Chatham Cup Winner?

East Coast Bays, 100%

Young, unbeaten and out for Chatham Cup glory.

Nelson Suburbs is to line up in Saturday's cup semifinal in Auckland against East Coast Bays a team whose record this season is a mirror of its own.

Both teams are top of their respective local competitions, with Bays last weekend clinching the title of the United Soccer 1 premier league, which involves teams from North Harbour, Waitakere and Northland.

Suburbs has one hand on the Mainland premier league championship, with only one other team having any chance of catching the league leader.

Bays German-born coach Willy Gerdsen reckons that with both teams having an impressive season, they are going into the game with an equal chance of winning.

"These games always come down to what happens on the day."

Bays has come to the semifinal off a 6-0 win over three-times cup winner Waitakere City, which was reduced to 9 men by the end of the quarterfinal.

Suburbs made it in with a 2-1 win over last year's runner-up, Western Suburbs, with the final goal being scored with only two minutes of extra time remaining.

Mr Gerdsen said that, like Suburbs, Bays had a young side, though with an average of 22 it was slightly older than the Nelson team, which is half made up of schoolboys.

Bays also boasts a Solomon Island international, George Suri, and All White Jeff Campbell.

Suburbs will be missing its suspended Solomons star Joses Nawo, but otherwise appears to be in fine shape coming off the back of its 4-0 win over the Mainland Premiere league third-placer Halswell last weekend.

Suburbs co-coach John Brydon said Frazer Maebule would make one last appearance for the team against Bays before flying back to his home in the Solomons the next day.

Paul Dirou, a dominating player in midfield and defence, returned to the team last weekend from army training.

"With Dirou and Frazer, we'll have the manpower to match them in the middle of the park," said Brydon, who had flown to Auckland to check out Bays in action.

He admitted that without Nawo, his team could lack its usual level of firepower.

"There's not many players around at the moment at the same level as him."

However, Kidston Billy, who had been out with a thigh strain, will return after completing the rest period recommended by his physiotherapist.

"I still don't believe we've seen the best of KB ... I believe he'll relish the challenge of being in this big game this weekend."

Brydon said either Hamish Allan or Sean Parkes could take the place of Nawo.

Both have proven they can rise to the occasion this season, scoring crucial goals when the team needed them, most notably Allan's extra-time knock that put Suburbs into the cup semifinal.

Brydon is expecting some support for his boys when they arrive at Bays City Park.

"There's a few Nelsonians up there congratulating us on getting up there. We've had a lot of emails from people up there who are going to come to the game."

The game kicks off at 2pm.

Dunedin Technical hosts another North Harbour team, Glenfield Rovers, in the other semifinal on Sunday.