More Records To Technical In #MPL20 With Second And Third Still Up For Grabs
The records keep coming for run away champions of the New World Men’s Premier League (MPL), Cashmere Technical, who were untroubled to defeat Western 6 – 1, to set a new mark for the most wins, points and goals in a season. Second and third place have yet to be settled with Coastal Spirit moving into second place after edging Christchurch United 2 – 1, as Nomads dropped back to third after going down to Ferrymead Bays 1 – 0 with Selwyn securing a value points when drawing 2 – all with Nelson Suburbs.
Technical now have 58 points, Coastal’s now to 35 with Nomads remaining on 33. Bays are now on 30 with Suburbs on 28, with all these four sides still able to finish in second or third place. United have 24 with Selwyn moving to 5, one ahead of Western, with Technical and Coastal having completed one more game the the other six teams.
Technical racked up their 14th straight win, and the nineteenth for the season when defeating Western for the third time this season. George King scored the first of his hat-trick goals after 12 minutes with then Western levelling with a stunning effort from Rogier Kurbus. Fraser Angus then scored against his former club to put Technical back into the lead to complete the first half scoring. Angus then completed a double on the hour mark before King added his second. Substitute, Garbhan Coughhan then added Technical’s fifth goal before King completed his hat-trick in added time.
Coastal bounced back from their 2 – 0 loss to Technical in the league on Tuesday evening to claim their tenth win of the season when over coming United. Defender Dominic McGarr opening the scoring to give Coastal the lead with was then double then Jacob Richards found the back of the net after 22 minutes. United then pulled a goal back when Harrison Bowman run by several defenders for score his fifth goal ten minutes later. Both sides had chances after the break but could not add to their score.
Bays completed their home fixtures when winning a tight game against Nomads, who had the better of the opening chances. Veteran, Chris Murphy scored his first goal of the season when breaking clear and looping the ball over the advancing Nomads keeper, Scott Cameron in the 33rd minutes. Nomads best chance of the opening half then fell to their captain, Jacob Anderson who hit his shot directly to Bays keeper, Adam Highfield. Both sides failed to make the most of the chances they created with the game ended without further goals, the first time in two season’s that the home side had won by a 1 – 0 score line.
The strong wind out at Foster Park made it difficult for flowing football between Selwyn and Suburbs. Playing with the wind in the first half Suburbs add most of the attracting play, having a good shot for a penalty waved away early in the game and when to the break a goal down after a good run by Selwyn’s Lear Otaki ended with his shot turned away for a corner by Corey Wilson. From the corner Dorian Grault headed home powerfully in the final minute of the half.
Suburbs hit back just after the break, from a corner when Eddie Sillars levelled. Jordan Yong then went close for Suburbs but his shot was just over the bar. Selwyn then regained the lead with a fine solo run by Calum Murdoch who raced into the area before slotting the ball passed Wilson with 16 minutes to play. A well constructed goal by Suburbs saw Yong level in the 85th minutes with both sides going close to scoring a winner in a hectic period of added time.
On Tuesday evening at English Park, United will be looking to reach their second successive Blackwells Holden English Cup Final when the take on FC Twenty11 in the first semi-final.
In the up coming penultimate round in the MPL, Nomads play Western and Selwyn face Bays on Saturday with Suburbs hosting United on Sunday.
New World Men’s Premier League
Coastal Spirit 2 (Dominic McGarr, Jacob Richards) Christchurch United 1 (Harrison Bowman) HT 2 – 1
Ferrymead Bays 1 (Chris Murphy) Nomads 0 HT 1 – 0
Selwyn 2 (Dorian Grault, Calum Murdoch) Nelson Suburbs 2 (Eddie Sillars, Jordan Yong) HT 1 – 0
Western 1 (Rogier Kurbus) Cashmere Technical 6 (George King 3, Fraser Angus 2, Garbhan Coughan) Ht 1 – 2
Coastal Win ‘The Reta’ To Claim Double
Coastal Spirit secured the league / cup double when lifting the Blackwells Holden Reta Fitzpatrick Cup in and exciting Final against Cashmere Technical 3 – 1, with two of Coastal’s goals coming in added time, the final one the second ‘own goal’ Technical conceded in the action packed final. 
There were plenty of chances at both ends in the opening with keeper’s, Coastal’s Una Foyle and Jade Middleditch – Technical producing pulling of several great saved to see the teams go to the break scoreless, with Foyle somehow managing to get a fingertip to a powerful shot from Lara Wall that looked to break the deadlock just before the half time. Football Fern, Annalie Longo, had a shot on the turn saved by Foyle, on the hour with Coastal’s Britney-Lee Nicholson pushing her shot just wide minutes later. Foyle was finally beaten when Longo opened the scoring in the 65th minutes.
Chloe Jones was just wide minutes later from a free-kick. With ten to play Technical turned the ball into their own net after good work by Tahlia Herman-Watt. Wall then pushed the ball just wide from a cleverly worked free-kick after Longo was brought down on the edge of the area. With extra time looking on the cards, Herman-Watt gave Coastal the lead in the first minute of added time with Technical pressing from the restart with a strong run by Nicholson down the right and a low cross turned into the goal by a Technical defender trying to clear the ball.
Blackwells Holden Reta Fitzpatrick Cup Final
Coastal Spirit 3 (Tahlia Herman-Watt, own goals 2) Cashmere Technical 1 (Annalie Longo) HT 0 – 0
MPL – Una Foyle – Coastal Spirit
Halswell Unbeaten As #CCL20 Concludes
After celebrating their promotion back into the New World Premier League for 2021, Halswell United completed their Canterbury Championship League season undefeated after they won their final Pool A game against FC Twenty11 3 – 1 after both sides failed to score in the opening half. In the other Top 4 game Burwood defeated Waimak 4 – 1 after Burwood to 2 – 0 up at the break.
In Pool B Mid Canterbury secured a solid 4 – 2 win over Parklands with St Albans Shirley having a strong second half to defeat Universities 3 – 0 after the teams turned scoreless at the break.
Halswell finished their 17 games with 14 wins and 3 draws to finish with 45 points, ten clear of Burwood with FC third on 29 followed by Waimak on 23. SAS gained 22, Parklands 17, one ahead of Mid Canterbury with Universities at the foot of the table on 6.
Results
Pool A
Burwood 4 Waimak 1 HT 2 – 0
FC Twenty11 1 Halswell 3 HT 0 – 0
Pool B
Parklands 2 Mid Canterbury 4 HT 0 3
Universities 0 St Albans Shirley 3 HT 0 – 0
