Chatham Cup giant killers finally beaten

Former Czech Republic youth international Jindrich Hahn lives closer to Waipuna Park than many of his Old Blues opponents but wasn't in the mood yesterday to spread any love as he derailed Old Blues' Chatham Cup juggernaut.
The 36-year-old's long-range speculator in the second half broke hearts and Old Blues' spine, sending them packing from the knockout competition as Hamilton Wanderers eased to a deserved 4-2 victory.
Hahn, a former Tauranga City United midfielder, lives at Arataki but plays his football in the Waikato. He rarely trains with the Hamilton side and is only three weeks into a comeback, having spent several weeks back in Europe visiting his father following a stroke.
But the national league maestro can pick his moments.
On early in the first half after Ricky Broderson limped off, Hahn netted the Northern premier league side's go-ahead goal seven minutes into the second half to break a 1-1 deadlock.
That cracked the dam for Wanderers - who play three divisions above Old Blues - with Hahn's right-foot drive from outside the area followed a minute later by an even longer left-foot bullet from Matthew Gibbons that caught Old Blues' defensive quartet flat-footed and 'keeper Alex Bryant unsighted.
Any hopes of a fightback from Old Blues, who twice came from behind in their round one win over Eastern Suburbs, were swiftly killed off when Wanderers netted their fourth, Jordan Shaw playing poacher after substitute Van Ewert's shot ricocheted off the upright.
Hahn, who works as a supervisor in a Te Puna kiwifruit packhouse, said he'd been told by Wanderers coach Mark Cossey he wouldn't be needed until late in the game.
"I hardly get to any trainings and wasn't expecting anything today until maybe we come out after halftime. But lucky there's an injury and I get to have a run."
Having played in three clubs with Old Blues' Gary Board, Hahn warned Cossey and his teammates they'd struggle if they came to Tauranga expecting a rout.
"They've got the giantkillers tag and put up a good fight, with lots of English bulldogs in their team as I call them who never take a backward step."
Old Blues, buoyed by a massive embankment of supporters, gave as good as they got in an evenly split first half, going behind in the 34th minute when Daniel Frischknect ghosted through the defence and slid the ball past Bryant.
Old Blues weren't bereft of opportunities. Neil McLaughlin forced a good diving save from Bryant's opposite Max Tommy in the 12th minute, Jack McNab headed over the crossbar from close range midway through the half and Andrew Cooper hit the crossbar from an acute angle two minutes before Frischknect's opener.
They finally found the target on halftime as McNab's header beat the flapping arms of Tommy to lock it up.
Cooper missed a gilt-edged chance to put his side ahead a minute after the re-start when he blazed the ball over the crossbar from eight metres - a costly miss as Wanderers knuckled down, controlling the pace and tempo to plug three more past Bryant. Josh Taylor pulled one back for Old Blues late when he poked home a header but the damage had been done.
Old Blues skipper Karl Bryant was diplomatic when asked whether Cooper's second half miss was vital to the outcome. "Andy puts those away 10 times out of 10 in training but in a match situation, with a bit of pressure out there today, it didn't work out. As long as he keeps banging them in in our (Federation) league games that's all we ask of him."
Chatham Cup holders Miramar Rangers were unceremoniously dumped out of the competition yesterday, thrashed 5-0 by Napier City Rovers.
Chatham Cup second round score: Old Blues 2 (Jack McNab, Josh Taylor) Hamilton Wanderers 4 (Daniel Frischknect, Jindrich Hahn, Matthew Gibbons, Jordan Shaw). Halftime: 1-1.