Chatham Cup Final
Words: Brandon Clarke
Images: Brandon Clarke
Melville United (Hamilton) v Christchurch United (Christchurch) in the New Zealand equivalent of the FA Cup Final.
In 1923, the crew of the Royal Navy's HMS Chatham were stationed in New Zealand and patrolled the coast, stopping in many ports and playing football matches against the local clubs. Near the end of the patrol the crew, out of their own pockets, commissioned a replica of the FA Cup and donated it to New Zealand Football, to be awarded annually as the nation's premier men's knock out football trophy.
This year marked the 100th anniversary of the Chatham Cup competition, and hopes were high that the final would live up to the occasion.
This year's final saw Melville United (beaten finalists in 2003 and 2019) up against Christchurch United, six times winners of the Chatham Cup, aiming for a record equalling seventh cup win.
Melville's captain debuted for the club as a school boy in 2003, but could not play in the final that year as he was cup-tied - having played for his school in the early rounds. Two decades later, he was playing in his final game for his beloved club, as they strove to win the Chatham Cup for the first time.
©Brandon Clarke/ Terrace Edition. Melville United vs Christchurch United.
Melville's fans made the one and a half hour trip up to North Harbour Stadium in good numbers, and were vocal and displaying many signs supporting the team. But in the 11th minute, nerves jangled as 16 year-old Melville Academy graduate Lucca Lim, playing as a left wing-back, unluckily opened the scoring at the wrong end, turning the ball into his own net.
Christchurch United dominated the first half, but could not believe their luck when George Brown, playing at right wing-back for Melville scored another own goal in the 36th minute. Christchurch 2-0 up.
With the game diverging from the fairy tail send off for their beloved captain, Melville grew into the 2nd half lead by a mercurial midfield display by young Ry McLeod. The red horde were vocal as they tried to lift their team and exploded into raucous celebrations when Lucca Lim redeemed himself with a stunning strike in the 72nd minute to give Melville hope.
Christchurch were hanging on as the Reds threw everything they had at them. However, as the clock wound down it looked like it was all to be in vain, but then in the eighth minute of additional time. Melville were awarded a dubious free kick.
Max Tommy, the Melville United goalkeeper, was sent forward into the mixer. Jerson Lagos floated a free kick in, Tommy rose up, got a glancing header onto it, which rebounded off a defender, and Max Tommy swung a leg and smashed it into the back of the net with what was literally the last kick in normal time, to extend Aaron Scott's career by at least another 30 minutes.
©Brandon Clarke/ Terrace Edition. Melville United vs Christchurch United.
Oh my giddy Aunt! Pandemonium! Absolute Scenes! An unbelievable finish to the 100th Chatham Cup Final!
Bonus football ensued, but with both sides tiring visibly and players cramping regularly, neither could find a goal, although Christchurch did force a couple of top class saves from Max Tommy.
On to the drama of deathstrikes! Could Aaron Scott finish his career taking the fifth penalty to win the Cup for Melville? Even this incredible drama couldn't, in the end, scale those heights of ridiculousness. Christchurch won the shootout 4-2 with Aaron Scott not needed for Melville's fifth.
Euphoria and gut-wrenching despair all within a single hour in the sunset at the end of an amazing cup run.
This is why we love this game and this cup, bought by the British sailors.
©Brandon Clarke/ Terrace Edition. Melville United vs Christchurch United.
©Brandon Clarke/ Terrace Edition. Melville United vs Christchurch United.
©Brandon Clarke/ Terrace Edition. Melville United vs Christchurch United.
©Brandon Clarke/ Terrace Edition. Melville United vs Christchurch United.
Brandon is on Twitter: @EatSleepFutBall
