Selwyn Finish Southern League On A High

Selwyn finished the Southern League on a high, claiming back-to-back wins for the first time in three seasons when defeating Dunedin City Royals 5 – 0 in their catch-up game from Round 17. 

The strong win at Foster Park made it a game of ‘two halves’ with the Royals having the advantage of the elements in the opening half and it was only a number of outstanding saves from Selwyn keeper, Pieter Taco-Bierema that saw the sides turn scoreless at the break. Selwyn had their opening goal in their first real attack of the game when Finlay Cotton had the ball in the back of the net, the first of his three goals in the 49th minute. Minutes later, Cotton was ‘gifted’ his second goal when Royals keeper, Alex Boomer gave away the ball in front of goal. The final three goals come in the final ten minutes, with Darius Van Wyk and Phoenix Coursey before Cotton completed his hattrick in added time. 

Selwyn climbed to eighth place on the table to move above Universities of Canterbury.    

Result / Scorers:

Selwyn 5 (Finlay Cotton 3, Darius Van Wyk, Phoenix Coursey)
Dunedin City Royals 0
HT 0 – 0 

Back-To-Back Women’s South Island League Title For Technical

Cashmere Technical retained the Women’s South Island League title, on goal difference from Dunedin City Royals when the Christchurch side defeated Nelson Suburbs 5 – 0 in their catch-up game from Round 7 on Sunday. 

Suburbs made Technical work hard for the title and only conceded the opening goal in the 24th minute when Lara Wall scored, quickly followed by a strike from Margi Dias. Wall and Dias then both scored again on either side of the break, before Anna McPhie scored against her former club, in the final minute of play, with that goal seeing McPhie top the scoring stats for the league, one ahead of teammates, Dias and Mel Cameron (Coastal).    

Technical and the Royals finish on 25 points - with Technical’s goal difference 22 better, Coastal Spirit SAS were next on 17, Otago University 11, Roslyn Wakari 6 and Suburbs 1. 

Golden Boot:

9 Anna McPhie (Technical) 
8 Margi Dias (Technical), Mel Cameron (Coastal) 
7 Annalie Longo (Technical), Lara Wall (Technical) 
6  Rose Morton (Royals) 
4  Emma Kench (Technical) 

Result / Scorers:

Nelson Suburbs 0
Cashmere Technical 5 (Lara Wall 2, Margi Dias 2, Anna McPhie)
HT 0 – 3 

Coastal Lift English Cup For First Time

Coastal Spirit continued their dominance over Cashmere Technical this season when they scored an ephaptic 4 – 0 victory to lift the Morrison Mitsubishi English Cup for the first time. 

Coastal made the most of a strong wind in the opening half to take the game to the National League Championship rivals from the opening whistle and took the lead a cross from Kenshin Hayashi was only half cleared straight to Alex Steinwascher who scored in the opening ten minutes. Steinwascher then set up Dan MacLennan to double the lead, ten minutes later, after Technical again failed to clear their line. Technical's best chance of the opening half fell to Garbhan Coughlan who broke clear back his shot was just wide of the right-hand post. 

Coastal when extended their lead when a shot just outside the area from Weston Bell gave Technical keeper, Reuben Harrison no chance after being deflected off a defender. The wind dropped early in the second half with Coastal scoring a ‘dagger’ goal when Steinwascher laid the ball on a plate for MacLennan to claim a double. 

Technical created enough chances to try and open the scoring but too many of the shots were directed straight at Coastal keeper, Ellis Hare-Reid who was not really tested. Technical cleared their bench out and went to three at the back to no avail and, in the end, Coastal were deserved winners with Steinwascher named the MVP and awarded the Steve Summer Medal. 

Result / Scorers:

Cashmere Technical 0
Coastal Spirit 4 (Daniel MacLennan 2, Alex Steinwascher, Weston Bell)
HT 0 - 3   

MVP: Alex Steinwascher

Reta Fitzpatrick Cup Final On Wednesday Evening

The 2024 edition of the Morrison Mitsubishi Reta Fitzpatrick Cup Final will be played on Wednesday evening at 7pm at English Park with current holders, Cashmere Technical playing Halswell. 

Technical will come into the final as hot favourites and looking to complete the ‘triple’ having already won the South Island League (SIL) and earlier in the season the Mainland Premier League (MPL) and match Coastal Spirit SAS who were the first to win the ‘triple’ in 2002. Technical has only lost twice this season, going down to Coastal in the SIL and then being knocked out of the Kate Sheppard Cup by Dunedin City Royals. 

When the two sides meet in the MPL, Technical were untroubled be win 14 – 1 with Halswell having a strong finish to the latter part of the season when finishing in third place in the Women’s Premiership and marching into the final of ’The Reta’ without conceding a goal. 

Both teams have won the Trophy three times before Technical in 2016, 2019 and last season with Halswell winning under the previously named Women’s Knockout Cup, in 1974, the first time the cup was played for and then again in 1978 and 1979.

Path To Final:

Cashmere Technical
Round 1. Bye 
Quarter Final.  Ferrymead Bays 9 - 0 
Semi-Final. Coastal Spirit SAS 3 - 2 

Halswell
Round 1. Bye 
Quarter Final. NW United 1 - 0 
Semi-Final. Selwyn 1 - 0

Article added: Monday 09 September 2024