Top Two Increase Gap 

Both Christchurch United and Cashmere Technical secured wins in the Southern League (SL), United 4 - 1 over Nomads and Technical 7 - 0 against Green Island, to increase the points gap over third placed Dunedin City Royals who needed two late goals to secure a 3 - all draw with Nelson Suburbs. Ferrymead Bays accounted for Selwyn 5 - 2 with Coastal Spirit defeating FC Twenty11 2 - 0.

United now have 31 points, Technical 29 with the Royals 21 and both Bays and Coastal 19 and Suburbs on 16. The bottom four remain unchanged with Nomads 10, one clear of Green Island with Selwyn on 7 and FC 6. With just a third of the league remaining both United and Technical look to be favourites for a top two finish and claim a spot in the National League. The league now takes a break for a week due to the Chatham Cup, with Technical taking on United. The other South Island tie sees Roslyn Wakari facing giant killer's Wanaka.  

Nomads Flynn Holdem - still only 15 - became the youngest player to score in the SL when he finished well after just six minutes. This put United behind on the scoreboard for the first time this season. The lead was short lived when Daniel MacLennan equalised a minute later. MacLennan then put United ahead midway into the half. Declan Hickford, who came into the game off the bench for Nomads at half-time, tested keeper Scott Morris on the hour bit it was United who finished the stronger with a Sam Philip seeing a shot cleared off the line before Jago Godden claimed a double in the space of five minutes in the last ten minutes of normal time. 

Ben Stanley put the Royals ahead in the opening minutes before Alex Ward leveled the score just minutes later. Royals failed to put away some good chances which lead to the sides going to the break level. Both sides had chances to break the deadlock before the game entered into what was a drama filled final 20 minutes. Connor Goody put Suburbs ahead and looked to be in control when Lennon Whewell finished well with just five minutes to play. Sean Cooper gave the home fans hope then bringing it back to 3 - 2 in the 88th minute and then in added time the Royals were awarded a penalty, which saw Suburbs captain Alex Ridsdale receive a double yellow card for dissent. Connor Neil scored from the penalty spot to give both sides a share of the points.    

Green Island suffered their heaviest defeat of the season. In a tight opening half, Technical went to the break one up after Declan Tyndall scored in the 17th. Garbhan Coughlan then scored on the hour with Green Island then going a player down after Cameron Brewitt received his second yellow card. Tech then doubled their lead in the space of a minute when Coughlan and sub, Yusuf Van Dam, scored. Coughlan then bagged two more before Aidan Barbour-Ryan scored in added time to celebrate Tom Schwarz 300th game for the club in style. Coughlan now skips out to a 7-goal lead in the Golden Boot race with 22 goals, United's Philip is on 15, with the Royal's duo of Stanley and Neil next best on 8.      

On Friday evening Bays went to the break two-up with goals from Cameron Rean and Kenshin Hayashi forcing Selwyn to make chances to their team for the second half. Selwyn conceded a penalty on the hour, with Joaquin Julve converting. Jamie Carrodus pulled a goal back for the Stallions in the 64th minute but Hayashi restored the three-goal buffer almost immediately. Darius Van Wyk, who come on at the break scored Selwyn's second goal but five minutes later, in a repeat of the first penalty, Chris Murphy was brought down by Kwadwo Amoafo. Julve again slotted the spot kick home to complete the scoring.  

On Sunday, FC Twenty 11 had an early chance but the longer the game went Coastal looked in control with FC not claiming their first corner until the final quarter of the game. The first half ended scoreless with Liam Cotter scoring his sixth SL goal of the season in 65th minute. Cooper Goldsmith added the second in added time to ensure Coastal's captain 100th game would end in success.  

