Napier win crazy final
Napier City Rovers claimed their fifth Chatham Cup in stunning fashion, coming from behind to beat Melville United 3-2 at QBE Stadium in Albany yesterday.
Midfielder Sho Goto scored their winner just before stoppage time began, capping off a frenetic final 10 minutes, which began with Melville holding on desperately to a 1-0 lead.
Since the dismissal of Melville midfielder Mark Jones for a second yellow card – and a second reckless challenge – just after the hour mark, Napier had been the dominant side.
Napier had been hunting for an equaliser since the 12th minute, when Federico Marquez struck from outside the box to put Melville in front, allowing them to dream of taking the Chatham Cup to Hamilton for the first time since 1988.
It took a while for Napier to crush those dreams, but eventually they got there, making the most of their oneman advantage to give Melville goalkeeper Max Tommy a thorough examination as rain poured down in Auckland.
Napier’s equaliser finally came in the 82nd minute, when Jonny Mcnamara did well to hold off Melville defender Luke Searle before turning and shooting from point-blank range, giving Tommy no chance.
Two minutes after that, Liam Schofield received the ball in the box down the left – the flank that had been defended by Jones – and shot past Tommy into the far corner, putting Napier in front.
The drama didn’t end there, however,
as Melville found the strength to rally, and it was their veteran captain and centreback Aaron Scott who drew them back level, turning and shooting with the calmness of a striker when Napier failed to clear a free kick from deep.
At that stage, Melville would have had extra time and a chance to regroup in their sights, if nothing else, but their relief didn’t last long, with Napier continuing to pile on the pressure.
Tommy had been strong all day but two minutes from time he failed to claim a routine ball, forcing Searle to intervene and clear it off the line for a corner, which Scott got his head to first.
The ball fell to Goto just inside the area and he smashed his shot goalward through a thicket of bodies, giving Napier the lead for the second – and final – time.
Melville had been the stronger side in the first half, as attacking midfielder Craig Pritchard combined neatly with fellow Welshmen Marc Evans and Josh Davies, but were on the back foot after the break.
Evans had one final chance to send the game to extra time, sending in a speculative effort from the left, but Napier keeper Josh Hill was equal to it. A minute later, he and his team-mates were celebrating, the Napier side of 2019 joining those from 2002, 2000, 1993 and 1985.