Thames Women booked their place in the next round of the Kate Sheppard Cup after a thrilling win over Te Awamutu last Monday.
In a classic encounter, Thames twice took the lead — first through Emily Ratcliffe and then via a stunning chipped finish from Isabelle Bray. Te Awamutu responded both times, with Lydia Proffit scoring twice, including a late equaliser that forced extra time. After 120 minutes, the sides were still locked, sending the match to penalties.
An enthralling shootout followed, with goalkeeper Vita Dryden making several crucial saves before Jess Randall stepped up to calmly convert the decisive penalty and send Thames through.
“It was a very tough game with plenty of back and forth, but we played out of our skin,” said coach Xavier Brown. “Penalties are a tough way to end such a hard-fought match, but I’m very proud of the ladies for digging in right until the final kick.”
Thames will face Waikato Unicol AFC in the next round on 10 May at Waikato University.
Meanwhile, Thames Reserves made it three wins on the bounce with a dominant 9–3 victory over Huntly AFC Thirds in Waikato Division 4.
After a tight first half ended 3–3, Jack Macdonald’s side stepped up a gear, scoring six unanswered goals in the second half. Jake Hudson and Darius King both netted hat-tricks, Jack McLaren added two, and Criswin Jose capped the performance with a superb solo goal.
“It makes me incredibly proud to see how far these guys have come, especially considering the team didn’t exist six weeks ago,” Macdonald said. “The camaraderie among the boys is something even a team 10 years in the making would be envious of.”
The Reserves are back in action this Saturday at Rhodes Park against Hamilton Wanderers (12:30pm).
Thames Firsts, meanwhile, made it three draws in a row after a dramatic late equaliser at home.
Facing Northern United Debacles at Rhodes Park, Thames fell behind early to a Bradley Mardon strike. Despite dominating possession, clear chances were limited, with goalkeeper Matthew Burchell producing a series of excellent saves to keep the hosts in contention.
Thames pushed hard in the second half, with Fernando Bassem and Xavier Brown both going close. Deep into stoppage time, Yusuke Kiozumi delivered a pinpoint pass to Raegen Winslow, who cut inside and curled a shot into the far corner to rescue a point in the 94th minute.
“We just kept piling on the pressure, and in the end it paid off,” said defender Keegan Apperley. “It’s a well-deserved point with good passing play and plenty to build on.”
Thames Firsts face a tough test next, hosting table-toppers Unicol Black at Rhodes Park next Saturday (2:30pm kick-off).
