Queenstown v Green Island

The home team knew a win would give them a shot at finishing in the top four but against Green Island with a 100% record it would not be easy and despite a promising start with Queenstown on the front foot they sustained two key injuries  inside the first 15 minutes firstly to Jan Kumar and then Paul Rodwell allowed Green Island to work their way into the game and Queenstown keeper Daniel Bocatios was kept busy denying Eddie Wilkinson and Matt Brazier.

Right on half time a corner delivered to the near post is flicked on to Liam Carrington whose header just crossed the line and after  discussion with the officals the goal was awarded .

Green islands game plan of denying Willem Ebbinge the ball is effective and its not until the 63rd minute that he has a scoring opportunity but Christian Firth pulls off a fantastic save to keep the score at 1.0. Queenstown are then awarded a penalty however after the officals confer its over ruled.

Green Island make the game safe in the 84th minute when Matt Milton beats his marker and delivers a cross to Brazier who makes no mistake and gives Green Island maximum points after the first round and a 5 point buffer going into the top four round.

Photo: Olivia Marshall

Mosgiel v Dunedin Tech

Mosgiel made sure they remained in 2nd spot with a 5.1 win over Dunedin Technical.

Despite the losses of Cody Brook to Petone FC as well as both Aidan Barbour-Ryan and Luke McKay to Selwyn FC Mosgiel took the lead in the 8th minute after Alex Cox played an exquisite through ball over the Tech defence for Charlie Gruppelaar to run onto from right wing and calmly finish  past Techs keeper Daniel Robinson. 

In the 34th minute, a carbon copy of the first goal saw Mosgiel's Matt Kelly latch on to a through ball, holding off his marker and calmly round Robinson to make it 2.0- this was despite Mosgiel being down to 10 men with Cam Anderson having been sent to the sideline for 10 minutes for dissent.

Mosgiel started the second half brightly and  were rewarded in the 53rd minute when a Cam Anderson free kick was blocked by the wall before falling to the feet of Rahan Ali who nonchalantly rounded the keeper and made it 3. The 4th goal came only 2 minutes later, with Lewis Wall playing a ball in behind the Tech defence for Cam Anderson to accelerate onto and chip the Robinson from distance. At 4-0 the contest was finished, but the drama certainly not.

Tech's Oliver Colloty was shown a straight red card for a mistimed challenge on Charlie Gruppelaar. A yellow card would have been fairer. With 10 men, Tech started playing some of their best football of the game and were rewarded in the 68th minute when Caleb Osborne drove down the left, turned Mosgiel's Liam Dungey inside out and squared for Rhys Quarrell to squeeze in a shot from close range. The final goal of the game came in the 88th minute, when Alex Cox won a penalty for Mosgiel.

With Cox needing medical treatment, Matt Kelly stepped up and Paneka style  chipped the ball down the middle of the goal to bag his brace and make the final score 5 - 1 to the Plainsmen.

Wanaka v University

University claimed the 3rd  berth with a 5.1 victory away to Wanaka and at the same time took possession of the Blair Davidson trophy.

 After a  cagey opening  University scored in the 6th minute when Wanaka keeper Lukas Schafer miscued a clearance and Finn Rathbone beat Thomas Van Hees to the  ball and then placed his shot past Schafer.

Ben Stanley  scored the 2nd from close range after a clever  through ball from Rathbone on 26 minutes  then Rathbone scored his 2nd when he ran on to a through ball to beat Wanakas off side trap and round Schafer in goal to make it 3-0 with only 31 minutes played.

 Wanaka had few clear cut chances in a  below par first half performance.

In the 2nd half Wanaka had more urgency as they looked for a goal to get them back into the contest as they  started to control possession  better.

The 65th minute Steve Pleskun was released by Weston Bell but the big striker blazed over from 10 yards out but it was the start of more productive play from the home side.  

However it was University who scored  next just 2 minutes later, with their first real meaningful attack of the 2nd half  Oban Hawkins shot from outside the penalty area deflected off Ben Stanleys  back leavinge Schafer with no chance . 

 Wanaka then created another great chance - Barry Grehan slalomed through the University midfield and slipped a great pass to Adam Hewson and his right foot shot from 18 yards struck the right hand post .

 Stanley scored his hat trick  in the 85th minute after  Wanaka  failed twice to clear the ball with mis placed clearances in their penalty area.5-0

Wanaka didnt give up and Grehan set up Hewson but his shot hit  the post and just minutes later Bell  found the lively striker and this time he found the back of the net to make it 5-1. despite the loss Wanaka retained the final spot in the top four.

Roslyn v Caversham

Roslyn-Wakari absorbed Cavershams possession and were dangerous on the counter attack in coming out  the victors 2.1 at Ellis Park. 

Caversham made a lot of the early running and deservedly took a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute when Connor Neil turned his defender inside out and buried a low shot. 

This sparked  Roslyn  into life and in the dying minutes of the first half  equalised from the penalty spot with Nathan Wilkie beating Sean Van Dyk.

The early period of the second half saw Caversham  dominate however in what has been a reoccuring theme for Caversham  this season  their finishing has let them down.

Late into the game and a stalemate looked likely  until the game sparked back into life with six minutes to play. 

Roslyn swung in a corner and Josh Lucas placed a  delicately wafted header over Van Dyk to give the home side a 2-1 lead. 

Van Dyk was in the thick off it again when in the dying seconds he pulled off an excellent save to deny  Roslyn a 3rd from the penalty spot.

- Neville Watson ODT