Mainland Premier League

Go and watch Burwood vs Parklands at Clare Park, it's like the chch version of El Clasico!

Wellington’s required

Round 5 action:

Midday

Coastal Spirit vs. Nelson Suburbs - English Park

2:45pm

Cashmere Technical vs. Nomads - Garrick Memorial Park

Ferrymead Bays vs. FC Twenty11 (Hurley Shield Challenge) - Ferrymead Park

Universities vs Selwyn - Ilam Fields

Plenty of good match-ups over the entire round - Suburbs looking to stay on top, both Nomads and FC chasing their first win over their respective rivals with both Universities and Selwyn looking to break their season winless run..

Big ups to those clubs publishing playing squads via online channels. UC and.....?

Be great to see starting formations on twitter too! @ferrymeadbaysfc I know you can do it.

Well done Coastal Spirit for the match day reports

#MainlandMPL

#socialmediastars

Selwyn provides their match programme electronically only. 

Usually posted on Facebook, mailing list and pushed out on SUFC app. on Friday afternoon once player and referee details available. 

Regularly includes video clips etc and links to other areas of interest. 

https://mailchi.mp/sufc.nz/sufc-match-day-program-...

Referees get a hard copy on the day in case they forgot or not worked out modern technology.  

Up to date?       #classicmainlandfootball

Men's

Cashmere Technical 4 Nomads 3

Coastal Spirit 3 Nelson Suburbs 1

Ferrymead Bays 3 FC Twenty11 0

Universities 3 Selwyn 1

Updated Table: - Top 5 in Bold

Went to Cashmere v nomads in the end. 7 goals, lot of lols, not much defending.

As a capital football referee, I found the behaviour of the benches of both teams fairly shocking. One of the nomads coaching staff sent away early on. Seeing young players sitting on the bench trash talking officials is not a good look.

Was at the game as well. Once again an absolutely pitiful performance by the officials, making the behaviour of the benches that way. Cracking game to watch, had no idea what the result was going to be! Tech lucky to get the win in the end.

no surprises with pitman in charge, was a dirty player and thats putting it mildly, and constantly running the mouth off. perhaps not much has changed now moved into coaching. Could probably throw the tech coach in the same boat as well, surprising result at the bottom of the table, selwyn finding it tough in the big league?

Well what did Selwyn players get up to last night? University a banker for relegation before today's game going by the previous weeks. Tightening up the bottom  of the table.

Was up the mountains so missed the game sadly

But hey what a result: go Coastal!

Having experienced the tactics from nomads last week nothing surprises me. When a player can tell someone he is going to elbow an opponent then does it in front of the official and nothing gets done not to mention the gutless tackle which the club posted on website. 

Regarding selwyn they were again short of ideas and not up to the challenge. Everything that they have worked so hard for could all be lost if some decisions are not made. 

Students were 3 - nil up after 19 minutes and do not think Selwyn could complain about the result, some of their defending was not that flash.

100% right Gavin. It used to be in the past we complained about being kicked and hacked, then we started to give it back. We came 2nd in big games and eventually learned how to win ugly (At times). Right now, absolutely no excuses. Just poor at times. Finding men from the boys can sometimes be all across an organisation. 14 games goes very quickly 

how many dragons started for cashmere? They were 3-2 down with 10 to go. Anyone got a match report? 

Round 6 scorers

Cashmere Technical 4 (Aaron Clapman, Futa Nakamura, Daniel Thoms, Lyle Matthysen) Nomads 3 (Stephen Hoyle 2, Nishan Biswa) HT 1 - 1

Coastal Spirit 3 (Anthony Jones 2, Matt Thomas) Nelson Suburbs 1 (Ryan Stewart) HT 1 - 1

Ferrymead Bays 3 (Nikolai Molijn 2, Chris Murphy) FC Twenty11 0 HT 1 - 0

Universities 3 (Hamish Wallace, Tom Bailey, Callum Gillies) Selwyn 1 (Declan Hickford) HT 3 - 0

Vim just for you so you can start planning for your road trip - the top three in the Football South Premier League after two of the eight rounds are Queenstown Rovers, Southland United and Dunedin Technical   

Having watched the CTFC v Nomads game, the second half from alongside the dugouts, I am a little surprised at the focus on the two benches. The passion and competitive edge that Andy has always brought to the game should be applauded, that he has transferred some of that to his team is the reason that coupled with their undoubted abilities Nomads were such a threat yesterday. The on field leadership of Hoyle and Pendrig  were also, I feel, major factors.

In recent times too many teams have failed to go the full 90 with CTFC, not Nomads a real gutsy efforts.

In Andy's shoes I would be proud of a lot of the football his team played and gutted that they finished without at least a share.

