Dramatic finish at Shepherds Park as Birkenhead score from the penalty spot in the 97th minute to win 2-1 after being 1-0 down at half time. Last 10 minutes was end to end as both sides searched for a winner. Very even game and a draw would have been a truer reflection. Not great quality but a good watch. Coastal very good on the break. Pretty combative in the middle of the park. Refereeing a bit ordinary but no excuse for the coastal spirit no 27 (Mclennan ?) - a big unit- to get two yellow cards after the final whistle for dissent or abusive language. Best player on the park was Coastal Spirits Yoo - was surprised to see him subbed with about 15 to go. Yes it does look like a Birko v Auckland City final but both can't avoid to drop points next week as Western Springs or NCR could sneak through if they both win. Next weks games all kick off at different times /days which is a bit amateurish (although it is an amateur league - yeah right) At least if Birko is in the final it will get a good crowd
Third season in a row a Central League team finishes last. Those four spots continuing to look very generous.
It’s not four spots, it’s three and the Phoenix get their spot guaranteed. This topic comes up every year but let’s face it Olympic won it last year and were in the final the year before. This year they miss out but they did win Chatham cup and Napier are in the driving seat for a GF spot. Eastern Suburbs are second from bottom on 5 points from 8 games so not exactly setting the world alight either.
I agree that Wests are awful though. They won games early in Central League and rode their luck. Miramar were in better form leading in to the NL but just missed out.
Third season in a row a Central League team finishes last. Those four spots continuing to look very generous.
It’s not four spots, it’s three and the Phoenix get their spot guaranteed. This topic comes up every year but let’s face it Olympic won it last year and were in the final the year before. This year they miss out but they did win Chatham cup and Napier are in the driving seat for a GF spot. Eastern Suburbs are second from bottom on 5 points from 8 games so not exactly setting the world alight either.
How are Napier in the driving seat for a grand final spot when they are reliant on other teams slipping up to get there? That makes absolutely no sense.
Third season in a row a Central League team finishes last. Those four spots continuing to look very generous.
It’s not four spots, it’s three and the Phoenix get their spot guaranteed. This topic comes up every year but let’s face it Olympic won it last year and were in the final the year before. This year they miss out but they did win Chatham cup and Napier are in the driving seat for a GF spot. Eastern Suburbs are second from bottom on 5 points from 8 games so not exactly setting the world alight either.
I agree that Wests are awful though. They won games early in Central League and rode their luck. Miramar were in better form leading in to the NL but just missed out.
Shambles
Buffon II
VimFuego
Be a little awkward if there's no Auckland team in it...
Third season in a row a Central League team finishes last. Those four spots continuing to look very generous.
It’s not four spots, it’s three and the Phoenix get their spot guaranteed. This topic comes up every year but let’s face it Olympic won it last year and were in the final the year before. This year they miss out but they did win Chatham cup and Napier are in the driving seat for a GF spot. Eastern Suburbs are second from bottom on 5 points from 8 games so not exactly setting the world alight either.
I agree that Wests are awful though. They won games early in Central League and rode their luck. Miramar were in better form leading in to the NL but just missed out.
3 + 1 is 4. Hopefully the decent showing of the Southern League will open the discussing further. 4/4/2 split is just too lopsided. Having a team like Christchurch United miss out, with an ex-all white and ex-pros, for this Western Suburbs team doesnt feel right for the nations top tier football competition. If the Central League finish bottom for two years in a row I think the topic must be brought up again.
Although I am sure nothing will change and any shuffle will just see Auckland FC ressies in the mix.
I think if there was a third Southern League team in the national league in any season other than this one, they would've finished last, but I do agree with the fact Chch United would've comfortably done better than Wests.
Personally think they should add a third Southern league team next year with the addition of Akl Fc reserves and make it a 12 team league, making it a 4/3/3 split + the two reserve teams, not sure what NZF's plans are though. Mainland Analyst
Shambles
Buffon II
VimFuego
Be a little awkward if there's no Auckland team in it...
Third season in a row a Central League team finishes last. Those four spots continuing to look very generous.
It’s not four spots, it’s three and the Phoenix get their spot guaranteed. This topic comes up every year but let’s face it Olympic won it last year and were in the final the year before. This year they miss out but they did win Chatham cup and Napier are in the driving seat for a GF spot. Eastern Suburbs are second from bottom on 5 points from 8 games so not exactly setting the world alight either.
I agree that Wests are awful though. They won games early in Central League and rode their luck. Miramar were in better form leading in to the NL but just missed out.
