1945 Chatham Cup

1945 Chatham Cup

Dates	1 September 1945
Championship venue	Basin Reserve, Wellington
Champions	Western (2nd title)
Runners-up	Wellington Marist
Championship match score	4 – 3 (aet)
← 1940 1946 →

The 1945 Chatham Cup was the 18th nationwide knockout football competition in New Zealand, and the first such competition after a four-year gap caused by World War II.

The competition was run on a regional basis, with regional associations each holding separate qualifying rounds. Teams taking part in the final rounds are known to have included Wellington Marist, St. Andrews (Manawatu), Western (Christchurch), and Mosgiel.

The 1945 final

In the final, Jack Smith scored a hat-trick, including one goal from the penalty spot. Merv Gordon's own goal is the first to be definitively recorded as such in a Chatham Cup final, though some goals in earlier finals are regarded as own goals in some publications. The game is noted as an exciting one, especially the second half. The only goal of the first half came after 17 minutes from Marist's G. Irvine. The lead became 2-0 twenty minutes into the second half through Ray Price, only for Western to score twice, the second goal coming only one minute before the whistle. In extra time Gordon's own goal was nullified by an equaliser from Ray Dowker before Smith hit the winner from the penalty spot. ^[1]

Results

Final

1 September 1945

Western	4 – 3 (aet)	Wellington Marist
J. Smith 3 (1 pen), Dowker		Irvine, Price, Gordon (og)

Basin Reserve, Wellington

Referee: V. Wheeler

References

1. Hilton, T. (1991) An association with soccer. Auckland: The New Zealand Football Association. ISBN   0-473-01291-X . p.70

• Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation New Zealand 1945 page