Women's South Island League Qualifiers Confirmed

Coastal Spirit SAS drew with Cashmere Technical 1 - 1 in the top of the table clash to take out the Women's South Island Qualifying League. Universities finished in third place when defeating Selwyn 5 - 0 and Nelson Suburbs secured the fourth and the final qualifying spot for the South Island League when edging Halswell Christchurch United 2 - 0.

Coastal finish unbeaten on 16 points, three ahead of Technical with Universities on 10 and Suburbs 9. FC Nomads and Selwyn both finished on 6 with Halswell on 1. The top four side will now contest the inaugural six team South Island League, along with the two qualifiers from Southern Football, Dunedin City Royals and Otago Universities, with the league played over 10 rounds on a home and away bases.  

As expected it was a tight encounter between Coastal and Technical. After chances at either end Technical took the lead from a Emma Kench corner with Charlotte Mortlock breaking the deadlock in the 37th minute. Coastal's Britney-Lee Nicholson drew a good save from Maddie Iro on the hour with Laura Newman then hitting her shot straight at Iro. At the other end, Una Foyle blocked a shot from Charlotte Roche. Nicholson then went close but only found the side netting. Coastal finally levelled after Technical turned the ball over and Bel van Noorden, who had only been subbed on minutes earlier, finished from close range with ten to play. In the first minute of added time Iro was shown a red card for bringing down a player outside the area. From the free-kick, Mortlock, who took over the gloves, made a good save. Roche then went close in the final seconds for Tech but her shot went flashing over the crossbar. 

Universities made it three wins on the bounce when accounting for Selwyn. Ellan Innes scored a brace with Lydia Gilbert, Jasmine Ball and Kelsey Barrett scoring with the students leading 2 - 0 at the break. 

It was a very even contest on a heavy Saxton Fields effected by heavy rain which stopped just before kick-off. Giselle Rynvos put Suburbs ahead going to the break with Halswell then going close, twice hitting the posts before Khara Bouterey gave Suburbs some breathing space when adding the second.    

Results / Scorers - Round 7 of 7 

Cashmere Technical 1 (Charlotte Mortlock)
Coastal Spirit SAS 1 (Bel Van Noorden)
HT 1 - 0   

Nelson Suburbs 2 (Giselle Rynvos, Khara Bouterey)
Halswell Christchurch United 0  

Universities 5 (Ella Innes 2, Lydia Gilbert, Jasmine Ball, Kelsey Barrett)
Selwyn 0
HT 2 - 0 

FC Nomads the bye 

Winning Run Comes To An End

Christchurch United's eight game winning streak ended then drawing 1 - 1 with Cashmere Technical in the top of the table clash of the Southern League. Third placed Dunedin City Royals also dropped points when going down to fourth place Coastal Spirit 1 - 0. Ferrymead Bays ending a three-game losing run when edging Green Island 2 -1 and there were changes at the foot of the table with Nomads defeating Selwyn 3 - 1, while Nelson Suburbs swamped FC Twenty11 6 - 0.

United now have 25 points, five ahead of Technical with the Royals on 19. Coastal now have 16, Bays 13 with Suburbs 12. Nomads climb off bottom place, now in 7th place on 7, with Green Island, Selwyn and FC all on 6.  

It was a fast-flowing game between Technical and United with the leaders opening strongly with Matt Tod-Smith and Dan MacLennan going close in the opening minutes with Abdul Khalifi then seeing a shot tipped over the bar by Danny Knight. Knight then had to be at his best when a shot from MacLennan was half saved with the ball spilling away. Knight then recovered well to push the ball away for a corner as MacLennan tried to get a to the ball. In the 38th minute Tech went down to ten men when Tom Schwarz received a straight red when clipping down Sam Philip, in what must have been a tight call as Philip was 25 metres out from goal and two other defenders closing in on him. United then had the better of the chances and finally took the lead on the hour through a quick counter-attack from MacLennan who crossed to Philip to put home. United then made a double substitution with 20 minutes to play which effected United's flow and allowed Technical to finish strongly. With 15 minutes to play the scores were level when Garbhan Coughlan recieved the ball by the goal line to the right of goal. With Tech attackers in front of the goal mouth, United keeper Scott Morris must of been expecting the ball to be crossed but Coughlan powerfully slotted the ball home between Morris and the goalpost from a very tight angle. Minutes later Coughlan headed onto the post from a corner. A draw was a fair result and has set up an interesting second half of the league.       

Nelson Suburbs finally made the most of their scoring chances on the road against FC Twenty 11. FC battle hard early on but the pressure finally counted when Conner Gillispie scored in the 38th minute. Jordan Yong then doubled the lead just before the break from the penalty spot. Gillispie then completed his hat-trick with goals in the 60th and 68th minute. Jack Carter added the fifth before Gillispie completed the scoring in the final few minutes. FC had a chance to score from the penalty spot in the second half, but it was saved by Goal Keeper Adam Highfield. 

Bays, who travelled south with a number of players missing due to injury made it two wins on the road this season against Green Island. Stefan Milidrag scored after just four minutes to put Green Island ahead but the lead was short lived when Cameron Rean levelled five minutes later. Joaquin Julve then scored his opening SL goal to put Bays ahead midway into the opening half which turn out to be the winning goal.  