Shambles
Buffon II
VimFuego
Be a little awkward if there's no Auckland team in it...
Third season in a row a Central League team finishes last. Those four spots continuing to look very generous.
It’s not four spots, it’s three and the Phoenix get their spot guaranteed. This topic comes up every year but let’s face it Olympic won it last year and were in the final the year before. This year they miss out but they did win Chatham cup and Napier are in the driving seat for a GF spot. Eastern Suburbs are second from bottom on 5 points from 8 games so not exactly setting the world alight either.
I agree that Wests are awful though. They won games early in Central League and rode their luck. Miramar were in better form leading in to the NL but just missed out.
3 + 1 is 4. Hopefully the decent showing of the Southern League will open the discussing further. 4/4/2 split is just too lopsided. Having a team like Christchurch United miss out, with an ex-all white and ex-pros, for this Western Suburbs team doesnt feel right for the nations top tier football competition. If the Central League finish bottom for two years in a row I think the topic must be brought up again.
Although I am sure nothing will change and any shuffle will just see Auckland FC ressies in the mix.
Coastal's team would have looked different if it were top 3 tho, as they got David Yoo and Riley Grover from United, both starting and playing nearly every minute each game.
Averaging out everyone’s predictions so far, collectively the Forum predicts this is how the league will shake out this year:
1. Wellington Olympic
2. Auckland City
3. Birkenhead United
4. Western Springs
5. Cashmere Technical
6. Eastern Suburbs
7. Napier City Rovers
8. Coastal Spirit
9. Western Suburbs
10. Phoenix Reserves
EDIT: There were 2 more predictions after this post before the start of the National League season - I calculated them in but they didn't change anything, so this is the final collective predictions for the season.
Based on this Olympic have been the underperformers by some way and the Nix have been the outperformers.
In the 90th minute, with @AucklandCity_FC's season potentially on the line, 17yo Stipe Ukich was exactly where he needed to be to score a massively important winning goal
Just got back from the Olympic vs Napier game, 3-2 to Napier.
I have to say, even for a NL game the officiating was poor. Olympic's penalty was extremely soft and from where I was standing there wasn't even any contact when they went down. Then in the 2nd Half Olympic got a non-existent offside.
That aside I thought it was a really good game. Plenty of chances and balls hitting the post, really entertaining overall. Napier unfortunately misses out on finals because of Western Springs and Birko.
Coastal Spirit have a chance to do something really funny and beat Auckland City and make them miss finals.
Just got back from the Olympic vs Napier game, 3-2 to Napier.
I have to say, even for a NL game the officiating was poor. Olympic's penalty was extremely soft and from where I was standing there wasn't even any contact when they went down. Then in the 2nd Half Olympic got a non-existent offside.
That aside I thought it was a really good game. Plenty of chances and balls hitting the post, really entertaining overall. Napier unfortunately misses out on finals because of Western Springs and Birko.
Coastal Spirit have a chance to do something really funny and beat Auckland City and make them miss finals.
Even if Coastal can get a draw then Auckland City will miss out on GD!
What's gone wrong for Olympic? I thought for sure after the Chathams cup that they'd reach the finals. Did they just lose motivation or something?
I had a Convo with someone in the know recently. Their belief is along the lines of a team with key individuals who have started to tip their life interest away from the game - life/careers/family etc. Understandable at some point, and you can see a number of players who aren't in the physical condition of seasons past. I suspect some bigger changes in squad by next season
Auckland City (5) v Coastal Spirit (1) at Kiwitea Street Game all over after 25 minutes with a 3 minute Myer Bevan hatrick , including one absolute stunner City looked a lot sharper than in recent weeks .Lagos played further forward in the role previously filled by Gillion . Can't make my mind up about Coastal Spirit. Seen them 3 times in Aucl;and this year. Awful against Hibiscus Coast in the Cup , at least the equal of Birkenhead last week , and definitely second best today. Coastal must be pleased with their season anyway. First at this level since Christchurch Rangers in the mid 1990's , semi finalists in the cup and highest placed south Island side in the National League. Look to have something to build on. City definitely favourites for the final but Birkenhead capable of beating them. Wonder whether they truly beieve they can beat City. Might be Hobsons biggest job this week rather than any tactical work.
Coastal with 60k budget spend on players, imported yoo and grover and celebrate it like they achieved something. Reality is clubs with money hiding payments to players through 3rd party payments or coaching positions finishing as shark as they did. Who hoo.
where does the $60k budget figure come from and how does that compare to teams in southern league and the rest of the national league?? Podderick
Coastal with 60k budget spend on players, imported yoo and grover and celebrate it like they achieved something. Reality is clubs with money hiding payments to players through 3rd party payments or coaching positions finishing as shark as they did. Who hoo.
