Delta Tapware Metro scored a decisive 4-1 victory over Christchurch City at Albie Turner Field on May 21 to move off the bottom of the Ansett National Club Championship.
It was a most welcome victory for the Central Auckland side, one which was certainly needed, as defeat in this match would have left them well adrift of potential safety, with half the league programme having already been completed.
It now sets up next week's encounter at Dunedin Technical as a true "must-win" for both sides. But in the first half-hour of this engagement, there wasn't a great deal to write home about, in terms of scoring opportunities - City's Ben Sigmund and Metro's Paul Field both headed narrowly wide during this time.
There was plenty of honest endeavour, however, with Metro gradually gaining the ascendancy. City found Metro's midfield general, Sean Hird, to be too wily for them, the "wee man" directing operations with authority aplenty. Meanwhile, recalled defender Stuart Mair was dominating the aerial duels, and his presence gave Metro's rearguard a far more solid appearance than was seen just seven days ago against Miramar Rangers.
The home team opened the scoring in the 28th minute. Aaron Beckham scampered past a couple of challenges down the left before whipping in a cross to the near post which Metro's leading goalscorer, Graham Green, swept home emphatically past Adam Highfield, City's 'keeper.
Stung, the visitors retorted within five minutes, Nathan Knox slamming a shot into the sidenetting. Remarkably, referee Neil Fox signalled a corner, which the impressive Deane Hutchinson took, and which resulted in Sigmund slamming a piledriver against the post, with Grant Schofield beaten all ends up.
Four minutes before the interval, a Hutchinson drive was battered away by the former All White custodian, which sparked a Metro counter-attack, Beckham its fulcrum. Ultimately, Highfield saved with his legs to thwart Green, allowing City to launch a counter-attack of their own.
Michael Boomer was its inspiration, but it appeared to peter out upon the intervention of Sakdy Phommahaxay, only for the defender to err in inexplicable fashion. Boomer was onto the ball in an instant, and slipped it across to the completely unmarked Andy Daffin. From the edge of the penalty area, he made no mistake, firing across the advancing Schofield to level the scores two minutes before the break.
There was still time for Highfield to save at Green's feet once more prior to the interval, while after it, Metro were denied what looked a cut-and-dried penalty in the 48th minute, as Sigmund appeared to use his arm to deny Danny McHenery possession in the penalty area. Mr Fox's impersonation of a deaf man was exquisite!
While Metro were protesting, City got on with the job of launching an attack of their own. Hutchinson's corner to Daffin at the near post was scrambled clear by Metro, but only as far as Knox, who involved Hutchinson once more. His deep cross was misjudged by Schofield, but to the relief of the goalkeeper, Paul Stanley, arriving on the far post, was unable to direct his header on target.
It was time for Metro to crank up the pressure a little more. Hird clipped in a delightful free-kick to Phommahaxay, who directed a powerful header against the upright. Highfield then saved twice from Green, before fumbling a looping McHenery header on the hour. No-one in a Metro shirt was on hand to convert the rebound.
Hutchinson led the visitors' response, heading a Brent Fisher cross narrowly wide, then delivering a corner to substitute Michael Sands which looked a goal all over, until Schofield pulled off a dramatic reflex save to maintain parity on the scoreboard.
Seconds later, Sands was in again, after combining splendidly with Fisher. The Junior All White slipped a delightful pass through to his front-running partner, but the advancing Schofield did just enough to force him to shoot across the face of goal from the edge of the penalty area.
After James Pritchett sent a free-kick whizzing over the crossbar in the 69th minute, Metro hit the front with a cracking strike from McHenery. Out of nothing, he turned on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a volley which bulleted into the top far corner of the net, beyond the reach of the flailing figure of Highfield.
2-1 to Metro swiftly became 3-1. Mark Foster entered the fray in the 74th minute, and needed just five minutes to make his mark on the scoreboard. Beckham and McHenery combined in attack, with the latter holding play up well before allowing Foster the chance to bury a twenty-yarder - nothing but net!
Metro now had their tails up, sensing a bonus point was there for the taking. McHenery headed over from a Hird free-kick, then forced the retreating Stanley to thrash the ball past his own goal-post from the edge of the penalty area, after Foster had pounced on a loose ball. In between times, Schofield had pulled off another noteworthy save to prevent Boomer from reducing Metro's advantage.
Instead, Foster extended it in stoppage time. Brian Ogg and Hird combined to good effect on the left, with the former delivering a right-footed cross which City's defence couldn't deal with adequately. Foster was Johnny-on-the-spot, and rammed home the final nail in City's coffin from ten yards, much to the delight of the local faithful.
Sadly, the delight of Metro's players at their 4-1 success was tempered somewhat by the discovery after the final whistle that their personal belongings had been rifled during the second half, an opportunist having removed louvre windows at the back of the locked changing rooms to gain access while the game took place. Is nothing sacred?

Details:

Metro: Schofield; Mair, Phommahaxay, Field; Curteis, Pritchett, Hird, Beckham, Ogg (booked, 82); McHenery (booked, 71), Green (Foster, 74)

City: Highfield; Sigmund (booked, 31), Evans, Stanley; Fleming, Boomer, Knox (Sands, 59), Fahey, Daffin (Brown, 80); Hutchinson (booked, 75), Fisher

Referee: Neil Fox

Scoring: Metro: G. Green (28), D. McHenery (70), M. Foster (79. 90)

City: A. Daffin (43)

Arcus Trophy: S. Hird (Metro) 3; D. Hutchinson (City) 2; D. McHenery (Metro)  1

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