Auckland City keep quadruple title hopes alive with Chatham Cup football final win – Stuff

Andrew Cornaga/Photosport

Auckland City's goalscorer Dylan Manickum (R) shields the ball from Eastern Suburbs' Kevin Kalua in the Chatham Cup final.

Dylan Manickums second half strike has given Oceania champions Auckland City their first Chatham Cup mens football title and kept them on course for a coveted quadruple.

City, who have won Oceania honours 10 times, beat crosstown rivals Eastern Suburbs 1-0 in Sundays final at North Harbour Stadium.

Manickum struck around the 55th-minute mark after latching onto a neat backheel from captain Cam Howieson and feinting to wrongfoot the Suburbs defence.

His right-footed shot could have been saved by Joe Knowles, but the teenage keepers foot seemed to slip and the ball fizzed into the corner of the net.

READ MORE:* Auckland United win Kate Sheppard Cup against Ian Foster's daughter's Northern Rovers side* The money trail of New Zealand's top amateur football club * Premier League games off as 'mark of respect' to Queen Elizabeth II* Champions League: Liverpool slump to heavy loss against Napoli

The cup first presented in 1923 has resided at Citys Kiwitea St headquarters five times after being won by sister club Central United in 1997, 1998, 2005, 2007 and 2012.

But that was in the days when Auckland City competed as a franchise in the summer national league and were thus precluded from the Chatham Cup.

This was their first cup victory under the Auckland City banner, with the national league now a club-based competition.

David Rowland/Photosport

Eastern Suburbs defender Stephen Hoyle (R) attempts to shackle Auckland City striker Ryan de Vries.

City will be the favourites to win the 10-team national league starting in October.

They are in with a chance of quadruple success, after already winning the Oceania Champions League final, 3-0 against Tahitis AS Venus in Auckland in August, and then wrapping up the Northern Premier League title before the Chatham Cup triumph.

But coach Albert Rieira, the former Wellington Phoenix favourite, will demand better than the performance produced in the cup final.

The first half was played at pedestrian pace, with Auckland City failing to find a way to breach Eastern Suburbs press.

NZ Football/Facebook

Arch rivals Auckland City and Eastern Suburbs were contesting the 2022 Chatham Cup final at North Harbour Stadium.

It looked like Citys former All Whites striker Ryan de Vries was set to strike in the 27th minute, but Suburbs centreback Stephen Hoyle whipped the ball off his toes.

Knowles saved comfortably from Citys Alfie Rogers in the 30th minute, but there were few other chances in the first spell.

Manickums goal apart, the third quarter was hardly brimming with goal opportunities either before play became more open in the final exchanges.

Suburbs never gave up hope of an equaliser, with skipper Michael Built almost fashioning one in the 77th minute.

His searching corner wasnt dealt with by the City defence and Hoyle, beyond the far post, turned the ball back across the goal where it was twice blocked by Auckland defenders before keeper Conor Tracey could swoop.

andrew cornaga/Photosport

Auckland City celebrate their winning goal.

Experienced Suburbs forward Adam Thurston won a freekick soon after, but whipped his shot over the bar and Hoyle blazed over with a snapshot on the turn after another Built corner glanced off de Vries head.

Captain Howieson said before receiving the trophy that the club were delighted to win a first Chatham Cup and now wanted to pick up all four trophies in 2022.

It was a great effort by the boys, the former Burnley, St Mirren and All Whites midfielder said. It wasnt the prettiest of games, but were happy to get over the line.

Were going to keep going. Thats a third trophy this season ,but we want to make it and fourth and make history.

Three Eastern Suburbs players, keeper Knowles and midfielder Aaryan Raj and fullback Jackson Jarvie, are set to now join the New Zealand under-19 team at the Oceania championships in Tahiti.

They were given a late arrival pass by national coach Darren Bazeley to allow them to play in the cup final.

New Zealand advanced to the quarterfinals with a 9-0 win over American Samoa on Sunday.

Hamilton-based South Islander Oliver Colloty grabbed a hat-trick while Kian Donkers and Charlie Beale added doubles. Captain Finn Surman, from the Wellington Phoenix, also got on the scoresheet with Jackson Manuel.

See the original post:

Auckland City keep quadruple title hopes alive with Chatham Cup football final win - Stuff