A 2-1 win at Albie Turner Field on August 5 confirmed Miramar Rangers as premiership champions of the Southern Trust National League for 2001, but the Wellingtonians were made to look decidedly ordinary by a Metro side whose spirited performance deserved at least a share of the spoils, if not all three points.
Bottom of the table they may be, but Metro got stuck into Miramar straight from the outset, and were rewarded for their positivity in just the seventh minute. A great piece of skill by Carl Bennett to evade Michael Woodside on the left-hand byline culminated in a cross to the near post which Willie Osborne met with the most deft of headed flicks. Rangers goalkeeper Adam Highfield couldn't believe his eyes as the ball squeezed between him and the near post - 1-0 to the underdogs.
But for Highfield's late intervention two minutes later, Bennett's well-struck volley could well have doubled the home team's advantage. These efforts served to stir the visitors, whose overall performance gave the impression that they had come north with the prospect of three points in the bag firmly entrenched in their thinking.
Both Heath Caldwell and Geoff Brown went close, as Rangers mounted a flurry of attacks, before Metro countered through Brad Scott, the recipient of the toils of Osborne and Bennett. His twenty yard drive was smothered by Highfield, who was soon in action again, saving a rasping drive from Leaveil Titus.
In between times, Greg Brand had prevented Daniel Eisenhut from putting through his own net when attempting to head clear a Graham Little cross. But the well-performed 'keeper was beaten in the 36th minute, Tariq Imam prodding the ball home after Metro failed to clear another Little cross.
Three minutes later, an underhit Matt Sigurdsson back-pass was pounced on by Brown, whose first-time drive met the same fate as that struck by Little four minutes later - inches past the post with Brand at full stretch.
The second spell began in much the same manner as the first - Metro piling on the pressure. With Highfield back-pedalling frantically, Bennett struck a long-range effort wide of the target just two minutes into the half. Three minutes later, Osborne scampered through to the byline on the right and pulled the ball back for Nigel Curteis. With the goal at his mercy, he scuffed his shot, and the ball trickled through to the grateful goalkeeper.
Still Metro pressed, Curteis and Osborne playing a slick one-two, only for the midfielder's goalbound drive to be blocked by, of all people, Bennett, who couldn't get out of the way in time.
Rangers were on the ropes, but launched a quick counter-attack on the hour which saw Wiremu Patrick and Brown combining to set up a chance for Imam. Brand battered his shot to safety, and Eisenhut quickly sent it back from whence it came. Away surged Bennett, whose effort cannoned off Highfield within twenty seconds of Brand's save.
Bennett, with a teasing chip, and Patrick, with a headed effort, went close in the next ten minutes, before one of the country's leading goalscorers added another to his tally, sixteen minutes from time.
Michael McKinley, whose performance wasn't the most angelic ever seen, it must be said, carried the ball out of defence and whipped it out wide to David Johnston. He took on the defence on the left flank, and engineered some space from where he delivered a superb cross which was a virtual invitation to score. Little duly took up his offer, the ball bulleting past Brand at such speed that the 'keeper barely had a chance to move.
Five minutes later, Metro's captain pulled off a superb flying save to thwart Kevin Thompson's headed effort, before both Little and Patrick went close to extending Rangers' advantage inside the next five minutes of play.
With time running out, Metro launched a last-ditch onslaught to snatch the share of the points their efforts richly deserved. Leaveil Titus met a Bennett corner perfectly with his head, only to watch in despair as the ball flew mere inches past the upright with two minutes remaining.
Miramar responded through the inspirational Little, easily their best player on the day. He broke down the right and crossed for Thompson, whose header whizzed narrowly over the crossbar.
Back came Metro, time now in referee David Laurie's hands. Scott led the charge, and picked out Titus' run through the inside-left channel with a measured pass. The midfielder was in, one-on-one with Highfield, the 'keeper hesitating due to Bennett looming up in his peripheral vision.
Titus did everything right as he slipped the ball past the 'keeper, but the sphere slipped inches past the far post ... the story of Metro's season has been ill luck, and here was further evidence of the fact. Rangers rode theirs on this occasion, and held on for a 2-1 win which secures them a home semi-final on August 19 against either Central United or Manawatu.

Details:

Result: Metro FC 1 (1) Miramar Rangers 2 (1)

Metro: Brand; Sigurdsson (Gason, 85), Hendriks, Senibuli, Eisenhut; Titus, Scott, Curteis (booked, 45), Hollard; Osborne (booked, 44), Bennett

Miramar: Highfield; Woodside, Longley, Caldwell, McKinley (booked, 45); Johnston, Imam (Birch, 66), Patrick, Batty; Little, Brown (Thompson, 74)

Referee: David Laurie

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