Results / Scorers - Round 12 of 18

Coastal Spirit 2 (Liam Cotter, Cooper Goldsmith)
FC Twenty11 0
HT 0 - 0 

Dunedin City Royals 3 (Ben Stanley, Sean Copper, Conner Neil - pen)
Nelson Suburbs (Alex Ward, Connor Goody, Lennon Whewell)
HT 1 - 1 

Green Island 0
Cashmere Technical 7 (Garbhan Coughlan 4, Declan Tyndall, Yusuf Van Dam, Aidan Barbour-Ryan)
HT 0 - 1 

Nomads 1 (Flynn Holdem)
Christchurch United 4 (Daniel MacLennan 2, Jago Godden 2)
HT 1 - 2 

Selwyn 3 (Jamie Carrodus, Darius Van Wyk, Jak Stevenson)
Ferrymead Bays 5 (Kenshin Hayashi 2, Joaquin Julve 2 pens, Cameron Rean)
HT 0 - 2  

Points:
ChCh United 31, Technical 29, Royals 21, Bays 19, Coastal 19, Suburbs 16, Nomads 10, Green Island 9, Selwyn 7, FC Twenty 11 6.
United, Royals, Nomads and Green Is all have a game in hand.

Universities Increase Lead

Universities have increased their led to 27 points on top of the New World Men's Premiership after defeating Parklands 2 - 0 in Round 13. Cashmere Technical Reserves, who came into the round in second place, surprisingly went down to Burwood 2 - 0. Nomads Reserves extended their unbeaten run to five when overcoming Waimak 4 - 2 with Halswell defeating bottomed placed Western 4 - 0. Universities now have 30 points, seven clear of Halswell with both Technical and Nomads on 22. Waimak remain on 20, Parklands 19, with Burwood moving to 19 with Western yet to claim a point.   

It was a even opening half between Universities and Parklands with no goals scored. Jacob Brooks scored just after the break to put the students in front. Substitute Daniel Steffert doubled the score in added time, with the result extending Univ. unbeaten run to eleven games.

Hugo Toye gave Burwood the ideal start when scoring in the 3rd minute with Robin McGregor then doubling the lead in the 18th minute. This just the third time Technical have been kept scoreless.

Halswell ended a four-game winless streak with Ryan Navickas scoring early before Jacob O'Connell completed a hat-trick. His third from the penalty spot just after the break.

Nomads continued their midseason turn around when coming from behind after Thomas Sharp put Waimak ahead. Nomads went into the break ahead with goals to William Fairley and Angus McIntyre. Jackson Bond put Nomads further ahead before Mitchell Quigley pulled a goal back for Waimak. Nikolas Fairley restored Nomads two goal margins minutes later.     

Results / Scorers - Round 13 of 21

Burwood 2 (Hugo Toye, Robin McGregor)
Cashmere Technical Reserves 0 HT 2 - 0 

Halswell 4 (Jacob O'Connell 3 - incl pen, Ryan Navickas) Western 0
HT 3 - 0 

Universities 2 (Jacob Brooks, Daniel Steffert)
Parklands 0
HT 0 - 0 

Waimak 2 (Thomas Sharp, Mitchell Quigley)
Nomads Reserves 4 (William Fairley, Angus McIntyre, Jackson Bond, Nikolas Fairley)
HT 1 - 2 

United Continue Winning Run

The Christchurch United U20 side made it 11 wins on the bounce in the New World Men's Championship when accounting for the winless Halswell 8 - 0. Second placed Selwyn also recorded a big win, 7 - 0 over FC Twenty11. In the battle for third spot, Ferrymead Bay Reserves edged Coastal Spirit U20s 2 - 0 with the Bays Keen Lads defeating the Universities 3rds 3 - 0. The final game of the round between Waimak and the Universities 2nd XI is being played on Wednesday evening.  

United (played 11) have 33 points, Selwyn (10) and Bays Res. (11) on 22. Coastal (11) have 19, Bays Keen Lads (10) 15, UC 2nds (8) 11 and FC (10) 10. The foot of the table has UC 3rds (8) on 6, Waimak (9) 4 with Halswell (10) on 0. 

