Tauranga City's Chatham Cup run comes to an end
The Light Blues held their own but ended up losing 2-0 to one of the nation's best sides in Eastern Suburbs.
Tauranga City’s Chatham Cup run came to an end at the weekend but the Mount Maunganui side can hold their heads high after pushing Eastern Suburbs all the way in a 2-0 loss.
The fixture was one of the only games played across the region over the weekend after local councils made the decision to close pitches after a spell of bad weather. This fixture was in fact rearranged from the previous week after torrential rain left Links Avenue and Gordon Spratt unplayable.
City went into the game as firm underdogs against the Auckland-based side, who currently top the Northern section of NZF’s National League. However, Barry Gardiner’s team started strongly and should have been awarded a penalty early on after Daniel Bunch handled in the box but referee Jack Henderson waved for play to continue.
Tom Crawford stung the hands of Lilywhites goalkeeper Ernest Wong with a strike from range while Nathan Rostron could not follow up excellent footwork with a meaningful strike as City pushed for an opening goal.
Home goalie Callum Glover was also put to the test, sprawling across his box to tip a Jirayu Twigg effort wide and to ensure the game was goalless at the break.
Tempers flared in the second period after Liam Molloy’s robust challenge on three-cap New Zealand international Kelvin Kalua before the visitors finally took the lead.
It was a frustratingly soft goal for City to concede as striker Martin Bueno made the most of contact in the box before dusting himself off to convert the resulting penalty.
City pushed for an equaliser but found their rivals galvanised by taking the lead and eventually, they put the game to bed. Former Wellington Phoenix first-teamer Luis Toomey slotted home on the counter-attack late on, with City’s cup dream over for another year.
The Light Blues will take huge positives from the result and cup run, not least their resounding 6-0 win over another National League outfit, Manukau United. The last time City faced equitable opposition was a 2020 Chatham Cup meeting with all-conquering domestic side Auckland City. On that occasion, a young side was on the end of a 7-2 hiding, highlighting the progress that has been made with the Tauranga City senior side.
Attention will now focus on their NRFL Championship promotion battle, with hopes of facing off against the likes of Eastern Suburbs and Auckland City regularly next season.
This weekend, they face fellow contenders Ngaruawahia United at Centennial Park where a win will move them one point behind the second-placed Green Machine with two games in hand.
Elsewhere, a Joshua Clarkin hat-trick saw Papamoa downed 4-0 at Cambridge in the NRFL Men’s Southern Conference while late goals saw Ngongotaha Lakes lose 2-0 to Taupo.
Tauranga City’s women lost 2-0 at Manukau United over the weekend while their men’s WaiBOP League One side thrashed their Cambridge counterparts 7-2 - Thomas Crane hitting a treble.
Whakatane Town enjoyed their W-League run-out, demolishing Waiariki 17-0 with most Baywide fixtures off due to bad weather in the preceding week.