Soccer: Stafford Choat Cup is Kamo's

Kamo's Steve Schimmel causing plenty of problems for the Tikipunga defence during Saturday's final. Photo / Ron Burgin

The sound of "Mighty Mighty Kamo" reverberated around the Kamo dressing room at Toll Stadium after an extra time winner secured the Stafford Choat Cup.

Kamo knew they were lucky to have won the tightly contested final 3-2 when a Chris Tanner cross curled into the top corner of Tikipunga's goal with less than five minutes remaining in the second period of extra time.

"We managed to get a lucky winner and nick it in the end but that's the way cup finals go sometimes," Kamo skipper Colin Myers said.

Tikipunga dominated Saturday's match for most of the second spell and looked the most likely to break the extra time deadlock until Kamo threw everything they had at the defending champions in the dying moments of the match.

Myers said his tired team showed a will to win because the cup is so special to the club.

"Stafford Choat was a Kamo boy, who lost his life trying to save other kids that were drowning and we give our all in the competition every year - in his memory."

The game was a thriller right from the start. Kamo striker Steve Schimmel showed his class by putting his side ahead twice in the first spell after Steve Crowley had equalised for Tikipunga.

Both sides started the second half quietly but it was Josh Morunga who finally levelled the scores with about 20 minutes remaining, finishing a great move engineered by Marcus Mulhearn.

The goal brought the 250-odd supporters, who turned up for the game, right into the match as the game swung end to end in search of a winner.

Both sides had a number of chances to win the match before the end of regular time.

Chris Bai's free kick drew a great save from Shane Stanners, who also fended off a follow up attempt from close range, while minutes later Joseph Luiten's cross was almost turned into Schimmel's hat-trick.

In the end Kamo finished just a little stronger and that pressure turned into a golden moment that young Tanner will cherish for seasons to come.

Despite a greasy Toll surface and showers of rain the game was played in excellent spirit and well refereed by Mike Badham.

"A lot of us are mates off the park but on the field the old adrenaline kicks in and it was a good hard-fought, even game with plenty of commitment shown by both sides," Myers said.

The Stafford Choat Bowl was won by Bream Bay who beat Central Brown 1-0 with Madhatters Green taking out the plate competition. On Sunday, the women's knockout cup was won by Kamo, who easily beat Kerikeri 7-0 with FC Whangarei beating Bay Cosmos 3-0 to take home the plate.