Airport Closure Causes Postponements

A heavy frost and ice meant that the Dunedin Airport was unable to open until just before midday on Saturday, this lead to both the Green Island verses Christchurch United and the Nomads verses Dunedin City Royals games being postponed, with new dates yet to be confirmed. The three games that went ahead saw plenty of goals scored. Cashmere Technical were untroubled to defeated FC Twenty11 6 - 1 on Saturday. On Sunday Selwyn crashed to their heaviest ever defeat in the Southern League going down to Nelson Suburbs 7 - 1. Ferrymead Bays won the midtable clash against Coastal Spirit 3 - 1.

United are still top the table on 25, Technical now have 23 with the Royals on 19. Bays are now in fourth place on goal difference over Coastal, both on 16, just one ahead of Suburbs. There is no change for the bottom four, with Nomads on 7 with Green Island, Selwyn and FC all on six. 

FC managed to hold Technical out for nineteen minutes before Aidan Barbour-Ryan opened the scoring then added a second just before the break. Barbour-Ryan then completed a well-constructed hat-trick in the 52nd minute. FC pulled a goal back when substitute Munashe Saruchera, who had come on at the break, scored with twenty to play. FC keeper, Harri Rowe, who was keep busy then saved a penalty from Garbhan Coughlan, but Coughlan quickly made amends when restoring the three-goal margin. Yusuf van Dam, in his first start this season, then bagged two goals within four minutes before the final whistle. 

Suburbs captain, Alex Ridsdale, gave his side an early lead before Selwyn were awarded a penalty, but the penalty was missed. Connor Gillispie's continued his hot form on goal when increasing Suburbs lead. The lead was then doubled minutes later when Ben Polak scored two in the space of a minute. Gillispie put Suburbs 5 clear when scoring in added time of the first half. Gillespie then completed his hat-trick on the hour with Seb Hickman making it 7 - 0 with eight to play. Selwyn had something to cheer about when Ollie Sims scored a long range 'screamer' in added time. 

Three goals in a four-minute spell gave Bays a strangle-hold over Coastal after just 14 minutes. Bays opened very strongly and went close several times before Daniel Thoms found the back of the net. This was quickly followed by a second from Chris Murphy and within a minute Cameron Rean scored against his former club to make it 3 - nil. Coastal keeper, Ellis Hare-Reid made several quickly saves to stop the scoreboard turning over with Dominic McGarr then heading wide for Coastal before Brennan Pitts scrambled the ball home just before the break to give the home side hope going to the break. The second half become somewhat scrappy with chances wasted at either end, with Bays keeper, Coey Turipa pulling of a great save to tip a shot from Jack Mitchell over the bar late in the game. 

The league will return in a two weeks time, due to the Chatham Cup this weekend, with Round 11 fixtures seeing United host Coastal on Friday evening and on Saturday Technical take on Suburbs, the Royals met Selwyn, with FC and Green Island squaring off in a key game at the bottom with Bays entertaining Nomads.    

Results / Scorers - Round 10 of 18

Cashmere Technical 6 (Aidan Barbour-Ryan 3, Yusuf van Dam 2, Garbhan Coughlan)
FC Twenty11 1 (Munashe Saruchera) 
HT 2 - 0 

Coastal Spirit 1 (Brennan Pitts)
Ferrymead Bays 3 (Daniel Thoms, Chris Murphy, Cameron Rean)
HT 1 - 3 

Nelson Suburbs 7 (Connor Gillispie 3, Ben Polak 2, Alex Ridsdale, Sebastian Hickman)
Selwyn 1 (Ollie Sims)
HT 5 - 0  

Green Island vs. Christchurch United - postponed 
Nomads vs. Dunedin City Royals - postponed 

New Era As South Island Women's League Kicks-off

The first fully home and away South Island Women's League commenced over the weekend with the closure of the Dunedin Airport meaning that the Otago University side were unable to travel north to face Coastal Spirit SAS. This meant Nelson Suburbs and Universities of Canterbury (UC) had the honour of playing the first game in the league, which ended in a 2 - 2 draw on Saturday and on Sunday, Cashmere Technical headed south to play Dunedin City Royal, coming away with a 2 - 0 win. 

The Suburbs / UC started off at a hectic pace with Amelia Abbott putting Suburbs ahead in after just three minutes, to continue the trend of Suburbs scoring early at Saxton Fields. UC were quickly back on level term when Katie Harris scored minutes later. Play switched from end to end without any further scoring before the break. Abbott put Suburbs back in front early in the second half with Jasmine Ball earning UC a share of the points when scoring from a corner with ten minutes to play. 

