Perhaps it was fitting that in the 100th edition of the Chatham Cup we got ourselves a historical champion. Christchurch United are now level with University-Mount Wellington for the most Chatham Cup wins after their penalty shootout triumph against Melville United delivered a seventh trophy for the clubhouse cabinet. Napier City Rovers are the only other non-Auckland club to even have five. The Rams are massive, mate. Proof and pudding.

But they’re also not exactly a powerhouse champion. Christchurch Utd may have been favourites coming into the match but that was based on their exquisite form in the Southern League – where they didn’t lose a single game until the last round by which stage they’d already clinched the title and perhaps already had one eye on their next trophy. It’s not unfair to say the depth isn’t as tested down south as it is for, say, Melville United slogging away in the mid-table murk of the Northern League. The Rams did have a 15-3 win a few weeks ago, after all. They also beat Eastern Suburbs 2-1 in the semi-final so it’s not like they were unproven. But we saw in the National League last year that Christchurch United were still getting used to being back amongst the top dogs of Aotearoa.

Well, now they’re back-to-back Southern League champs and reigning Chatham Cup champs for the first time since 1991 and a much more competitive National League showing is surely imminent. This is a club that does have some hefty backing in the form of Russian businessman (and club president) Slava Meyn but it’s not like they just spend all that money on buying up the best players from around town. They’re boosting up their academy more than anything and we’re beginning to see the words “Christchurch United” pop up regularly in national age grade squad announcements. Several such players were involved in coach Paul Ifill’s team for this final.

A final in which none of their players were credited with a goal but they still looked to have it in the back at half-time thanks to a pair of own goals in their favour (11’ & 36’). CUFC then took their foot off the gas in the second half trying to see things out against the aerial bombardment of Melville United, which led to a fine finish from Lucca Lim – a 16 year old fullback who’d scored one of the earlier own goals, making delightful amends on 72’ to put the Waikato side back into the hunt. And just as it looked like the Cantabs had scraped through they conceded a debatable foul in their defensive third, the ball was swung in deep, it hit a defender, and it fell for – of all people – Melville United goalkeeper Max Tommy...

The big man converted to send this game into extra-time. An equalising goal from a goalkeeper in the eighth minute of additional time. You’ve never seen anything like it in your life. The levels to which the domestic game in this country continues to serve up remarkable footballing activities... the shenanigans cannot be matched. Just look at the perfect knee slide! From a goalkeeper! In a cup final!

Alas, the sheer physical toll that this match demanded of both teams meant that the extra time period was spent less in search of a winning goal and more in search of the last couple of panadols in the kitbag. Audacious lunging blocks and chippy fouls led to a plethora of cramps and strains before the game finally trickled to completion and a penalty shootout was required to split the teams. Max Tommy did his best to maintain his heroic status by making one save but it wasn’t enough and CUFC captain Matt Todd-Smith converted his team’s last spottie down the middle to claim the trophy.

Christchurch United welcomed back first choice keeper Scott Morris who had been away with the NZ U23s helping them qualify for the Olympics, starting their lone group game before making way for a few Wellington Phoenix lads. In front of him was a back three of Cameron Lindsay, Irish import Aaron O’Driscoll, and Ben Lapslie. You may remember Lindsay as a 1-cap All White from back in 2013 who also had a brief stint with the Wellington Phoenix. Local fellas Riley Grover and Joel Peterson played right and left wing-back respectively. El Capitan Matt Todd-Smith and 19yo tower Jago Godden were the midfielders. Then came an intimidating front three of Eoghan Stokes, Dan MacLennan, and Sam Philip. An Irishman, a Scotsman, and a Kiwi. There’s probably a ‘walks into a bar/crossbar’ joke in there somewhere but we’ll leave that to your own imagination.

