Technical Join United In National League 

Cashmere Technical will join Christchurch United as the Southern League (SL) representatives in the upcoming National League after they defeated Dunedin City Royals 4 - 1 to secure a top two spot. United continued on their unbeaten run when proving to be too strong for Nelson Suburbs when winning 6 - 1. Ferrymead Bays also recorded a 6 - 1 win against bottom placed FC Twenty11. A 10-man Green Island side ensured they would be in the top-flight next season when coming from behind to edge Selwyn 2 - 1 with Coastal moving into third place when defeating Nomads 4 - 1.

With two rounds to play United have 40 points, five clear of Technical, Coastal are on 28 with both Royals and Bays on 25 to round out the top half of the table. Suburbs have 22, Nomads 17, Green Island 15, Selwyn 10 and Selwyn 6. United, Technical, Nomads and Green Island all have a game in hand.   

Luke Tongue put Technical ahead in the 21st minute and in the 40th minute was a judged to have fouled a Royals player in the area. Connor Neil stepped up to put in what was his fifth penalty of the season to bring his side level. Minutes later Lyle Mattyson restored Technical one goal margin on the 40th minute. A double from Garbhan Coughlan, the second from the penalty spot deep into added time took the game away from the Royals.  

On Sunday, United moved within two points of securing their second successive SL title when getting up over Suburbs. Suburbs held out United until the 33rd minute when Sam Philip scored and then added a second minutes later before Eoghan Stokes added one just before the break. Stokes then extended the lead early in the second half before Alex Ward pulled a goal back with a great finish. Ward could of added a second before Philip completed his hat-trick on the hour and, not to be out done, Stokes also bagged three with eight minutes to play. United will now focus on their Chatham Cup semi-final next Saturday against Eastern Suburbs.  

FC Twenty11 suffered their nineth straight defeat and now look likely to face the drop. Mark Zimmerman put Bays ahead in the opening minutes before Kenshin Hayashi completed a brace before the break. Midway into the second half Daniel Thoms score twice in the space of ten minutes before Alex Meaclem extended the lead with three to play. In a late consolation for FC, Ari Johnson scored in the final minutes of normal time. 

In a game that belied the fact that it was a clash between the eight and nineth placed sides, play flowed from end to end with the only goal of the opening half coming in the 36th minute when a shot from Darius Van Wyk was awarded as own goal after it was deflect home by a Green Island defender. In a hectic ten minutes period early in the second half, Green Island felt hard done by when not receiving a penalty and then they went a player down when Spencer Smith received his second yellow in the 52nd. Green Island then turned the game on its head with a double strike in the 57th and 58th minutes. Cameron Brewitt and Caleb Williams scorered to give the Green Island side the win, their third on the road. 

Omar Cameron scored the only goal of the opening half to put Coastal ahead. Just after the break Dominic McGarr scored from a set piece to double the lead with Apisai Rabuka extending Coastal led in the 56th. Nomads pulled a goal back, straight from the restart when Luca MacLeod-Watt found the back of the net. Three minutes later Tristan Nicol added the final to goal of the game to put Coastal three clear. Coastal will now back up on Tuesday evening when they meet Cashmere Technical in the English Cup semi-final.

Results / Scorers - Round 16 of 18

Dunedin City Royals 1 (Connor Neil - pen)
Cashmere Technical 4 (Garbhan Coughlan 2 - incl pen, Luke Tongue, Lyle Mattysen)
HT 1 - 2 

Ferrymead Bays 6 (Kenshin Hayashi 2, Daniel Thoms 2, Mark Zimmerman, Alex Meaclem)
FC Twenty11 1 (Ari Johnson)
HT 3 - 0   

Nelson Suburbs 1 (Alex Ward)
Christchurch United 6 (Sam Philip 3, Eoghan Stokes 3)
HT 0 - 3 

Nomads 1 (Luca MacLeod-Watts)
Coastal Spirit 4 (Omar Cameron, Dominic McGarr, Apisai Rabuka, Tristan Nicol)
HT 0 - 1  

Selwyn 1 (own goal)
Green Island 2 (Cameron Brewitt, Caleb Williams)
HT 1 - 0 

Brave Coastal Side Knocked Out Of Kate Sheppard Cup

It was a brave Coastal Spirit SAS side that were knocked out of the NZ Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup, at the semi-final stage by Western Springs 5 - 1. Extra time was needed to find the winner, with the result closer than the final scoreline would suggest. 

In a free-flowing opening half both sides would be disappointed that they did not make the most of the chances they created with the only goal of the half going to Celia Mayo who ghosted in unmarked by the back post to meet a great ball provided by Lara Copli. Coastal dominated early in second half with Springs keeper, Micky Mitchell called on to make several saves. In the 66th minute Coastal drew level though Whitney Hepburn who headed home a corner taken by Lauren Dabner. The chances continued to come at both ends without addition to the scoreline on normal time. In the 96th minute a cross come shot from out wide on the right by Liz Savage went over the hands of Una Foyle at the near post into the goal. In added time of the first period of extra time, Coastal could not clear a ball that dropped to Megan Lee who score with an angled shot across the face of the goal. In the 109th minute from a Springs free kick in their own half taken by Mitchell, slipped by a defender allowed Maia Lythe in to score from close range. With five minutes to play Savage was put in the clear by a ball from Lily Taitimu, her shot flew beyond Foyles reach from just on the edge of the goal area.  In the other semi-final, a goal in the 70th minute by Sarah Alder was enough for Wellington United to defeat Eastern Suburbs 1 - 0.  

