Ben Rea hit the winner for Gore Wanderers in a pulsating Chatham Cup tie with Melchester Rovers at the Caledonian Ground in Dunedin yesterday.
Rea was a Milk Tourist last year and game time against the likes of Spanish Real Sociedad and the Alset Colombians and Zambia's Lusaka obviously did the youngster no harm, as he laced a spectacular 30m shot past keeper Dan Paardekooper.
Gore Wanderers coach Phil Williams said: ‘‘Young Ben is the first lad from Gore to go overseas with the Milk Cup, and he showed really good technique to hammer in our 80th-minute winner.''
Yet it was Melchester that made the early running when Jared White pounced on an error by the Gore goalkeeper in the 23rd minute and, incredibly, scored again within a minute for a 2-0 lead that had team-mates celebrating.
However, the strong wind blowing the length of the Caledonian ground was always going to be a key factor, and after the turnaround at halftime, Rovers struggled into a steadily stronger gale.
After they played the University top team on Saturday and lost 1-0 there was not a lot of spring left in the Melchester legs, and Gore looked fitter and faster in the second spell.
More importantly, the Wanderers laced shots goalwards and it paid off early as Frank ‘‘Frodo'' De Jong hit a 49th-minute shot for 2-1 then, 10 minutes later, Todd Anderson equalised.
In classic cup-tie fashion, the gloves came off as both sides chased a winner, and referee Mark Currie had to deliver a couple of lectures, but in general the spirit was sporting and fair.
The final 10 minutes brought a rash of substitutions, to inject life into flagging muscles, but young Rea remained full of running and got his just reward as he carved in from the right wing and laced the match-winner.
Melchester's coach admitted his team had run out of steam a little after two games in three days - and ‘‘we don't really train too hard anyway ...''.
Former Invercargill-based Phil Williams, who has managed and coached several sides such as Southern Spirit and Waihopai, was delighted with his team's fightback from two goals down, ‘‘and it made the journey to Dunedin well worthwhile'', he said.
