Football: Kamo take out Stafford Choat Cup

Kamo celebrate their Stafford Choat Cup win. Photo/Tania Whyte

Kamo added the Stafford Choat Cup to the 2014 Northland Premier League title with a late surge knocking back a gutsy Tikipunga effort in the final.

First Division runners-up Tikipunga Pet Essentials were always going to be up against it at Toll Stadium on Saturday but were relying on their experienced players to produce an upset.

When arguably their best player, midfield supremo Scott Burgess, was sent off in the 22nd minute for a second yellow card, the underdog's chances looked extremely slim.

Two minutes later Keegan Baddeley almost had Kamo ahead with their best chance of the half but instead found the side netting.

The experienced Tikipunga side made the most of the let-off and pulled together to regain their shape with Burgess's brother Jamie and Mark Mulhearn raising their work-rate in the midfield. Ten minutes later, Ben Mortimer's header should have put them 1-0 up but instead the ball scraped the crossbar.

Kamo goalkeeper Shane Stanners then made a fantastic fingertip save to deny another sharp chance fashioned by Mark Ruddell and Kamo were fortunate to go to the break on level terms.

Kamo started the second half well and were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty in the 57th minute when Mike Crowley appeared to foul Kyle Mack in the penalty area.

Kamo continued to press and Tikipunga keeper Joshua Morunga was injured stopping a low Baddeley drive forcing his brother Willi to take over in goal.

Tikipunga looked to have done enough to get through to extra time but were finally undone by a piece of Calvin Erick magic with nine minutes to go in regular time. Erick's footwork was too nimble for the overworked Tikipunga defence and he got to the byline and picked out Baddeley unmarked on the back post, who nodded the ball home.

Mack made sure of the win by making it 2-0 with five minutes to go as Tikipunga threw tired bodies forward in the hope of finding an equaliser.

Kamo co-coach Owen Liiv said the win had capped off his most enjoyable season in his entire career but said he had been concerned about the brave Tikipunga effort.

"They've got experience on their side and we were expecting them to frustrate us and in the end it came back to our match winners like Calvin and Keegan and "Saffer" (Kyle Mack) to turn things our way," he said.

Tikipunga coach Dan Dunbar was proud of his team's effort and said they played like they had nothing to lose.

"I think we adjusted to playing with ten men a little better than they did playing against ten men and I think we had the better of the game and if we had taken one of our chances it might have been a different result," he said.

The late Kamo surge wrecked Tikipunga's chances of a rare treble of victories at the Northland men's football finals day.

Earlier Tikipunga Bake Cafe had beaten Kamo Whangarei Aluminium 3-1 on penalties after the Plate final was scoreless through 90 minutes.

Tikipunga Orange made in two from two in the Bowl final beating Kaeo-Inter 3-1. Rewa Parsonson gave Kaeo an early lead but Mark Guptil equalised midway the first half before giving them the lead early in the second spell. Manish Kumal made it 3-1 as Tikipunga took control of the midfield and the game.