Philip was top scorer in the Southern League with a ridiculous 29 goals in an 18-game league. It was enough that last year’s main man Eddie Wilkinson, who spent most of 2022 playing NPL in Australia, could only make the bench. Paul Ifill didn’t even need to pick himself. According to their own website, 10 of their 24 first team players are direct CUFC academy graduates while 30% of their minutes have gone to U20s players. 15 of them are Christchurch natives. 19 are permanent South Island residents. Gotta respect the hustle.

But Melville United ain’t too shabby with the local prospects themselves, consistently rating near the top of such stats within the Northern League. Even when guys leave – like Oli Colloty, Josh Galletly, and Ryen Lawrence from last season’s National League squad – they don’t hesitate to chuck in the next wave. There were multiple 16 year olds in their starting line-up here.

That XI began with Tommy in goal. Then had George Brown, Matthew Dale, Erik Panzer, and Lucca Lim from right to left of a back four. Liam Hayes and Aaron Scott had things locked down in the middle with Quinton Kipara pushing ahead of them. Then Ry McLeod, Isaac Bates, and Jerson Lagos doing the attacking things. It was a brave team picked by head coach Jarrod Young although one made more palatable by the presence of club stalwarts from their previous Chatham Cup final in 2019 (when they lost 3-2 to Napier City Rovers) like Tommy, Hayes, and of course Aaron Scott - the 5-cap All White and National League legend who was playing his final game before retirement.

Ifill told the cameras that his intent was to see a Christchurch Utd team with pace, high tempo, and plenty of grittiness. Melville you already knew what they had planned: they’d be structured at the back and direct up front and aggressive all over the place. Two well-drilled teams who each had cursory attacking forays early on before MacLennan wriggled free and fired over the top for CU, the first proper chance of the afternoon. Before much longer the Rams had scored. Slick work from Todd-Smith combining with MacLennan out wide and his low cross was turned into his own net by Lucca Lim on 11’. First blood for Christchurch United.

Set pieces were clearly a focus for both teams, though both goalies also knew how to punch those suckers clear. Especially Max Tommy who also made a habit of rushing out and smothering Dan MacLennan’s space. He did the same to Stokes one time as well, after Philip had set him up. It was impressive to see two cup finalists as confident in their own styles of play as this, however it was clear which style was winning out. Another Philip moment, this time in the 27th minute, saw him keep the ball in on the byline then patiently pick out Jago Godden... only for that fella to hit the post. Melville did have one moment to get their passionate travelling support going when Lagos went down in the area but they were the only ones appealing.

A second goal followed in the 36th minute. The Rams had whipped in a couple of corner kicks in a row and the last of those was glanced onwards by a defender at the near post to where George Brown and Jago Godden were competing. The ball hit Brown. In it went. 2-0 to Christchurch United after another own goal. Tell ya what, a deflected long shot from Todd-Smith also had the crowd gasping soon afterwards but that one ended up flying wide.

It was a valid lead despite the best efforts of Max Tommy. But Melville oughta get plenty of credit for the fact that, if anything, they raised the bar following that second goal. Would’ve been easy to crumble with a young team, particularly after two of their youngest had scored own goals. Instead they amped up the ruggedness... and also adjusted their shape in the second half with Scott dropping into a back three so that the wide defenders could get higher up. That helped them swing a few more crosses into the area and things grew from there. Liam Hayes had a shot blocked in the nascent stages of the second spell. Panzer went close with a header. Christchurch still looked dangerous on the break with Sam Philip especially potent when given space, while Stokes pinged a deep half-volley that only just flew over the crossbar, but now Melville were creating some things too. Like when Ry McLeod flicked one over with his heel after a Panzer nod-back.

The Melville aerial assault reached even more bombastic areas after Jack McGovern was brought on. McGovern is an Englishman whose primary position is goalkeeper but he’s made a habit of scoring goals off the bench as a striker this year. He’s also massive. So you know what’s coming. Panzer headed one on target that was turned away for a corner but a lot of bounces and deflections seemed to fall just a little out of reach of a Melville fella.