Story goes, term investment for coastal matured and 60K was made available for Stanton to build his team. Storer, for example, who was broken for the season was to be paid $450 per week, this from a Cashmere higher up when he explained it to them and they wouldn't match it to keep him. No secret here in Chch about the money going round. Bit like your question, doesn't matter how it compares to other teams, everyone just accepts it and turns a blind eye. Not one player will come forward as they know their amateur career would be over.
Story goes, term investment for coastal matured and 60K was made available for Stanton to build his team. Storer, for example, who was broken for the season was to be paid $450 per week, this from a Cashmere higher up when he explained it to them and they wouldn't match it to keep him. No secret here in Chch about the money going round. Bit like your question, doesn't matter how it compares to other teams, everyone just accepts it and turns a blind eye. Not one player will come forward as they know their amateur career would be over.
Well what a story teller you are!
Like many other storytellers: Disney, Dickens, and don't get me started on Rowling, this is all just a fairytale. Remember the one about U20 playing time coming from the book of TransferMarket, how we lolled around the fireplace to that fable!
Perhaps now the season is over, people can just relax a little and enjoy what was a great season for our club, often maligned but now doing great.
Story goes, term investment for coastal matured and 60K was made available for Stanton to build his team. Storer, for example, who was broken for the season was to be paid $450 per week, this from a Cashmere higher up when he explained it to them and they wouldn't match it to keep him. No secret here in Chch about the money going round. Bit like your question, doesn't matter how it compares to other teams, everyone just accepts it and turns a blind eye. Not one player will come forward as they know their amateur career would be over.
Well what a story teller you are!
Like many other storytellers: Disney, Dickens, and don't get me started on Rowling, this is all just a fairytale. Remember the one about U20 playing time coming from the book of TransferMarket, how we lolled around the fireplace to that fable!
Perhaps now the season is over, people can just relax a little and enjoy what was a great season for our club, often maligned but now doing great.
We certainly are.
Merry off-season everyone.
The U20 'fable' was not made up - they were definitely flirting with danger but knew where they needed to be come the end of the Southern League season
What's gone wrong for Olympic? I thought for sure after the Chathams cup that they'd reach the finals. Did they just lose motivation or something?
I had a Convo with someone in the know recently. Their belief is along the lines of a team with key individuals who have started to tip their life interest away from the game - life/careers/family etc. Understandable at some point, and you can see a number of players who aren't in the physical condition of seasons past. I suspect some bigger changes in squad by next season
Don't follow the National League too much but what has happened to Jack-Henry Sinclair? 2-3 years ago he was always top of the list of most unlucky domestic players to not be playing professionally. Will be 27 next February.
Now doesn't seem to get a mention at all. I do remember someone on here posting that he was invited to train at the Nix (maybe during Uffie's last year in charge), but JHS didn't endear himself to the then coaching setup, or some such. Remembering there was also rumours that around that time young Conchie and Talay clashed.
the officiating is shocking. no way that was a penalty against Adam Hewson, and how both the AR and referee missed Hamish Watson being blatantly offside for his goal is mindboggling. reffing woeful across the standard too many games this year coochiee
Don't follow the National League too much but what has happened to Jack-Henry Sinclair? 2-3 years ago he was always top of the list of most unlucky domestic players to not be playing professionally. Will be 27 next February.
Now doesn't seem to get a mention at all. I do remember someone on here posting that he was invited to train at the Nix (maybe during Uffie's last year in charge), but JHS didn't endear himself to the then coaching setup, or some such. Remembering there was also rumours that around that time young Conchie and Talay clashed.
Might have listened to too much of the smoke blown up him around Olympic's clubrooms. they're an interesting lotcoochiee
Don't follow the National League too much but what has happened to Jack-Henry Sinclair? 2-3 years ago he was always top of the list of most unlucky domestic players to not be playing professionally. Will be 27 next February.
Now doesn't seem to get a mention at all. I do remember someone on here posting that he was invited to train at the Nix (maybe during Uffie's last year in charge), but JHS didn't endear himself to the then coaching setup, or some such. Remembering there was also rumours that around that time young Conchie and Talay clashed.
aaaaaaaand Auckland City take it 2-1 to become champions of New Zealand. This is their 6th encounter this season. out of 6 games City won 5 + 1 draw. Brutal