Results / Scorers - Semi-Finals

Western Springs 5 (Liz Savage 2, Celia Mayo, Megan Lee, Maia Lythe)
Coastal Spirit 1 (Whitney Hepburn)
HT 0 - 1
FT 1 - 1

Eastern Suburbs 0
Wellington United 1 (Sarah Alder)
HT 0 - 0  

Technical Increase Lead In Women's SI League

Cashmere Technical maintained their unbeaten run in the Women's South Island League when coming from behind to defeat Nelson Suburbs 5 - 1, The all-student clash saw Otago University (OU) edging Universities of Canterbury (UC) 2 - 1. The final game of the round between Coastal Spirit SAS and Dunedin City Royals was deferred due to the semi-finals of the Kate Sheppard Cup.

Technical now lead on 22 points, with both Coastal and Royals on 13. OU now have 10, UC 4 and Suburbs 1.  

In a tight opening half, Jasmine Barney put Suburbs ahead in the 17th minute before the scores level three minutes later when Jonelle Arthur slotted home a penalty. Technical went ahead with Leanna Ryan scoring before the break. With 25 to play, Lisa Evans extended Tech's lead before two goals in the space of two minutes to Jess Dyer and Lara Wall took the game away from Suburbs. 

In Dunedin, OU took the lead when Jemma McCormick scored just before the break. Kelsey Barrett, the UC captain, got her side back on level terms when finding the back of the net in the 53rd minute. Samantha Wolley scored what turned out to be the winning goal for OU five minutes later.  In Round 9, Technical face UC, Coastal host Suburbs with Royals having the home advantage in the Dunedin derby against OU.   

Results / Scorers - Round 8 - 10

Nelson Suburbs 1 (Jasmine Barney)
Cashmere Technical 5 (Jonelle Arthur - pen, Leanna Ryan, Lisa Evans, Jess Dyer, Lara Wall)
HT 1 - 2  

Otago University 2 (Jemma McCormick, Samantha Wolley)
Universities of Canterbury 1 (Kelsey Barrett)
HT 1 - 0 

Deferred: Coastal Spirit SAS vs. Dunedin City Royals 

FC Nomads Stay Top

FC Nomads remain on top of the New World Women's Premiership after defeating Halswell Green 2 - 0. Halswell Christchurch United leap frogged Universities Maroon into second place when winning their clash 1 - 0 with the battle at the bottom seeing Cashmere Technical edging Selwyn 3 - 2.  

FC Nomads remain on top with 17 points, two clear of Halswell ChCh United with UC Maroon on 14, Halswell Green on 13, Technical 8 and Selwyn 4. Halswell Green and Selwyn have a game in hand with the other four sides having two games to play.  

Results - Round 9 of 10

Cashmere Technical 3
Selwyn 2 

Halswell Green 0
FC Nomads 2 

UC Maroon 0
Halswell Christchurch United 1 

Universities A Win Away From CPL Title

Universities are a win away from claiming their first New World Canterbury Premier League when extending their unbeaten run to 17 after defeating Western 4 - 0, with the goals split in each half. Cashmere Technical Reserves come out on top of Parklands 4 - 2, to stay in second place with Nomads Reserves ending Halswell's title hopes when winning 2 - 1. The final game of the round seeing Burwood come from 3 - 1 to draw with Waimak 3 - 3. 

Universities now move to 43 points, with Technical on 32 and Nomads and Halswell 30. Waimak have 27, four clear of Parklands with Burwood moving to 17, with Western still to claim a point, with both Technical and Waimak having a game in hand. In the coming round Universities host Technical in the top of the table clash and at the other end of the table Burwood host Western. Halswell take on Waimak with Parklands meeting Nomads.  

Results / Scorers - Round 18 - 21

Cashmere Technical Reserves 4 (Gabriel Gallaway 3 - incl. 2 pens, Jamie Jeffrey-Dally)
Parklands 2 (Josh Hardy, Jesse Ruwhiu)
HT 2 - 1  

Nomads Reserves 2 (Jacob Killick, Jackson Bond)
Halswell 1 (Patrick Cameron)
HT 2 - 0 

Waimak 3 (James Blake, Joshua Vialoux, own goal)
Burwood 3 (Joe Davies, Isaac Cantrick, Elijah Austen)
HT 3 - 1 

Western 0
Universities 4 (Pero Forman 2, Charlie Peacocke, Nic Allen)
HT 0 - 2 

United U20's Wrap Up CCL Title

Christchurch United Under 20 side have wrapped up the New World Championship, maintaining their perfect record when defeating Waimak 3 - 0. Their closest rivals, Ferrymead Bays Reserves, went down to Selwyn 4 - 1. The Bays Keen Lads came out on top of the Coastal Spirit U20's side 3 - 1 with FC Twenty11 edging Halswell 1 - 0. The Universities 2nd and 3rds sides shared the points in a 1 - 1 result. 

With three games to play United have 45 points, Bays and Selwyn are both on 31, with UC 2nds on 28 with the Keen Lads on 24. The bottom half of the table has Coastal on 23, FC 16, UC 3rds 13, Waimak 5 and Halswell 1. 

Results - Round 17 of 18

Christchurch United U20's 3
Waimak 0 

FC Twenty11 1
Halswell 0 

Ferrymead Bays Keen Lads 3
Coastal Spirit U20's 1 

Selwyn 4
Ferrymead Bays Res. 1  

Universities 3rd XI 1
Universities 2nd XI 1

Article added: Monday 14 August 2023