A fine solo goal by Nomads Jacob Anderson put his side ahead just before the break. He was allowed to run unchecked and finished with a curling shot to the top right-hand corner of net to opening the scoring. Darius van Wyk levelled for Selwyn on the hour before Declan Hickford put Nomads back in front with twenty to play. With seven minutes remaining Hickford secured the win when completing his double.  

On Sunday, Coastal and Royals turned scoreless at the break with the home side taking the lead from a long range free-kick in the 50th minute. Keeper, Ellis Hare-Reid picked out Omar Cameron who headed down to Liam Cotter to force the ball home. The Royals, who had the better of the scoring chances throughout the game, finished strongly, forcing a number of corners in the closing minutes but for the first time this season fail to score. 

Results / Scorers - Round 9 of 18 

Cashmere Technical 1 (Garbhan Coughlan)
Christchurch United 1 (Sam Philip)
HT 0 - 0 

Coastal Spirit 1 (Liam Cotter)
Dunedin City Royals 0
HT 0 - 0 

Green Island 1 (Stefan Milidrag)
Ferrymead Bays 2 (Cameron Rean, Joaquin Julve)
HT 1 - 1 

FC Twenty11 0
Nelson Suburbs 6 (Connor Gillispie 4, Jordan Yong - pen, Jack Carter)
HT 0 - 2 

Nomads 3 (Declan Hickford 2, Jacob Anderson)
Selwyn 1 (Darius van Wyk)
HT 1 - 0   

Halswell Back On Top Of Premiership 

Halswell United returned to the top of the New World Premiership after edging previous leaders Parklands 1 - 0 with a Jacob O'Connell scoring the only goal of the game in the 38th minute. Universities made it five wins on the bounce and move into second place after accounting for Burwood 4 - 2, with both Stu Campbell and Charlie Peacocke scoring doubles for the students, with Scott Zimmerman scoring for Burwood just before the break with Jamie Auld adding the second. The Cashmere Technical Reserves are now in third place after accounting for Waimak 3 - 0, with goals to Daniel Heyman and Tom Cairns, with Waimak going a player down after 38 minutes after Jasper van der Meer received a red card. The final game of the round saw the Nomads Reserves ending a five-game losing run when over running bottom placed Western in the second half to win 7 - 1. Jackson Bond led the way for Nomads with a double, with Luca Greasley, Cody Johnson, Matias Gidden, Elliot O'Connell and Angus McIntyre also scoring with Thomas Costello scoring for Western. 

It is tight at the top of the table with Halswell on 19, Universities 17 with both Technical and Parklands on 16. Waimak remain on 11, two ahead of Nomads with Burwood on 4 with Western still waiting to secure their first point. Universities host Halswell in the coming round with Burwood hosting Nomads, Technical meeting Western and Parklands face Waimak.     

Results / Scorers - Round 8 of 21 

Burwood 2 (Scott Zimmerman, Jamie Auld)
Universities 4 (Stuart Campbell 2, Charlie Peacocke 2)
HT 1 - 3  

Cashmere Technical Reserves 3 (Daniel Heyman, Luka Fields, Tom Cairns)
Waimak 0
HT 2 - 0 

Halswell 1 (Jacob O'Connell)
Parklands 0
HT 1 - 0 

Nomads Reserves 7 (Jackson Bond 2, Luca Greasley, Cody Johnson, Matias Gidden, Elliot O'Connell, Angus McIntyre)
Western 1 (Thomas Costello)
HT 2 - 1 

United Out On Top of Championship 

The Christchurch United U20 side made it seven wins in as many rounds of the Men's New World Championship when untroubled to defeat Waimak 9 - 0. Second placed Selwyn Reserves suffered their first defeat when going down to their Ferrymead Bays counter parts 4 - 3. In the Universities derby the 2nd XI defeated the 3rd XI 4 - 0. The Coastal Spirit SAS U20's edged the Bays Keen Lads 4 - 2 with FC Twenty11 defeating Halswell 4 - 1.

United sit on the maximum 21 points with Selwyn and the Univ. 2nds on 16, with the Bays Reserves and Coastal on 13. The Keen Lads have 8, FC 7, Univ. Gold 6, Waimak 1 with Halswell on 0.    

Results - Round 7 of 18 

Coastal Spirit SAS U20 4
Ferrymead Bays Keen Lads 2 

Ferrymead Bays Reserves 4
Selwyn 3 

Halswell 1
FC Twenty11 4 

Universities 2nds 4
Universities Gold 0 

Waimak 0
Christchurch United U20 9  

UC Maroon Remain Unbeated 

The Universities Maroon side remained unbeaten in the Women's New World Championship when edging Waimak 1 - 0. Coastal Spirit SAS defeated FC Nomads 5 - 2 with Cashmere Technical coming out on top of Universities Gold by the same scoreline, with Halswell having the bye.

With two rounds to play UC Maroon have 15 points, Halswell and Technical have 9, UC Gold 6, FC Nomads 4, Coastal 3 and Waimak 1. 

Results - Round 5 of 7 

Coastal Spirit SAS 1
FC Nomads 2 

Universities Gold 2
Cashmere Technical 5 

Waimak 0
Universities Maroon 1 

Halswell - the bye

Article added: Monday 29 May 2023