Oxford FC Cause Upset In English Cup

Division 1 side Oxford FC caused the upset in the opening round of the Morrison Mitsubishi English Cup when knocking out Southern League side FC Twenty11 1 - 0, with the other winners being cup holders Christchurch United along with Coastal Spirit, Ferrymead Bays, Cashmere Technical, Nomads and Western, with Parklands having drawn the bye. 

FC Twenty 11 had the better of possession in the opening half with Oxford keeper, Augusto Soccol Frocis denying FC from going ahead when tipping a shot over the crossbar midway into the half. Oxford had more of the running early in the second half and went ahead when an unmarked Nicolas Loevenich Melo received the from the left and turned his marker twice before running towards goal and firing pass keeper, Harrison Rowe to the far corner of the net. The tall Oxford defenders and Frocis were untroubled with all the high balls FC were delivering in and luck was on Oxford's side when FC twice hit the post. Panashe Makwiramiti then had a shot blocked by Frocis which was half cleared with the next shot blocked on the line before being cleared. Late in the game with Rowe well outside his area Schell Cedric hit a shot from the halfway line and the back peddling Rowe was pleased to see the ball go just wide of the upright. FC had the better chances in the closing stages but for the fifth game in a row, they could not find the back of the net. 

Two of the other ties also ended 1 - 0 with Christchurch United and Ferrymead Bays advancing at the expense of Universities of Canterbury and Burwood respectively with the winning goals coming late in the opening half. United's Daniel Meyn made the most of a mistake from the UC keeper to break the deadlock with Bays going into the next round via an own goal. 

Penalties were needed to find a winner between Western and Halswell after it was 3 - 3 at the end of normal time with Western moving into the next round 4 - 3 in the shootout. Western opened up a two-goal lead at the break with an early Calum Ross strike then an own goal. Goals to Finn Steel and Isaac Wiliams then locked up the scoreboard. In a hectic final few minutes, Connor Braddon put Western back in front before Conor Clark scored in added time to put the tie into penalties. 

Coastal Spirit defeated Waimak 3 - 0, with the win coming at a cost when defender, Andrew Storer had to be subbed off early with a serious leg injury. On the half-hour mark, Waimak conceded an own goal. The margin increased when Auston Kranick scored early in the second half before sub, Apisai Rabuka ensured the win when finding the back of the net with 12 to play.   

Cashmere Technical was untroubled to defeat St Albans Shirley 10 - 0 with Garbriel Gallaway leading the goal-scoring with a hat-trick and Alex Ballard and Finn Caughey both claiming a brace, with the other goals going to Yusuf Van Dum, Matt Tod-Smith and Lyle Matthysen. 

Nomads made the most of playing with a strong win out at Rolleston with Angus McIntyre scoring after just three minutes, with the lead increasing when Copper Goldsmith scored before McIntyre scored again after 25 minutes. The wind ensured Selwyn made most of the running after the break, but they could only score once late in the game via Luke Jerkovic.  

Results / Scorers - Round 1 

Burwood 0
Ferrymead Bays 1 (own goal)
HT 0 - 1 

Cashmere Technical 10 (Garbriel Gallaway 3, Alex Ballard 2, Finn Caughey 2, Yusuf Van Dam,  Matt Tod-Smith, Lyle Matthysen)
St Albans Shirley 0
HT 4 - 0 

Coastal Spirit 3 (Auston Kranick, Apisai Rabuka, own goal)
Waimak 0
HT 1 - 0 

FC Twenty 11 0
Oxford FC 1 (Nicolas Loevenich Melo)
HT 0 - 0 

Halswell 3 (Finn Steel, Isaac Williams, Conor Clark)
Western 3 (Calum Ross, Connor Brandon, own goal)
HT 0 - 2; Western 4 - 3 on penalties 

Selwyn 1 (Luke Jerkovic)
Nomads 3 (Angus McIntyre 2, Copper Goldsmith)
HT 0 - 3 

Universities of Canterbury 0
Christchurch United 1 (Daniel Meyn)
HT 1 - 0 

Parklands the bye 

Bays Into Next Round Of 'The Reta'

Ferrymead Bays moved in the Round 2 of the Morrison Mitsubishi Reta Fitzpatrick Cup when they won the only tie of Round 1, 2- 0 over FC Twenty 11, where they will join Cashmere Technical, Coastal Spirit SAS, Halswell, Hornby, Nomads, Waimak Utd, Selwyn and Universities of Canterbury who had all drawn byes. 

A double from Bays, Sarah Summerlee was the deciding factor with the first goal scored in the 32nd minute and the second coming just after the hour mark.    

Results / Scorers - Round 1

Ferrymead Bays 2 (Sarah Summerlee 2)
FC Twenty11 0
HT 1 - 0

Article added: Friday 26 April 2024