Busy Weekend In Chatham Cup

Sixteen clubs from around the Mainland region will be looking to advance into the next round of the nationwide Chatham Cup with the eight ties played out over three days. 

Defending cup holders, Christchurch United kick the weekend off when they host Western - who have won the cup four times, at the United Sport Centre at 7 pm on Friday. Last season’s win saw United join University – Mt Wellington with the most wins in the competition – seven, with the Southern League (SL) side not expected to have problems overcoming Western, who sit at the wrong end of the Canterbury Premiership League (CPL), yet to record a win but form counts for little in the cup format, with United out to dominate from the opening whistle. 

There are three other SL versus CPL matchups, two played at 2 pm on Saturday, Waimak faces Universities of Canterbury (UC) at Kendall Park with Nomads up against Halswell at Tulett Park. Waimak and UC met one another for the second successive season at the same stage of the cup with UC advancing 3 – 2 last year. Waimak are unbeaten in the CPL with UC yet to claim a point in their first season in the SL so Waimak will be looking to cause the upset. This is the sixth time that Halswell, currently mid-table in the CPL, have played Nomads in the cup and the Hawks have won all sixth encounters at with the club celebrating their 60th Anniversary they will want to keep the record going. Nomads are 4th equal in the SL and have only lost once at home this season. At 2:30 pm, SL leaders and 4-time cup winners, Cashmere Technical play Burwood at Garrick Memorial Park. Technical have yet to drop a game this season with Burwood still chasing a win this season and with the two-side met in the cup in 2016 Technical racked up their biggest-ever win in the competition, 17 – 0, so Burwood will be up against it. 

Both the ties in Nelson are to be played at 2.30 pm with Nelson Suburbs hosting Richmond FC at Saxton Fields with Tahuna FC entertaining FC Nelson at Tahunanui. Suburbs, who are also 4th in the SL should have the edge on Richmond who find themselves at the foot of the Nelson Premier League (NPL) without a point, but they have knocked Suburbs out of the cup twice before, from the ten times they have been drawn together. Tuhuna also have yet to secure a point this season with FC Nelson sitting on top of the NPL with three wins from four outings, with FC having met Tahuna twice before in the cup and won both. 

The remaining two ties involve four SL sides, with the first seeing Selwyn facing Ferrymead Bays at 3 pm at Foster Park. Bays had the home advantage when they met Selwyn in SL last Saturday with Bays racing out to a three-goal lead after thirty minutes with Selwyn closing the gap to a single goal after the break so the stallions will be looking to use the home advantage to advance, with Bays winning the only other cup encounter between the two in 2017. 

On Sunday at 11 am Coastal Spirit take on FC Twenty 11 at Linfield Park. Coastal will be red-hot favourites to move into the next round after ending ChCh United's winning start last Saturday, with FC still pointless this season. Coastal have won two both previous cup encounters. 

Kate Sheppard Cup Also Commences For Mainland Sides

The Kate Sheppard Cup is also being played over the weekend with eight Mainland sides chasing a place in the Round of 32. 

On Friday evening it is a case of topped placed, Cashmere Technical, in the Women’s South Island Qualifying League (SQL) versus bottom placed, Selwyn when they square off in Rolleston at Foster Park. Technical are four from four in the league, with Selwyn yet to claim a point so Technical will be expected to process after they defeated their rivals 7 – 0 when they met in the league on Saturday. 

The three other ties will all be played on Saturday at 2 pm. At English Park Coastal Spirit SAS, who lifted the cup in 2013, hosts Universities of Canterbury. The two met in the league last Saturday with the sides sharing the points when drawing 1 – 1, with Coastal looking to send their keeper, Una Foyle, off on a winning note, with the former U20 Fern heading off to Ireland.  At Halswell Domain, Halswell play NW United, with the two also meeting in the league last Saturday with Halswell prevailing 3 – 0. The first winner of the cup, back in 1994 was Nomads, who are half of NW United, along with Waimak, so they will be out to topple Halswell. 

At Guppy Park Nelson, FC Nelson takes on Nelson Suburbs. Suburbs are currently in third place in the SQL and should be too strong for FC Nelson who have yet to claim a point in the Nelson Premiership.     

Article added: Friday 10 May 2024