From CTFC, it might not be the top line up, There was still a little unsettled look but for all the mistakes there was a great never say die attitude some lovely individual moments, a cracker of a free kick from Aaron a couple of well constructed goals and in the end the points.

As tough and tight a game as I have seen for a while played by two outfits with a real commitment to playing good  uncompromising competitive football in the spirit it should be played. 

What I expect from teams representing proud clubs under two coaches who were both of similar intent when playing themselves. A more experienced official might have been able to add to the game and also enjoy it.

I look forward to seeing Nomads climb into contention for the play offs.

Wow, there is a diff between a competitive edge and passion and the way a certain player conducts themselves. thought you would have known that full well. sounds like a great game and good to hear a non biased view for a change

Round 7 action coming up on Saturday - hard to believe we are almost at the mid point of the MPL.

A couple of key games keys: Nelson Suburbs hosting Ferrymead Bays - Suburbs need the win to move back into into the top three and the Nomads verse Coastal Spirit looks to be the pick of the games in Christchurch after Nomads pushed Technical all the way in the latest round without success.  

FC Twenty11 will be up against neighbours - Universities who will still be under strenght due to the holidays with the final game seeing top verses bottom as Technical travel out to take in Selwyn, can the Stallions cause the upset of the season.

Yep.

Yes it was one of the better ones. Plenty of tension and atmosphere, plenty of mistakes but mainly plenty of resilience, effort and talent on display from both teams.

About 2 years ago Pitman was playing for Cash Tech in Masters 35's, the game we played against them was the dirtiest game I've ever played in, and Pitman was in the middle of EVERYTHING, dirty tackles, late tackles, elbows, and non stop mouthing at their ref. Made a few of guys question whether they wanted to keep playing if this was what Masters Div 1 was like, as it was something we'd never experienced. I have told this story a few times and almost without exception, they have agreed and either heard or witnessed the same thing.

Hopefully he doesnt install the same attitude in his players...

Monday MPL Questions

"passion, gutsy, never-say-die, tough, real commitment, uncompromising" 

Adjectives more associated with another code; but certainly Kiwi characteristics we expect from all our elite sportspeople.

Playing a little bit of devil's advocate here, so take it in the spirit intended, but just wondering, could those descriptors be euphemisms by any chance? Or perhaps used to gloss over a shortfall in skills and technique to play the beautiful game? 

Honest question. And which would we rather our young Cashmere and Nomads players see?

I also mentioned the skill level, but know it is a waste without the above attributes. I was always told and still believe you have to fight for the rights to the ball and then use it to the best of your ability. Without the fight no ball! 

The adjectives listed above are also a fair description of some of the major attributes of Canterbury's most successful player. Not a Messi or Ronaldo admittedly but it would be nice to produce a few more like Nelsen.

As to our young players watching, no problem with our Academy players watching Saturdays game. Hopefully they learned a few do's and don'ts. 

Yes indeed, work with what you've got, I always taught young players there's more than one way to skin a cat. Good technique off the ball is just as important as on it.

In contact situations I often see players who don't know how to use their body to effect a positive outcome for their team. It's somethiing that often causes young skilful players to plateau in progress, as they struggle with the physicality of "senior" football. 

A recent good example of a young player adapting well would be Corey Mitchell.

You probably see a better example of this in basketball where players tend to defy gravity all the while leveragiing off some poor fools weak attempt at a clean contest of the ball. 

All fair in love and war until the referee pings you, but that's another issue!

not that Andy or Hutchy would want me sticking up for them, I think a few on here haven’t seem them play or have short memories.

Pits was very uncompromising but an intelligent player, he never took a backwards step and relished a battle. To say he was dirty, well I can’t remember that . In fact I can’t ever remember him being sent off., might be wrong .As coaches both are trying to play an exciting brand of football , but every team needs a Roy Keane etc to give them drive . Not many win without one

Kompany, Souness , Sumner . Nelson , Sigmund 

Passion and winners. I think players like that are called.

Pits motm in a Chatham Cup final, thugs don’t get those awards

Crikey dirty players in Masters and getting stuck in to the ref. What's the world coming to.

I wonder if he found the step from MPL to Masters 35 difficult and was getting frustrated at the level of the game, which was clearly some considerable degree lower than what he was used to. I'll stick to what I said about him being dirty though, and this was in a social grade really, and what he was doing was pretty ordinary, and i wouldn't have used words like passion and uncompromising. 

Maybe it was a once off and he was having a bad day!

This forum never used to be about public slamming of individual people unless it was Broonie or myself. 

Maybe we should move onto more topical conversations?

Let’s get back onto you ?

Wow.  Bet365 are offering odds on the MPL Reserves match tonight between Uni and Selwyn. 

If there's a 15 year old reserve player looking to make a quick buck this could be there chance.

Don't you have to be 18 to be able to bet though? ;)

Wow and currently 2-0 to selwyn.. 10mins in