It has been 10 years since East Coast Bays held aloft the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup for the first and only time and this year the boys in blue and white are dreaming of reliving past glory in New Zealand Football’s oldest competition.

The Lotto NRFL Premier League side defeated five-time champions, and last year’s runners up, Central United 5-0 in the round of 16 last weekend at Kiwitea St to make the quarter-finals in emphatic fashion. 

They will now meet Nelson Suburbs away from home for a chance to reach the final four in the tournament that dates back to 1923.

Former All Whites midfielder David Mulligan is coach of East Coast Bays and he said there is huge belief within his squad that they can continue their run at Saxton Field on the weekend of 4-5 August.

“First of all I want to say I’m delighted,” said Mulligan, who works for New Zealand Football as a Player Welfare Officer in the Northern Football Federation region. “Every single game now whether it’s quarter-finals or semi-finals, it’s not going to be an easy game I’m looking forward to it. Anything can happen in the cup so it’s going to be another challenge that we will have to face.

“I’ve never been to Nelson as well. Out of all the teams I don’t really know that much about Nelson but an away trip is going to be exciting.”

East Coast Bays have enjoyed a great run so far in the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup but the biggest feather in their cap was the way they upset Central United in record-breaking fashion.

“The boys loved it – making history against one of the Chatham Cup favourites from the past. The boys were absolutely buzzing and it was just one of those games where everything went right for us.  Previously, the weekend before, we had a lot of chances and we really couldn’t put it away so this week when we played Central every time we had a shot at goal it went in so it was lucky but that’s football.  Football is all about luck and it went our way on Saturday.”

Two players – Joe Bresnahan and Jack Beagley – have been at East Coast Bays through it all in the past 10 years. They were both part of the winning team who defeated Dunedin Technical 1-0 in the grand final in 2008.

Bresnahan is East Coast Bays’ most-capped player with over 250 appearances for the club and is the current club captain, while Beagley is the current captain.

Mulligan said the two stalwarts add a huge amount of character to his team and it would be massive for them to bring the Chatham Cup back to Bays once again.

“The fact that Jack and Joe are still playing all this time after lifting the trophy is huge for us. One is our club captain and one is our captain on the field, they’ve been great servants for the club so it would be amazing if we could go to the final. It would mean a lot to everyone associated with East Coast Bays as well.”

Mulligan said if someone had earlier asked him if he would be satisfied to make the quarter-finals of the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup then he would have taken it but now they are in the final eight they want to go all the way.

The man known as “Mully” – who played 28 internationals, scored three goals for the All Whites and was a member of the legendary 2010 FIFA World Cup team – has fond memories of lifting the trophy himself as a player.

He was part of the Central United team who defeated Lower Hutt City 6-1 in the 2012 Chatham Cup final and scored the second goal in a memorable day for the club. Mulligan wants the same success for his team as he eyes some personal history.

“The Chatham Cup is special because of the history behind it,” he said. “And personally myself having won it as a player, it would be amazing if I could get to the final as coach as well. I’m not sure how many people have played and won it and coached and won it, so it would be amazing if that does happen. But most importantly it is about the players and their chance to make their own bit of history.”

ISPS Handa Chatham Cup Quarter-Finals
Nelson Suburbs vs East Coast Bays
Wairarapa United vs Birkenhead United
Manukau United or Mt Albert Ponsonby vs Cashmere Technical
Onehunga Sports vs Western Suburbs

Rescheduled round four fixture:
Manukau United vs Mt Albert Ponsonby
Saturday 21 July, 2pm, Centre Park

Article added: Friday 20 July 2018