Football: Extra time needed to decide seven-goal thriller

The composed Jerahl Hughes' clinical finishing proved the difference in the first round Chatham Cup match between Tauranga City United and Manukau City AFC at Links Avenue. Photo/Andrew Warner

Belvedere Group Tauranga City United overcame a red card, a missed penalty and a pair of goalkeeping howlers to get past Manukau City in an ASB Chatham Cup first round extra time thriller in fine conditions at Links Avenue yesterday.

The home side never trailed, but let three one-goal leads slip as the visitors kept coming in what was, at times, a spiteful clash.

Jerahl Hughes was the hero for the home side, scoring twice in extra time to seal a result that seemed to be slipping away as Manukau surged home late in the contest.

His first, a clinical right-footed finish from a beautiful floating free kick inside his own half from Sam O'Reagan, gave the Blues a 3-2 lead in the 101st minute, before his second from the penalty spot in the 111st minute sealed the deal.

The home side took a 1-0 lead into the half time break courtesy of a 28th minute O'Reagan thunderbolt from the edge of the area following a free-kick.

Manukau barely looked like scoring before the break, but had the better of much of the second half as the hosts appeared intent on protecting their advantage.

The dangerous Tadeu Castro brought Manukau level in the 53rd minute with a nicely taken strike after United defenders hung off him in the box, before Andrew Cooper earned his side a penalty with a nifty touch that wrong-footed his marker.

McNab converted into the bottom left corner, but Manukau was back on level terms six minutes later when United goalkeeper Tom Pamment dived over the top of a Castro free-kick from just outside the area.

Manukau finished the stronger, but it was United that produced the better chances at the end of regulation.

McNab missed badly from the spot before Hughes had a goal awarded, then rubbed out, for hand ball in the final seconds of injury time.

Extra time began poorly for United with the exit of a demonstrative and shirtless Mark van der Salm following a studs up 50-50 challenge in which he appeared to make first contact with the ball.

Hughes' classy finish made it 3-2 despite the numerical disadvantage, but this time the lead lasted just three minutes as Leo Berlim nudged home a sitter after Pamment essentially ran right past what should have been a routine clearance.

McNab earned his side's third penalty with a clever touch past goalkeeper Faizal Hanif, which Hughes calmly slotted to make it 4-3.

That is how it stayed, with the committed 10-man United side playing cleverly into the corners to wind the clock down.

Coach Duncan Lowry bemoaned the large number of missed chances, but was proud of the effort of his players ahead of their top of the table league clash away to Fencibles United on Saturday.

Tauranga City United 4 (Sam O'Reagan, Jack McNab, Jerahl Hughes 2) Manukau City AFC 3 (Tadeu Castro 2, Leo Berlim)