Wairarapa United are through to the next round of the Chatham Cup men's soccer competition after ousting higher graded Victoria University at Howard Booth Park, Carterton on Saturday in a match finally decided by the second of two penalty shootouts. The two teams were level pegging at 1-1 after ordinary timeand 2-2 after 30 minuutes of extra time and there was still nothing separating them when the first penalty shootout, involving five players from either side, was staged. There each team managed four successful attempts at goal and one miss. It then came down to who would have the first failure from amongst the remaining players in a second penalty shootout and after University had a miss-thanks to a save by Wairarapa United 'keeper Charles Kendall- Carl Shailer did the business for the home side. Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley was rapt his team was into the next round of the Chatham Cup, especially since they had been forced through injury problems to keep the same 11 players on the pitch for the entire game, extra time and all. "It was a big ask and it says plenty for the character of the players that they came through," Keinzley said. "I won't say we played well, because we didn't, but we got the result we wanted." Oiutstanding for Wairarapa United was Sakeo Valevou, who was always a threat on attack, and Carl Shailer also had a strong game. Asked his view on comments made to the Times-Age by some spectators that the refereeing left something to be desired, with both teams struggling to come to grips with rule interpretations, Keinzley elected to keep his opinions to himself. "I'd prefer to say nothing on that issue," he said. Pita Rabo was the goal scorer for Wairarapa United in ordinary time and Sakeo Valevou found the net in extra time. Successful scorers in the first penalty shootout were Andy Robertson, Paul Watkinson, Andy Taylor and Mirack Tvhroh.
