Rangers Atone For 2001 Title Failure by Jeremy Ruane Miramar Rangers atoned for their 2001 Southern Trust National League Grand Final failure on June 8, as they put Premiership phase winners Napier City Rovers to the sword at Wellington’s Newtown Park, 3-1 the scoreline. Victory was sweet for the Wellington club, whose only national successes in their ninety-five year history until this game had been two Chatham Cup triumphs, in 1966 and 1992. For the first twenty-five minutes of this encounter, however, neither Miramar nor Napier appeared keen to lay their hands on the handsome new National League trophy - the only shot on goal of any consequence during this period was a first minute crossbar rattler from Miramar’s inspirational midfield general, Tim Butterfield - the rest of the action in this spell was tedium personified!! Eventually, however, Miramar began to get on top of their Central Region rivals. A vital challenge by Perry Cotton thwarted David Batty in the act of shooting, thus concluding a slick four-pass move down the right. Jonathan Taylor then blocked a goalbound Nick Longley header, following a Butterfield corner on the half hour. Miramar responded to Jimmy Cudd’s curling effort, which careered narrowly past Jim Bannatyne’s left-hand post, by opening the scoring in the 38th minute. Simon George raced to the by-line down the right, evaded Peter Howe’s clutches and laid the ball back into Graham Little’s path. The goalpoacher poached - his first-time drive arrowed into the bottom corner of the net, and Rangers were on their way. Six minutes later, they doubled their advantage. After Shane Smeltz had fired a shot across the face of Bannatyne’s goal, the local combination stormed forward once more. George and Little combined near the edge of Napier’s penalty area, before the latter released Butterfield down the right with a superb reverse pass. Steve Graham, Napier’s goalkeeper, came to gather the cross to the near post, but George darted in, and Napier suddenly found themselves faced with a mountain to climb. It was nearly 3-0 right on half-time, Napier scrambling clear to deny Batty the pleasure of virtually wrapping up the Grand Final with forty-five minutes to spare. The busy midfielder brought the best out of Graham just prior to the hour, as Miramar continued to press, and they were denied a third goal in the 64th minute through the offside flag, much to Little’s consternation. A little flurry by Napier followed, as they showed signs of coming back into the match - up to this point, they hadn’t really been sighted as an attacking force, perhaps due to the early calf muscle injury sustained by Shane Cunliffe, which saw him depart the fray in the eleventh minute. But Leon Birnie and Smeltz both brought saves out of Bannatyne to suggest that the final wasn’t yet over as a contest. Sure enough, it wasn’t, although not before Graham had produced a fine sprawling save to deny Batty’s deflected twenty-five yard volley in the 72nd minute, and George had rattled the stanchion with a header from a Rupert Ryan cross four minutes later. From the resulting goal-kick, Napier charged upfield, with Cotton playing the ball wide to Warren Gilbertson who fed David Gearey up ahead of him. The striker, who had come on as a half-time substitute, surged on, rounded Bannatyne and, from near the by-line on the most oblique of angles, fired his angled drive superbly into the far corner of the net - 2-1, game on! Suddenly, Napier were on fire, Gearey twice forcing Bannatyne to save in the next five minutes. But in between these efforts from the Rovers’ striker, Miramar struck what proved to be the killer blow, although their 79th minute match-winning effort was a somewhat controversial one, it must be said. Butterfield’s corner picked out the head of Kevin Thompson, who had come on as a substitute two minutes earlier. His header flew towards the target, and Cudd, standing on the line, in attempting to clear, sent the ball skywards. The ball crashed back down into the field of play, but whether it hit the underside of the crossbar or the roof of the net is anybody’s guess, although referee Steve Sargent, in his final season of first-class refereeing, had no hesitation in signalling a goal. Given he was better placed than most to tell, that should be reason enough not to question the official’s judgment. Miramar squandered a chance to rub salt into Napier’s wounds seven minutes from time, when Little was hauled down from behind by Taylor when in the act of shooting. As the Napier defender was the last man, a strong case for a professional foul could have been made, but referee Sargent merely pointed to the penalty spot, and left it to Little to extract suitable revenge. But the runner-up to Napier’s Shane Smeltz in the Adidas Golden Boot stakes failed to do so, Graham flinging himself to his left to turn away the spot-kick, and give his side hope that perhaps all was not yet lost. Soon after, it was, much to the undisguised delight of the players and officials of Miramar Rangers - New Zealand soccer’s champion club in 2002. Miramar:          Bannatyne; Birch (booked, 65), Longley, Hedge, Farrington; Johnston (Imam, 58), Butterfield, Batty, George (Harahap, 84); Little, Ryan (Thompson, 77) Napier:         Graham; Gilbertson, Rennie (booked, 10 (Foster, 85)), Taylor, Howe (Gearey, 46); Cunliffe (Easthope, 11), Cudd, Cotton (booked, 33), McIvor; Smeltz, Birnie Referee:    Steve Sargent