Challenging the giants

11 Jul 2024 • By Mary Anne Gill

Centre forward of attention

If there was a roof at Cambridge Football Club’s home ground Josh Clarkin might have lifted it on Saturday. The 2023 Southern Conference gold boot winner equalised late in the first half of a Chatham Cup clash with New Zealand football giants Auckland City and was duly mobbed by teammates. The 2022 cup winners responded with three more goals to win 4-1 and progress to the final eight, and end Cambridge’s best run in the country’s longest oldest knockout competition. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

The celebrations from another angle. Photo: Steph Bell-Jenkins.

When Cambridge Reds striker Josh Clarkin thumped in the equaliser against Auckland in the Chatham Cup on Saturday – and the crowd of 1000 football fans celebrated – he dared to dream.

“That felt pretty special, I had a tear in my eye and that crowd response was unbelievable,” he said.

Auckland’s Adam Bell and Cambridge’s Josh Clarkin tussle for the ball during the first half. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

In that 38th minute the underdogs were on a par with Auckland – a city building a team for their A-League season – and such was the Reds’ performance, an upset looked on the cards.

But Auckland pulled away to a 4-1 win, grabbing a second five minutes into added time in the first half from defender Christian Gray, son of former All Whites captain Rodger Gray and Silver Ferns’ centre Sandra Edge.

Auckland defender Christian Gray scores their second goal, just before the end of the first half. Photo: Steph Bell-Jenkins.

Angus Kilkolly added another after 53 minutes and Regont Murati the last in the 80th minute. Spanish midfielder Gerard Garriga opened the scoring in the 35th minute.

Cambridge’s 21 game unbeaten streak was over and with it the Reds best ever run in the Chatham Cup, having reached the fourth round for the first time in their 76-year history.

Cambridge goalkeeper Wade Vincent clears the ball from his goal. Photo: Steph Bell-Jenkins.

The side sits top of the Lotto NRFL Southern Conference, with 11 wins from as many games, and targeting promotion to the Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship.

Earlier in the week Cambridge coach Jordan Shaw predicted his side would not be scared of the experience. If Auckland had any scouts at the match, they might well pencil in Clarkin’s name as the Hamilton-based lanky player did not look out of place.

At one point the referee gave him a talking to.

Cambridge captain Jack Portegys leads his Cambridge team out for the Chatham Cup match against Auckland. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

“I was playing too aggressively apparently,” Clarkin told The News after getting a telling off for a challenge on Kosovo-born Murati.

Last year’s Southern Conference golden boot winner got on the end of a delightful through ball to put the ball past Auckland goalie Conor Tracey with his left foot for Cambridge’s sole goal.

Both teams praised the Cambridge pitch – looking a picture on a typical Waikato sunny day – which was as good as any around the country, some said.

Cambridge goal scorer Josh Clarkin had a strong match for the Reds and would have appealed to any scouts at the ground. Photo: Steph Bell-Jenkins.

“Thank God for Chris Wood,” one spectator shouted, a reference to the Nottingham Forest striker and All Whites captain who joined Cambridge as an 11-year-old. A six-figure share of his $47 million sale from Burnley to Newcastle United two years ago went to Cambridge who have spent a part redeveloping its grounds as well as nurturing junior talent.

Drum roll please, from left: Robson Reid-Roe, Flynn and Riley Jenkins, Manaaki Bruce take a turn supporting the Reds. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

The crowd was littered with youngsters keen to show their support for the Reds – the drum and hooters were relentless – and their enthusiasm was rewarded when Tracey, a former New Zealand under 23 goalkeeper, let one of them (unsuccessfully) take a penalty kick against him after the full time whistle.

Somewhere in there among the Reds younger supporters is Cambridge goalkeeper Wade Vincent. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Auckland FC and former New Zealand Under 23 goalkeeper Conor Tracey took on some of the Reds younger supporters after the match and kept them out. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.