This afternoon saw the last quarterfinal match of the 2024 Chatham Cup, and we now know which four teams will battle for a spot in the grand final!

The action kicked off on Saturday with two matches taking place simultaneously. Wellington Olympic hosted Manurewa AFC, while Hibiscus Coast AFC faced Coastal Spirit.

The first team to secure a semifinal spot was Wellington Olympic. The Greeks were clearly dominant over Manurewa, securing a comfortable 4-0 victory with goals from Hamish Watson (2), Ben Mata, and Kaelin Nguyen.

On the other side, the match at Stanmore Bay Park was much more suspenseful. Coastal Spirit started strong with a goal from Alejandro Steinwascher, but Hibiscus Coast equalised before halftime with a goal from Daniel Cyra. In the second half, Hibiscus Coast took the lead with a goal from Adam Dickinson, but Coastal Spirit's Joe Hoole scored just two minutes later to level things out at 2-2. The match ended 2-2 after the regular 90 minutes, leading to extra time. With the support of a large crowd, Nathan Craney’s team recover the lead with a goal from Adam Windelburn, but then Hoole scored his second goal of the match to finish the extra time at 3-3. The tie was decided by a penalty shootout, where Coastal Spirit proved more efficient, winning 6-5.

On Saturday night, Otago University hosted Auckland City FC, with a brief delay due to a power outage. The home team fought hard in the first half, trailing 2-1 at halftime. However, the Navy Blues came back stronger in the second half, sealing a 5-1 win with goals from Angus Kilkolly (3), Derek Tieku, and an own goal.

The last quarterfinal was on Sunday and saw Napier City Rovers play at home in Bluewater Stadium, against Birkenhead United. The team from the North Shore of Auckland continued to show they are a force to be reckoned with, leading 2-0 at halftime with goals from Corban Piper and Monty Patterson. Napier City Rovers' Jack Albertini narrowed the gap in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. Birkenhead United held on to win and became the final team to advance to the semifinals, and now have their eyes on the title.

Don’t miss the Chatham Cup semifinal draw this Tuesday on the New Zealand Football YouTube channel. Of the four teams remaining, two are from the Northern League (Auckland City FC and Birkenhead United), one from the Central League (Wellington Olympic), and one from the Southern League (Coastal Spirit). The matches will be played over the weekend of August 16-18, with exact dates and times to be confirmed.

Article added: Sunday 28 July 2024