Giantkillers United near Cup glory

Wairarapa United are just one step from ultimate glory in the country's most prestigious inter-club football competition, the Chatham Cup.
A heart-stopping 1-0 win over last year's runners-up Bay Olympic in yesterday's semifinal in Auckland means Wairarapa United will play for the 89-year-old trophy against fellow central league side Napier City Rovers on August 27 or 28 at a venue still to be confirmed.
Napier City Rovers beat Caversham of Dunedin 2-1 in yesterday's other semifinal.
Normally the final is played in Auckland but New Zealand Football officials are believed to be sympathetic to the idea of now playing the 2011 decider in the central region with the one proviso, the venue has to have facilities capable of taking a live telecast.
The venue and date of the final will be announced on Radio Sport early tomorrow afternoon.
Wairarapa United's clash with hot favourites Bay Olympic was set down to be played on Saturday but had to be postponed until yesterday when heavy fog blanketed Auckland Airport and Wairarapa United's flight from Palmerston North Airport was seriously delayed.
The fact they were through to the semis had already made Wairarapa United the most successful team from this area in Chatham Cup history and most pundits felt their impressive run of successes would end against a Bay Olympic side who had wrapped up the northern regional title with all of three series of matches still to be played.
It was soon apparent in the first half, however, that Bay Olympic had a battle on their hands. Neither side managed to score in that opening 45 minutes and nerves contributed to some scrappy exchanges but at no stage did Wairarapa United, playing with the wind at their backs, look out of their depth.
The second half was only a couple of minutes old when Wairarapa United striker Seule Soromon showed his class with a brilliant piece of individualism. A well-judged through pass saw him left in the clear and, as the Bay Olympic goalkeeper scurried forward in a desperate move to narrow the angle, Soromon calmly lobbed the ball over his head and into the back of the net. Wairarapa United 1, Bay Olympic 0.
Understandably the effect of that goal was very different for the two teams. Bay Olympic had no option but to press forward at every opportunity in search of an equaliser, while Wairarapa United focused more on ensuring that their defensive structure coped.
In the end it was the tight Wairarapa United defence, led by goalkeeper Matt Borren and central defender Scott Robson, which made the difference.
Borren pulled off a couple of magnificent second-half saves, one just three minutes from fulltime when he just managed to get a big enough touch to a header to keep the ball out of his net.
Robson was Mr Calmness himself, staying cool under pressure and invariably finding teammates with his clearances.
Others to shine on defence were Nathan Cooksley and Black Cap cricketer Adam Milne but there were no shirkers as Wairarapa United held grimly to their narrow advantage.
The only hiccup for the visitors came about five minutes from fulltime when Pita Rabo was sent off after receiving his second yellow card. Being one short at the business end of such an important fixture was anything but ideal, however Bay Olympic could not get the goal which would almost certainly have sent the semifinal into extra time.
Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley admitted to being "almost speechless" in his after-match comments.
"Honestly what can you say, you go into a game like this dreaming of a win but when it happens ... I'm lost for words."
Keinzley paid a huge tribute to the grittiness of the Wairarapa United defence after Soromon's goal, saying every player did their bit to keep their goal intact.
"Everybody was prepared to put their body on [the] line, defensively we haven't played as well as that all season," he said.
Wairarapa United have beaten Napier City Rovers twice in central league games this season but they have been hard-fought affairs and Keinzley expects nothing different in the Chatham Cup final.
"What's happened before will mean nothing at all ... when the Chatham Cup is on the line everything changes," he said,
Yesterday's win continued a golden run of success for Wairarapa United since the mid-point of the 2011 season.
They have now gone 11 successive matches without defeat and are still in with a decent shot of winning the central league title for the first time. Wins over leaders Miramar Rangers and Petone in their last two games in that competition will give them the league title. The match with Miramar Rangers was to have come at the end of the season but it is understood it will now be played next weekend.