CHATHAM CUP SOCCER Club protests against loss

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33254, 18 June 1973, Page 24

CHATHAM CUP SOCCER Club protests against loss

An official protest against a goal disallowed, the elimination ol a club that has won the trophy most times, and the narrow escape of last season s beaten finalist, highlighted the lirsi round proper ol the (-hatham (.up soccer competition at the week-end.

The protest, spelt out in a telegram to the New Zealand Football Association, was made by Palmerston City after its 1-2 defeat by the Rothmans National League runnerup. Wellington City, yesterday.

i Wellington City opened the scoring midway through the first spell with a goal by R. Craig, but Palmerston equalised through H. Van Heckereen.

GOAL DISALLOWED I Then came the sensation [when Palmerston was awarded an indirect free-kick. The i full-back, J. Logan, ambled up as though to place the ball but instead immediately passed to Van Heckereen, whp slammed it past the Wellington goal-keeper. P. Whiting. But the referee disallowed the goal.

In the second half, S. Bruce scored the winning goal for Wellington.

Palmerston City has asked that the game be replayed on the grounds that the referee had no justification for disallowing Van Heckereen’s second goal. Eastern Suburbs, winner of the Chatham Cup a record fiive times since 1951, went

Idown to its fellow national league side. Blockhouse Bat, in extra time at Newmarket I Park yesterday. ! Both teams scored in the ! first half, through C. Shaw ! (Blockhouse) and J. Staines | (Suburbs), and just when t I seemed the match would have to be decided on pen , alties. Blockhouse got the (winner, C. Campbell’s corner kick was headed down by I Ormond to Shaw who hooked jthe ball just inside the left 'post. i Mount Wellington, which (lost in last season’s final to Christchurch United, had a hard tussle to beat Hamilton. 1-0, on Saturday, and proved a most disappointing side. One match was not played — that between Wellington Waterside and Wellington Diamond United at the Basin Reserve yesterday. The ground was ruled unfit.

Eastern Suburbs was the only national league side to fail" although Caversham had a difficult job disposing of its Southern League opponent. Dunedin North End, and finally edged through by the odd goal in three.

The second-round ties will be played on the week-end of July 7 and 8. Results in the first round were:

Southern region. — Northern zone: Rangers' 1, Christchurch United 6; Cashmere Wanderers |O, New Brighton 5. Southern zone: Dunedin North End I, Caversham 2: Invercargill Thistle 2 Dunedin City 0.

Central region. — Wellington Waterside v. Wellington Diamond United postponed; Kiwi United 1, Upper Hutt United 0; Stop Out 5. Nelson United 2; Napier Citv Rovers 3, Porirua United 2; Palmerston North City L Wei lington City 2; Gisborne City 5, Hungaria 1. Northern region.—North Shore United 2, Claudelands Rovers 0; Rotorua Suburbs 0, Manurewa 3: Blockhouse Bay 2, Eastern Suburbs 1 (after extra time); Hamilton 0 Mount Wellington 1; Birkenhead United 3, Ellerslie 4; Mount Eden 4, Takapuna City 1. (Reports of Brighton and Christchurch games on Page 17.)