In-form striker Angus Kilkolly is likely to be a tightly-marked man when Miramar Rangers take on fierce rivals Wellington Olympic in round four of the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup this weekend.

Olympic know all about the damage Kilkolly can do after falling to a 3-1 loss to Rangers in league action last week – the 23-year-old supplying all of his side’s goals with a hat-trick.

He is therefore unlikely to be given much time and space to repeat that feat in a rematch between the sides on Saturday afternoon at David Farrington Park in the capital. But Kilkolly feels there is enough quality in the Miramar side to earn another win, even if his considerable talents are shackled.

“Scoring that hat-trick was obviously a good confidence booster for me and I think we’ve won nine games on the trot now so the boys are feeling pretty confident – we definitely know we’re capable of winning the game,” he says.

“We’ve got a lot of good players with national league experience in our side this year and, on any given day, a different player is going to step up. Last week it was my time I guess but we’ve had Jack-Henry Sinclair, Joel Stevens, Ollie Bassett and others who have stepped up in previous games to help us get results as well.”

Wellington Olympic possess no lack of quality themselves though in the likes of Solomon Islands captain Henry Fa’arado, skilful Argentinian Leonardo Villa, former Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Keegan Smith and Team Wellington goal-getter Tom Jackson.

“Olympic are similar in that they’re a team that has a lot of national league experience as well,” Kilkolly admits.

“We have a massive rivalry with them and we’re two of the most successful clubs in Wellington so there’s a rich history between us. It’s always a big derby and draws quite a big crowd. So I think it will be an exciting day and hopefully we can come out on top.”

If Kilkolly can help his team get past Olympic again, he’ll be one step closer to fulfilling a lifelong dream of lifting one of the most revered trophies in New Zealand sport. He has come close to a Chatham Cup triumph on previous occasions, losing the 2015 final to Eastern Suburbs and going out in the semi-finals the year before, both times as a Napier City Rovers player.
 

                         Angus Kilkolly also stars for Team Wellington in the ISPS Handa Premiership (Photosport) 

“I think if you asked anyone in this country about what trophy they’d most want to win, the Chatham Cup would be the one they’d say,” Kilkolly says.

“It’s one of those trophies that’s quite hard to win because it’s a knockout competition and a lot of players don’t even get close to having a chance of winning it. So to have another chance to try to get my hands on that trophy is massive and I think the club is really desperate to win it again as well,” he adds.

“Everyone at the club is buzzing and I think they’re looking to make quite a big deal of it this weekend.”

Miramar have a proud history in the Chatham Cup after winning it on four occasions, most recently in 2010. But Wellington Olympic also have some success to draw upon as they lifted the cup for the first and only time a year earlier in 2009.

The capital derby is one of eight ISPS Handa Chatham Cup matches taking place across the country this weekend as the remaining teams fight it out for a berth in the quarter-finals, see below for all the match details.

ISPS Handa Chatham Cup Round Four

Northern/Auckland/WaiBOP

Saturday 6 July

Albany United vs Eastern Suburbs, Rosedale Park, 2pm
Waitakere City vs Melville United, Fred Taylor Park, 2pm
Bay Olympic vs Manukau United, Olympic Park, 2pm
Onehunga Sports vs North Shore United, Waikaraka Park, 2pm

Central/Capital

Saturday 6 July

Miramar Rangers vs Wellington Olympic, David Farrington Park, 2pm

Sunday 7 July

Napier City Rovers vs Western Suburbs, Bluewater Stadium, 2pm

Mainland/South

Saturday 6 July

Christchurch United vs Nelson Suburbs, Christchurch Football Centre, 7pm

Sunday 7 July

Roslyn Wakari vs Caversham, Ellis Park, 2pm

For more information on the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup please click here

Article added: Friday 05 July 2019