Pressure Starting To Mount On Teams Chasing Points To Avoid The Drop Zone
With the top two placings all but decided the pressure is starting to mount on teams sitting in the bottom half of the Southern League (SL) as they chase points to move clear of tenth place and automatic relegation.
Round 14 begins on Friday evening with leader's Christchurch United facing seventh placed Nomads (7pm at CFC), with a United win securing them a place in the National League. Second placed Cashmere Technical will also be in prime position to claim the other National League qualification spot if they take maximum points off Green Island at Garrick Memorial Park at 2pm on Saturday.
The sides currently occupying the ninth and tenth spot, Mosgiel and Selwyn meet at Memorial Park (Dunedin) at 12:30pm, in a big six pointer. Also in Dunedin, third placed Nelson Suburbs take on the Dunedin City Royals - in fifth, at the Logan Park Turf at 3pm, with Suburbs faint hopes of finishing in the top top over if they do not secure the win. The final game see's Coastal Spirit hosting Ferrymead Bays at Linfield Park at 2:45pm, with sixth placed Coastal, currently five points clear of the drop zone chasing points as buffer, with Bays chasing the win if they are to finish third overall.
United will be favoured to make it two wins over Nomads this season however the latter have turned their season around in the last six rounds, with just one defeat. United will be looking to dominate the game from the opening stages to take the game away from Nomads who will be chasing their third win on the bounce.
Form: United W W W D W Nomads D D D W L W
Previous Result This Season: Nomads 0 United 8
The Mosgiel / Selwyn clash will be pressure full from the opening whistle with so much riding on the result. Mosgiel have dropped two spots on the table in recent weeks with five straight losses, with Selwyn having picked up four points over the same period. After this match the Stallions face all of the top four sides so Mosgiel know that if they can secure the win they may be safe. When the sides met back in April, Mosgiel left it late, scoring twice in added time to secure a 4 - all result, but they will be without their captain, Rory Findlay due to suspension .
Form: Mosgiel D L L L L L Selwyn L L D W L L
Previous Result This Season: Selwyn 4 Mosgiel 4
Technical will be expected to account for Green Island. after winning the first SL game and then knocking their rivals out of the Chatham Cup, 9 - 0, in the round of 16. Technical will be looking for a good 90 minute performance going into their Chatham Cup Quarter-Final away to Wellington Olympic next weekend. Technical defeated FC Twenty11, 2 - 0, midweek in the English Cup, with a somewhat under strength team due to Covid and other illness. Green Island have clawed themselves off the foot of the table with back to back wins and will be chasing just their second positive result on the road this season.
Form: Technical W W D W W W Green Island L L L L W W
Previous Result This Season: Green Island 1 Technical 4
Coastal and Bays met in the second leg of the Battle of the Estuary with the first leg ended in a 2 - 2 stalemate. That draw was one of six that Coastal have had in the SL this season, and with only two wins, just one in the last ten rounds, relegation is still on the cards. Bays have yet to loose away from home so are likely to hold an edge going into the game.
Form: Coastal D D L L W L Bays W W D W D L
Previous Result This Season: Bays 2 Coastal 2
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Three losses in the last six rounds have seen both the Royals and Suburbs drop ground on the top two and out of National League contention with both chasing the win on Saturday in a race for a third place along with Bays. When the sides next earlier in the season Suburbs came out on top 3 - 0, with the Nelson side yet to drop a point to any of their Otago rivals.
Form: Royals W L W L L W Suburbs W L W L W L
Previous Result This Season: Suburbs 3 Royals 0
Women's South Island Championship Continues
The Women's South Island Championship see's a double header in Dunedin at Logan Park on Sunday with Dunedin City Royals hosting Cashmere Technical at midday with Roslyn Wakari then meeting Coastal Spirit SAS at 2pm. The final round of the Championship concludes next week with another double header at English Park.
Article added: Thursday 21 July 2022