Soccer: Waitakere reach Chatham quarters

Waitakere City stayed in the hunt for a fourth Chatham Cup soccer title with a 3-2 fourth round win over Central United at Fred Taylor Park today.

The West Auckland side - who won a rare hat-trick of titles between 1994 and 1996 - fought back from 0-1 down at halftime to win through to the quarterfinals which will be played on July 26 and 27.

Milos Nikolic blasted Central into a 37th minute lead with a stunning 30-metre free kick but a deflected Roy Krishna shot allowed Blair Konik to level the scores three minutes after halftime.

Keegan Linderboom produced a carbon copy of Nikolic's free kick five minutes later to put the home side in front and then delivered a pin point cross for Jake Butler to head Waitakere's third in the 69th minute.

Substitute Rory Kelly gave Central hope with an expertly converted one-on-one chance in the 72nd minute but Waitakere enjoyed the majority of late chances and comfortably closed out the game to enter the last eight.

Waterside-Karori went close to emulating Three-Kings' giant killing efforts, taking Central League side Olympic to the wire in a 1-2 defeat at Wellington's Newtown Park today.

Sam Buckle gave the Wharfies a shock lead in the 17th minute, which they held until Mickey Malivak's 62nd minute equaliser, with Mikey Halikias' 72nd minute close-range finish proving the winner for Olympic.

Forrest Hill ran out 5-2 winners over North Shore rivals Glenfield Rovers at McFetridge Park.

Forrest Hill stormed to a 4-0 lead midway through the first half with a pair of late Rovers' goals in the dying minutes proving scant consolation.

The upset of the round came yesterday as Northern first division side Three Kings United toppled Premier League leaders Lynn-Avon 2-1 at Ken Maunder Park.

Luiz Del Monte scored an 89th minute winner after Lynn-Avon's Yoji Tanabe had cancelled Jesse van Kekum's early opener.

- NZPA