Long-Awaited Southern League Kicks Off
As part of the revamped club based Nation League, the long-awaited Southern League kicks off this weekend with the top eight clubs from the South Island chasing the two available qualifying places for the National League, which kicks off in late September. With the Southern League just one round (seven games) it will be more like a dash to the finish line, with all clubs needing to hit top form from the outset with every dropped point harming qualification hopes.
Round One sees Mainland Champions Cashmere Technical host Football South runners-up Green Island at Garrick Memorial Park at 12 pm on Saturday. In the first to two all MPL clashes, Selwyn faces Christchurch United at Foster Park at 2:45 pm with Coastal Spirit entertaining Nelson Suburbs at Linfield Park at 12 pm. In Dunedin, Football South Champs, South City Royals take on Otago University at the Caledonian Ground at 2:45 pm.
All coaches are reporting that their players are looking forward to the new competition, meeting new teams outside their region and the challenges that additional travel can bring. While most agree that the seven-game format will be a real pressure cooker format, it is the price they accept in getting the league up and running. Hopefully, it produces a higher standard on the park before the traditional 'home and away' format will be in place for the 2022 season.
With no inter-league action due to Covid 19 last season, it is difficult to gauge the standard between the MPL and FSL. In 2018 and 2019, when truncated Southern Leagues were held, the MPL teams filled the top three placings, with Cashmere Technical winning in 2018 and Nelson Suburbs the following season. Still, playing personnel have altered greatly in the intervening seasons.
The match-up between Technical and Green Island should set down a good 'marker' between the two leagues, with United having a win and a draw over Selwyn this season. Still, the latter were the form team in closing rounds, and if they can match that form, the Stallions could surprise. Coastal did the double over Suburbs in the MPL, but both were by just 1 - 0 margins. The all Dunedin clash will see the two sides facing each other at successive weekends after the two met in the Chatham last Saturday with Otago University prevailing 4 - 1, while in the league, honours were even with one win apiece.
Mainland Football New World Men’s Premiership
Cashmere Technical
League Position: 1st
Recent Form: WWDWL
Top Scorers in the #NWPrem21:
12 – Garbhan Coughlan
5 – Jake Grove, Yuya Taguchi
4 – Jacob Richards
Coastal Spirit
League Position: 2nd
Recent Form: WLLLW
Top Scorers in the #NWPrem21:
4 – Mika Rabuka
3 – Treye Butler, Michael Hogan, Dominic McGarr
Christchurch United
League Position: 3rd
Recent Form: LWWWL
Top Scorers in the #NWPrem21:
9 – Oliver Colloty
8 – Edward Wilkinson
6 – Benji Lapslie
Nelson Suburbs
League Position: 4th
Recent Form: WDLDW
Top Scorers in the #NWPrem21:
4 – Josh Creswell, Andrew Tuckey
3 – Carl Connor-McClean, Simon Gatward-Smith, James McPhie
2 – William Tucker
Selwyn United
League Position: 5th
Recent Form: WDWWW
Top Scorers in the #NWPrem21:
6 – Jamie Carrodus, Daniel Ede
5 – Dorian Grault
1 – *eight players*
Football South Otago Daily Times Men’s Southern Premiership
South City Royals
League position: 1st
Recent form: LWWWW
Top scorers in the ODT Southern Premiership:
8 - Ryan Fleming
7 - Connor Nei
5 - Kaleb De Groot-Green
Green Island
League Position: 2nd
Recent Form: WWLWW
Top Scorers in the ODT Southern Premiership:
15 – Adam Hewson
7 – Cameron Anderson
7 – Thomas Milton
Otago University
League Position: 3rd
Recent Form: WWWWL
Top Scorers in the ODT Southern Premiership:
7 – En Watanabe
6 – Aiden Barbour-Ryan
6 – Yun Sung Chang
Article added: Wednesday 14 July 2021