Football: Club keep cup dreams alive

Ngongotaha's Harlem Simiona controls the ball. His team is through to the final 16 in the Chatham Cup after Saturday's win. Photo/Stephen Parker

It reads like a fairytale - Ngongotaha AFC are into the final 16 teams of the Chatham Cup after knocking over Hibiscus Coast 3-2.

All the odds were stacked against Ngongotaha on Saturday.

They were the lowest-ranked team left in the Chatham Cup and were drawn away from home and were missing five players from their regular first team, including captain Josh O'Sullivan.

But when Ngongotaha goal keeper James Towers saved a penalty inside 10 minutes, there was a feeling it might be their day.

The game was tight until the 85th minute when Zak Haua scored the winner for Ngongotaha, his second of the match.

Eamon O'Donoghue also scored for Ngongotaha with a nicely taken free kick.

Centre back Dave Haua said the whole team was confident they could continue their dream run in the Chatham Cup and make the quarter-finals.

"Oh yeah, we have got nothing to lose and everything to gain," he said.

"We would love to get a home game next, especially for the support."

He said the team's performance on Saturday was the best they had produced all season.

"The boys just played for each other and showed plenty of heart."

He said for most of the players it was the biggest win they had ever been a part of.

Haua said it was great to be able to win on Saturday to give their coach Shane Davis, who is in hospital, a tonic.

"He probably jumped out of the hospital bed when he heard we won," Haua said.

The Chatham Cup draw for the final 16 teams will be made today.

The fourth-round matches will be played on the weekend of June 28 and June 29.

The draw is still being contested in regions until the quarter-final stage when it goes nationwide.

That means Ngongotaha are likely to draw Tauranga City United, Melville United or one of the big clubs from Auckland in the next round.