So best laid plans and all that. The first round of the Chatham Cup is tomorrow (or today, if you are probably reading this by the time I actually get it out!). My plan to do stories for each round of the cup etc hasn't really worked because, well life etc

However New Zealand Football has come to the party and started a series of the peoples memories of the Chatham Cup. Check it out here which is pretty good.

I had a plan to provide a story but not really had enough time to get it all together so instead I'm doing a review of my Preliminary Round picks and giving you my first round (Wellington) picks.

So as a review, here are the Prelim round games with my picks and the actual result

PAEKAKARIKI v NAENAE 

Pick : Paekakariki

Result : Paekakariki 3 Naenae 2     1/1

So I picked that Paekakariki would reverse the defeat from last season and they did. They scored in the 6th minute and then were 3-0 up by the 71st, but Naenae came back but their second came in referees time and wasn't enough.

On a personal note it was great to see Robbie Gasson & Daniel Frost, both ex team mates of mine in the fantastic U11 Onslow Simla's making it to the first round of the Chatham Cup!

LOWER HUTT CITY v BROOKLYN NORTHERN UNITED

Pick : Lower Hutt City, after extra time

Result : Lower Hutt City 4 Brooklyn Northern United 0     2/2

Well when I made the pick Lower Hutt City hadn't won a league game (and still haven't) while BNU hadn't lost a game. But it wasn't to be Lower Hutt City proved too strong for their lower league opposition and had a comfortable 4-0 win

WELLINGTON UNITED v SEATOUN

Pick : Draw, Penalties to decide

Result : Wellington United 4 Seatoun 5    2/3

In 1931 Diamonds beat Seatoun 3-2 in the first clash between these clubs in the Chatham Cup. They were in the same division back then, this time Wellington United (Diamonds) are in Capital 3, while Seatoun are Capital Premier. So when Seatoun went 3-0 up it looked as if it was all over for the lower division team. However United is a club that's 130 years old and the spirit of the players echos that , they hit back with two great goals, before Seatoun got another two to make it 5-2. United then got two more, the last coming in the third minute of extra time to make the final score 5-4 and a real example of a proper cup game!

VICTORIA UNIVERSITY v WAINUIOMATA

Pick : Wainui win

Result : Victoria University 1 Wainuiomata 2   3/4

Reasonably easy one to pick, Cap Premier side Wainui saw off Capital one side Vic Uni 2-1

KAPITI COAST UNITED (HCFC) v GREYTOWN

Pick : KCU Win

Result : KCU 1 Greytown 0   4/5

Capital One v Capital Three. KCU actually HCFC and coached by ex Phoenix Academy coach, Andy Hedge, should have made no problem of this fixture. However Capital Three Greytown have Josh Stevenson, who has played 250 games for Napier City Rovers at the top level as well as coach Phil Kenizey who famously won the Chatham Cup with Wairarapa United in 2011.

So it was a close game but KCU (or HCFC) won    

ISLAND BAY UNITED v MARIST (Wellington)

Pick : Island Bay United 

Result : Island Bay United 6 Marist 1

My pick for this was based on history, I noted that these clubs have met five times in the Chatham Cup and Marist have never won, in fact three time the result has been 6-1 to Island Bay United and that's what it was again today!!!!

UPPER HUTT CITY v STOKES VALLEY

Pick : Upper Hutt City

Result : Upper Hutt City 11 Stokes Valley 2

The Bogan derby was as one sided as I predicted, not sure how Stokes Valley got two!!!!

 

ROUND 1 - Preview 

 KCU (Horowhenua Coastal)    v     LOWER HUTT CITY     PICK LHC

Wainuiomata v Seatoun                                                        PICK Seatoun AET

Paekakariki v Island Bay United                                          PICK IBU

Upper Hutt City v Tawa                                                         PICK Tawa

 

Pretty sad preview, but as I said at the top, Best laid plans etc