It may not have mattered had Chch Utd converted either of the two big chances they had around the 64th minute. First it was Philip putting one on a silver platter for MacLennan but out of nowhere Panzer was able to block DM’s effort from inside the six yard box. Then a Todd-Smith attempt was parried as far as Peterson but he lifted his follow-up effort over the top. Three up and this would have been goodnight nurse. Instead the battle raged on... with Lucca Lim making up for his oggie in the 72nd min by scoring a goal to bring the Hamilton side right back within range. His initial cross was charged down so for his second trick he figured might as well just shoot and curled that sucker perfectly inside the far post for 2-1. Beautifully done.

Still the Rams had opportunities to kill the game. Eddie Wilkinson popped up to replace Philip, with Haris Zeb also introduced at the same time. Wilkinson and MacLennan then worked a lovely counter attack but Aaron Scott wasn’t going out quietly and he came up with consecutive courageous blocks to deny MacLennan... then he clattered Riley Grover (who is almost half his age) and picked up a yellow. Let them know about it.

Melville remained in the hunt, with McLeod firing over the top after some sharp footwork. On came Campbell Brown and Sean McDonnell. United threw on Mason Stearn and Nick Murphy (the latter a current NZ U17s international). In the fourth minute of stoppage time Dan MacLennan found himself with acres of space in a very stretched game but he thumped his shot into the post and thus the door remained ajar. Melville were in desperation mode. McDonell headed wide. McGovern won a free kick. A debatable free kick that arguably should gone the other way but a free kick nonetheless. Up went the goalie Max Tommy. And, well, you know what happened next.

It was basically the last kick of the game. Christchurch United were seconds away from glory and suddenly they had to do another half hour. Problem with that was this had been such a gruelling game with yellow cards and fouls aplenty and Melville in particular throwing the kitchen sink in their quest for an equaliser... that nobody really had any legs left in extra time. Aaron Scott certainly earned his retirement, getting further acquainted with the team physio, while Max Tommy was still catching his breath from all that sprinting as Coach Young spilled his team talk prior to extras.

Plus there was the emotional comedown after such a special goal. As a result we got some chippy fouls and not much else. Wilkinson had a few moments for CU who were definitely the more assertive team. But Melville’s commitment never faltered and there was simply no way past them. It was exhausting just watching them. Jacob England joined the party for Melville. Keagan Thompson too, eventually. Funnily enough after Melville began in a back four and switched to a three, while CUFC did the opposite. They began in a three and ended in a four. Melville were the team that seemed happier to try their chances in a penalty shootout and, bruised and battered, that’s where they eventually ended up.

Max Tommy dove the right way for four of the five penalties that he faced. One of them he saved, one he got a hand on but couldn’t stop. Two were too good to be denied. But McGovern boosted Melville’s first effort over the top and England’s was denied at a save-able height for their fourth. Thus a bonkers game of football finally ended when Matt Todd-Smith converted for a 4-2 shootout victory in favour of Christchurch United, following a 2-2 draw after extra time.

To the complete and utter shock of nobody at all... Max Tommy was awarded the Jack Batty Medal. First time since 2017 that a player from the losing team has won it and only the third time this millennium. It takes a rare one to earn that. That Max Tommy performance was a rare one – even aside from the goal his shot stopping and the way he commanded his area was top notch.

Penalties are always a brutal way to lose but Melville United showed a massive ticker to rally from two goals down take the game that far. They didn’t make National League so their season ended with that shootout and they can take heart knowing they left it all out there, as the cliche goes. With some of the young lads they’ve got in the stocks the future is pretty encouraging too.

Then again, you can say the same thing about Christchurch United. The Rams are here to stay. Paul Ifill continues to prove himself a very efficient coach and that mix of overseas graft, high-calibre South Island talent, and fascinating young prospects is basically the ideal balance. It won’t be another 32 years before they win another Chatham Cup, you can take that to the bank. Plus now they get to back it up with a National League stint. Give us a hundred more years where that came from, please.

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