The Reserves were unable to rein in the potent attacking duo of Dan Aplin and Jake Lockett, as the Hammers found a simple and direct approach towards goal was enough to get them over the line.
Athletic Reserves must be credited for looking to play a good style of football, and keep the tempo of the game high, but they were ultimately unable to make their opposition chase them around the park, and as a result tried to send long balls forward and beat the experienced Hammers defensive line in the air.
This tactic was to no avail, and with the final whistle sounding the 3-0 loss was all they had to show for it.
In the much-anticipated meeting between the City Wanderers and the Athletic first team, the deep running rivalries were clear right from the outset.
Both sides tussled for possession, but neither were ultimately able to be successfully gain the true ascendency in the match, until the local league Division One winning Wanderers found a way past Athletics goalkeeper - sending City supporters around the ground into rapturous celebrations.
It was not long before they had more reason to celebrate as the Wanderers again found the back of the net, sending already highly strung tensions on both sides close to breaking point.
Ryan Holden did peg back a goal for the Reds, but it started to look more and more like the Wanderers wanted the win more than the Athletic premiers.
It was expected referee Matt Stoneman was going to have his hands full with this match, and the first stanza proved this prediction to the true.
After dealing out a few cautions to players on either side of the game, the second half seemed to settle as the heart of the Athletic team seemed to drain away, with the will to win disappearing as quickly as time ran out on the clock.
The Wanderers not only put the final nail in the coffin with a third goal, guaranteeing the Charity Cup will be adorning the shelves of the City clubrooms after next weekend's final, but were able to give their club clear bragging rights as local league based teams toppled the towers of Athletic's travelling teams.
In the second tier Charity Plate tournament, the Marist Bhoys overcame early squad number difficulties to claim a 2-0 win over the plucky Rivercity Braves, while St Anthony's Castlecliff were unable to gain revenge on Marist Celtic and fell to a 2-0 defeat, which sets the scene for the green themed Plate final.
The Charity Bowl final next weekend will ensure Wanganui Athletic club have one piece of silverware, with both the Athletic Cosmos and the Weekenders picking up victory in their respective knockout semifinals against the City Thirsties and Marist Shamrocks.
The Cosmos experience got them past the youthfulness of the Thirsties, enabling them to claim a 3-1 victory, while another epic encounter unfolded between the Weekenders and the Shamrocks with the final score falling 6-4 in favour of the Weekenders.
All in all, a spectacular weekend of football was had, with plenty of goals and on-field action for those supporters who turned up to celebrate the beautiful game with our local players, with plenty more excitement set to come this weekend, as mate versus mate clashes are on offer.
