quarterfinals.
The pacy De Vries accounted for all his side’s goals as they brushed past Albany United 3-1, scoring early and late in the first half and midway through the second for an expertly taken triple.
Jason Hicks scored an injury time penalty for Albany, who played the last 10 minutes with a man advantage following a red card to Forrest Hill’s Sheldon Pillay.
Wellington United’s tie against Upper Hutt City was a closer affair, for 80 minutes at least, as Trent Watson’s first half strike was the only goal until Tade netted in the 82nd, 90th and 94th minutes to round out a 4-0 away win.
Penalty shootout heroics from goalkeeper Adam Highfield sealed a 4-3 spot kicks win for Ferrymead Bays over Western in Christchurch with the Ferrymead custodian saving Western’s first and fifth penalties at Cuthbert’s Green.
The game remained scoreless through 90 minutes and also for the first period of extra time but a 109th minute goal from Greg Draper looked to have sealed the win for Ferrymead until Colin McDermott struck six minutes later.
In Auckland, Bay Olympic ran out 3-1 winners over Waitakere City with each side finishing the match with 10 men, while 2008 champions East Coast Bays pipped Three Kings United 2-1 at Keith Hay Park.
The eight quarterfinalists now enter an open national draw, conducted live on Radio Sport this Tuesday at approximately 1pm.
There was also plenty of action over the weekend in the Women’s Knockout Cup.
Hamilton’s Claudelands Rovers stayed in the hunt for a return to the final by reaching the semi-finals with a 3-1 win over Eastern Suburbs in Auckland on Sunday.
Three of the current New Zealand U-17 squad were to the fore for last year’s beaten finalists, with Holly Patterson and Olvia Chance firing Claudelands to a 2-0 halftime lead and Young Football Ferns team mate Kate Loye adding a third in the 58th minute.
A 70th minute Leanne Tiffen goal gave Suburbs some fleeting hope of a comeback but one did not eventuate.
Also in Auckland, Three Kings shrugged off the absence of eight U-20 internationals – the Junior Football Ferns are in Switzerland preparing for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup – to defeat Northern League leaders Glenfield Rovers 2-0 with goals to Tessa Burger and Emma Kete.
Both teams finished the match with 10 players after Glenfield’s Michelle Hogg and Three Kings’ Sarah Gregorius were sent from the field for violent conduct.
In the only Women’s Knockout Cup fixture to be played on Saturday, Halswell United reached the semi-finals with a 3-1 win over Roslyn Wakari in Christchurch. Penny Chapman netted a goal in each half with Gabrielle Brodie rounding out the scoring for the home side and Kelly Brazier scoring for Roslyn.
The three winners will be joined by Wellington Marist, who won their quarterfinal by default, in Tuesday’s draw for the semi finals on the weekend of August 7 and 8.
Story and photo courtesy of NZF Media.
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