Late goal dashes local hopes of football glory

JACK MALCOLM

A late goal has knocked Nelson Suburbs out of the Chatham Cup as they looked to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.

In a double-header of elimination football at Saxton Fields, the home side came out on the wrong side of the ledger in both games as the women lost their Kate Sheppard quarter-final 6-0 to Cashmere Technical.

On a cold Sunday afternoon, the women managed to keep in touch through the first

45 minutes to be down 0-2 going into the break, but they weren’t able to keep the floodgates closed as the visitors ran away with the game in the second half. While the men were able to keep Cashmere Technical scoreless in their game for the first 80 minutes of play, they also weren’t able to find the back of the net despite numerous good chances. The late goal, with Suburbs caught off guard on the counterattack and leaving a man unguarded on the far post, gave the visiting side the advantage they needed to advance to the fourth round of the knock-out Chatham Cup.

The 0-1 loss does come with positives, as Suburbs showed they have what it takes to challenge the best teams in the South Island.

With Cashmere Technical sitting second on the Southern League table having lost just once this season, they were the clear favourites coming into the game and were made to work for the win.

Suburbs will be able to keep their heads held high, despite the heartbreak of nearly getting over the line.

It was clear how much the game meant to them by their reaction after the goal as they looked to chase down the deficit in the final minutes, but it was too little, too late as Cashmere parked the bus.

Both teams return to their regularly-scheduled Southern Conference competitions this weekend, with Suburbs looking to avenge their loss with an away rematch against Cashmere.