Soccer: Melville in cup semifinal

Melville United will have home advantage in its Chatham Cup semifinal later this month.

Last weekend's surprise winners face host cup favourites Waitakere City in Hamilton on the weekend of August 24-25.

The other semifinal will see Cashmere Technical host Wellington Olympic in Christchurch.

Cup giant-killers and Northern League division one-promotion-chasers Melville made the last four by upsetting premier division title favourites Birkenhead Utd 3-2 at Gower Park last Saturday.

While next month's visitors will be favoured to advance to next month's final, Melville coach Steve Williams and his side are unbeaten at home in league and cup matches this season.

Waitakere are second-to-bottom in the premier division but have been strengthened in recent weeks by the return of several star performers for Waitakere United in last summer's ASB premiership.

Spearheaded by striker Roy Krishna, Waitakere waltzed into the semifinals with a 7-0 demolition of Onehunga Sports.

Waitakere have won the prestigious knockout cup title three times, while Melville's only final appearance saw them go down 3-1 to University Mt Wellington in 2003.