Results - Round 11 of 18 

Ferrymead Bays Reserves 2
Coastal Spirit SAS U20's 0 

Christchurch United U20's 8
Halswell United 0 

Selwyn 7
FC Twenty11 0 

Universities 3rd XI 0
Ferrymead Bays Keen Lads 3 

Waimak vs. UC 2nd XI - being played Wednesday evening 

Technical Maintain Perfect Start

Cashmere Technical maintained their winning start to the Women's South Island League when they secured their second win away against Dunedin sides when defeating Otago Universities 6 - 0. Dunedin City Royals made it two wins on the bounce when winning away to Nelson Suburbs 3 - 1. Coastal Spirit SAS were made to work hard by Universities of Canterbury (UC), before two late goals secured the win 4 - 2. Technical now move to 9 points, the Royals 6 with both Coastal and Otago Univ. on 3 and UC and Suburbs both on 1. Both Coastal and Otago Univ. having a game in hand. 

Otago Univ., who had player's missing due to student holidays found themselves going behind on the scoreboard when Charlotte Roche put Technical ahead in the 7th minute. Aimee Phillips then doubled the lead on the half hour with Roche and Chloe Bellamy adding two more goals just before the break to put Technical in control. Phillips extended the lead early in the second half with the former Football Fern completing her hat-trick in the final minute of normal time. 

Coastal started strongly when Samantha Whyte scored within the first thirty seconds and when Meg Simpson headed home to double the lead in the 6th minute UC looked to be in for a tough afternoon. UC then pulled a goal back when Tessa Burns finished well in the 13th minute and created several more chances to level before the break. Chances were wasted at both ends before a lack of communication in the Coastal defence allowed Ella Innes to stroll through and level the scores in the 64th minutes. UC then dominated the chances but could not find the back of the net. Coastal were then awarded two somewhat 'soft' penalties in the 85th and 87th minutes. The first hit the base of the post and was cleared. The second was put away well by Whitney Hepburn. UC pressed forward looking for what would have been a deserved equaliser, before conceeding in added time when Laura Newman scrambled the ball home. 

In Nelson, Royals had the better of the chances in the opening half, with Suburbs also testing at times but both sides turned scoreless. The deadlock was finally broken with Shonette Smith showing all her skills to score from a wide looping shot after beating several players in the 59th minute. A minute later the Royal doubled the lead with Nieve Collin finishing well after a good build up involving Margi Dias and Mikayla Gray. Suburbs lifted and pulled a goal back from a corner with seven minutes to play through Jasmine Barney. This led to a hectic finish with Royals having the final say with Freya Partridge-Moore scoring from a corner with two minutes remaining. 

The Kate Sheppard Cup quarter-finals are played next weekend, with Royals hosting Coastal in the 'South Island Final' which means the league takes a break and will resume on Matariki Friday 14 July. Coastal meet Technical, Royals face UC and Otago Univ. travel north to play Suburbs. 

Results / Scorers - Round 3 of 10

Nelson Suburbs 1 (Jasmine Barney)
Dunedin City Royals 3 (Shontelle Smith, Nieve Collin, Freya Partridge-Moore)
HT 0 - 0 

Otago University 0
Cashmere Technical 6 (Aime Phillips 3, Charlotte Roche 2, Chole Bellemy)
HT 0 - 4 

Universities of Canterbury 2 (Tessa Burns, Ella Innes)
Coastal Spirit SAS 4 (Samantha Whyte, Meg Simpson, Whitney Hepburn - pen, Laura Newman)
HT 1 - 2 

FC Nomads Top Premiership Table

FC Nomads have moved to the top of the New World Women's Premiership table after defeating Halswell Green 4 - 2. Selwyn picked up their first win in Premiership when edging Cashmere Technical in what was a bottom of the table clash. The Halswell Christchurch United clash with Universities Maroon was deferred. Nomads now have 7 points, Halswell ChCh Utd and UC are both on 6, Halswell Green and Selwyn on 3 with Technical on 1. Nomads, both Halswell sides and Technical all have a game in while UC have only played two games. 

Results - Round 4 of 10

Halswell Green 2
FC Nomads 4 

Selwyn 2
Cashmere Technical Reserves 1 

Halswell ChCh United vs Universities Maroon - deferred

Article added: Monday 03 July 2023