Southern League to wrap up season with round of Sunday fixtures

posted in: News, Southern League |

By Logan Smith

The final round of Southern League action awaits on Sunday, with all teams playing their last Southern League game for the year.

For champions Christchurch United and runners-up Cashmere Technical, their match will serve as a dress rehearsal of sorts before the important games in the National League Championship and for United, the Chatham Cup final against Melville United.

Christchurch United will also look to end the Southern League season unbeaten.

Relegated FC Twenty 11 will have their Southern League farewell away to Nelson Suburbs, with their six-point tally insufficient to stay in survival contention.

For the other seven sides, it’ll be the last game they play this season, and some final finishing positions are on the line.

As is custom with the final league round across the world, all five matches will kick off at the same time, which for the Southern League, is 1.30pm this Sunday.

At United Sports Centre, Christchurch United host Cashmere Technical in their top-two clash.

While the top three positions are decided, there’s still a contest for fourth place.

Dunedin City Royals know victory at home against Coastal Spirit will seal it up for them, but if they fail to do so, Ferrymead Bays can overtake them by beating Green Island at Ferrymead Park.

Further north, home side Nelson Suburbs can wrap up sixth place with a win against relegation-bound FC Twenty 11. Elsewhere at Foster Park, Selwyn United will host Nomads United, with the visitors potentially able to pass Suburbs with a win.

Game of the week

There’s nothing on the line for Christchurch United and Cashmere Technical per se, but don’t be fooled into thinking they’ll go easy on each other.

United are still unbeaten in all competitions and would certainly like to continue that run and build momentum for the Chatham Cup final.

For Technical, they’d love to put that run to an end and also silence some critics who perceive United to have overtaken them as the South Island’s best team.

At the end of the day, two quality sides who will be in the National League are facing off, so expect a good game.

Player to watch

Christchurch United ran up an extraordinary score in Dunedin last week, demolishing home side Green Island 15-3.

Striker Sam Philip scored an incredible eight goals in the match, showing his clinical side and proving too hot for Green Island to handle. Adding to his tally midweek against FC Twenty 11, he’s now on 29 goals with Cashmere Technical’s Garbhan Coughlan on 28.

Nobody else is close, so both are players to watch with the Golden Boot on the line when their teams face off this Saturday.

Bold prediction

With most matters settled and multiple games with little on the line, there’s definitely the potential for some surprising scorelines with some players perhaps already “on the beach”.

I’ll throw one out here then; Nomads United have been decent recently and will beat Selwyn 5-1.