Chatham Cup Focus Over The Weekend

Round 2 of the Chatham Cup will be the focus for male football over Kings Birthday Weekend, with eight clubs from around the Mainland Region looking to advance into the round of 32 of the national knock-out cup. 

On Friday evening Ferrymead Bays face Universities of Canterbury (UC) at Ferrymead Park at 7:15 pm. On Saturday at 2 pm Coastal Spirit and Cashmere Technical go head-to-head at Linfield Park with Tulett Park the venue for the ‘battle of the blues’ when Nomads host current Cup holders, Christchurch United. On Sunday at 2 pm Nelson Suburbs take on FC Nelson at Saxton Fields. 

Southern League (SL) form points to Ferrymead Bays favoured to knock out UC but the students have been on the improve in recent weeks, with a win and a draw so will be confident coming into the game. Bays come into the tie off two narrow league defeats but pushed Technical all the way last Saturday before going down 3 – 2, with Bays edging the students, 1 – 0 when they meet in the opening round of the SL. Bays prevailed in the only other time they have met UC in the cup. 

In what should be one of the key ties in the entire round over the weekend both Coastal Spirit and Cashmere Technical put their season-long unbeaten run on the line. Technical top the SL with Coastal in third, just two points adrift and when the two met in April in what turned out to be an action-packed game the sides ended at 4 – all, after Coastal led 3 – 1, with Technical scoring late to share the points. Coastal had a good workout midweek when they defeated Parklands, 6 - 0 in the first quarter-final of the Morrison Mitsubishi English Cup. The two have met the cup six times, with Technical winning all the encounters, with two of the ties decided on penalties. 

Christchurch United will be expected to advance, with just a league lost to Coastal so far this season. Unlike United, Nomads have failed to convert the chances they have been creating after they have which has cost them league points this season. When the two sides met on the opening day of the season, United won 3 – 0, with the two meeting twice before in the cup with both side each winning once. 

This will be the seventh time that Nelson Suburbs and FC Nelson have been drawn together in the cup with Suburbs having won them all but FC Nelson in recent season’s FC have been looking to gain promotion into the SL, having won the Nelson Pine Premier League last season, before going down to UC in the Mainland section of the promotion play-off series and this season the unbeaten with five straight wins but Suburbs SL experience should see them move into the next round. 

Local Rivals Met In Kate Sheppard Cup

The two sides that dominated the local scene in recent seasons, Coastal Spirit SAS and Cashmere Technical met in the Kate Sheppard Cup at Linfield Park on Saturday at 11:30 am. In the other Round 2 tie, in the Mainland Region. Nelson Suburbs host NW United at midday at Saxton Fields. 

Cashmere Technical has been closing the gap over Coastal Spirit in recent seasons, winning the South Island League last season and ending Coastal’s dominance in the Mainland League, when Technical lifted the title for the first time in seven seasons, without dropping a point. Technical defeated Coastal, 3 – 0 at the beginning of the season in the league with Coastal finding form in recent weeks and they will be out to make in 8 wins out of 10 encountered with Technical in the cup. 

Nelson Suburbs and NW United meet for the first time in the cup and if their recent league encounter is any indication, it may be a close game. NW was in control when holding a two-goal lead after an hour, before Suburbs came back with two goals in the next ten minutes before Suburbs conceded a third goal in the final minute of play to go down 3 – 2. 

Postponed SQL Game Being Played On Monday

The postponed Women’s South Island Qualifying League between Nelson Suburbs and Selwyn will be played at Saxton Fields on the Monday of Kings Birthday Weekend at midday. A cancelled flight prevented Selwyn from flying north last Sunday. Suburbs need the win to finish ahead of Universities of Canterbury in the table, via the head-to-head criteria, as both teams will finish level on ten points. Selwyn will be chasing their first point of the league. 

Head-to-Head:
Played 1 - Suburbs 1 win 

Form:
Suburbs L D W bye L
Selwyn L bye L L L L   

Article added: Friday 31 May 2024