Technical headed south with a somewhat unsettled side as several regular first choice players were unavailable to play or out injured. Both teams would be disappointed with the chances they failed to put away. The deadlock broken when Charlotte Roche opened the scoring just before the break. The Royals continued to threaten after the break without any joy. Both keepers produced some good saves before Technical then doubed their lead when Nicola Dominikovich scored with six minutes to play, somewhat against the run of play,. 

Round 2 will be played over the weekend of 24/25 June with UC meeting their Otago counterparts and on Sunday, Technical host Suburbs with the Royals facing Coastal.   

Results / Scorers - Round 1 of 10

Dunedin City Royals 0
Cashmere Technical 2 (Charlotte Roche, Nicola Dominikovich)
HT 0 - 1 

Nelson Suburbs 2 (Amelia Abbott 2)
Universities of Canterbury 2 (Katie Harris, Jasmine Ball)
HT 1 - 1 

Coastal Spirit SAS vs. Otago University - postponed 

New Leaders In CPL

Universities are the new leaders of the New World Men's Premiership - the fifth different club to top the table this season. They defeated Waimak 3 - 1, the students lead by a Hemi Innes goal at the break before Waimak were back on level terms thanks to an own goal, before goals to Saul Preshner and Aaron Brown secured the win. Previous leader's Halswell suffered their second defeat of the season when going down to Burwood 2 - 1. Leon Houston gave the Hawks an early lead before goals to Alex Doherty, in each half completed the upset, the winning goal coming with four to play. In another upset, Nomads defeated second placed Cashmere Technical 4 - 0. Goals going to Matias Gidden, Jackson Bond, Joseph Lowe, and there was a first an own goal. The final game was a high scoring affair with Parklands winning 6 - 3 over Western.

Just two points separate the top four sides, Universities have 20, Halswell 20, with Technical and Parklands both on 19. Waimak have 14, Nomads 13, Burwood 8 and Western 0. 

Results / Scorers - Round 11 of 21

Halswell 1 (Leon Houston)
Burwood 2 (Alex Doherty 2)
HT 1 - 1 

Nomads Reserves 4 (Matias Gidden, Jackson Bond, Joesh Lowe, own goal)
Cashmere Technical Reserves 0
HT 2 - 0 

Waimak 1 (own goal)
Universities 3 (Hemi Innes, Saul Preshner, Aaron Browne)
HT 0 - 1  

Western 3 (Parker Bradford 2, Lee Johnson)
Parklands 6 (Jesse Ruwhiu 2, Josh Hardy, Marcus Livingstone - pen, Reuben Williams, Miles Gruschow)
HT 2 - 4 

Late Goals Decide Top of The Table Clash

The top of the clash between the Christchurch United U20s and Selwyn Reserves in the New World Men's Championship League was scoreless going into the final 20 minutes when Selwyn took the lead. United finished strongly with two goals within the final five minutes to win 2 - 1 and maintain their season long winning run. Coastal Spirit U20's edged FC Twenty11 2 - 1, with Waimak defeating Halswell 3 - 2. The Ferrymead Bays Reserves came out on top of Universities 3rd XI 2 - 0 with the game between the Ferrymead Bays Keen Lads and Universities 2nd XI ending scoreless.

United now have 27 points with Selwyn and Coastal both on 19. The Bays Res. now have 16, four-clear of the Keen Lads with the UC 2nds on 11. FC have 10, UC 3rds 3, Waimak 1 with Halswell still scoreless.    

Results - Round 9 of 18

Halswell 2
Waimak 3 

FC Twenty11 1
Coastal Spirit U20 2 

Ferrymead Bays Keen Lads 0
Universities 2nd XI 0  

Selwyn 1
ChCh United U20 2 

Universities 3rd XI 0
Ferrymead Bays Reserves 2 

Women's Premiership Begins

The New World Women's Premiership, which brings together the bottom three sides of the South Island Qualifying League and the top three sides from the New World Championship kicked of over the weekend with FC Nomads becoming the early leader's when defeating Selwyn 2 - 0, with Halswell Christchurch United coming from behind in the final 20 minutes against Halswell Green to win 3 - 1. The final game between Universities Maroon and Cashmere Technical was deferred. 

Results - Round 1 of 10    

Selwyn 0
FC Nomads 2 

Halswell ChCh United 3
Halswell Green 2 

Universities Maroon vs. Cashmere Technical - game deferred

Article added: Monday 12 June 2023