PREVIEW: Coastal Spirit and Christchurch United chase last National League spot

By Logan Smith and Harrison Ryburn

With all National League qualifiers wrapped up in the Northern and Central regions, attention turns to the final round of the Southern League where either Coastal Spirit or Christchurch United will clinch the remaining place.

Champions Cashmere Technical are already locked in for the national competition which starts in late September.

Coastal look in pole position after easing past FC Twenty 11 midweek, and know they will qualify for certain if they defeat UC Football at English Park.

Christchurch United must beat champions Cashmere Technical to have any hope, and then will have to hope the Spirit slip up to claim a National League place.

*Christchurch United … they get their chance to reward their fans with National League qualification. Photo credit: Jim Watts Photography / @jimwattsphoto*

A win for United and a draw for Spirit would see Christchurch United finish higher on goal difference.

Elsewhere, clubs will attempt to end the season well and finish as high as still possible.

Being the final round of the season, barring a catchup game next weekend between Selwyn and the Royals, all fixtures have been scheduled to kick off at 1.15pm.

Down south, Dunedin City Royals will welcome Nelson Suburbs for the Southern League’s very own ‘distance derby’, the biggest travel fixture of any regional league in New Zealand.

The Royals still hope to move into sixth place, while Nelson will want to end on a high after a decent season and fourth-place finish.

Meanwhile, the bottom two sides will face off at Avonhead Park, with FC Twenty 11 taking on Selwyn United.

After a first league point of 2024 against UC and some other promising performances, the hosts may have eyes on a first win, but Selwyn will be keen to give themselves a fighting chance of overtaking UC with a win.

Ferrymead Bays are set for their third fifth-place finish in a row since promotion and host Nomads United, while UC Football will attempt a huge upset against a focused Coastal Spirit side.

And most notably, at United Sports Centre, Christchurch United are in must-win territory against a tough Cashmere team that lifted the league title last weekend.

*Coastal Spirit players thank their supporters after winning in midweek against UC Football. Photo credit: Jim Watts Photography / @jimwattsphoto*

Game of the week

Much hasn’t gone to plan for Christchurch United this season, and that is reflected by the situation they find themselves in coming into the final round of Southern League action.

It’ll be an enthralling watch on Sunday as they attempt to beat the new champions, Cashmere Technical, and counting on Coastal Spirit to do no better than draw against UC Football.

While there is supposedly nothing on the line for Technical, they’d surely like to end Christchurch United’s season after losing the Southern League title to them last year, and the year before.

Expect a fast-paced, intense clash.

Players to watch

Nelson Suburbs have been good going forward this season, with an outstanding 52 goals in 17 games helping them to a fourth-place finish regardless of their result this Sunday against Dunedin City Royals.

American attacker Trevin Myers has been one of their best performers and is their topscorer in the league, but he’ll also be returning to the city where his time in the Southern League began, having played for Green Island in 2023.

Whether he can make a similar impact to last season, where he scored and stood out in a 1-1 draw with the Royals, remains to be seen, but there may be a few familiar faces in the crowd hoping he causes trouble for their city rivals.

— Logan Smith

Attacker Caleb Cottom (21) is a young man with experience beyond his years, having made his debut in the national league three years ago for the now-defunct Canterbury United, and spending last season with Cashmere Technical.

He won’t get the chance to add to his National League experience with Nomads this year, and he has struggled for the same impact with only one Southern League goal this year, against UC last weekend.

Cottom will hope to finish with a bang against Ferrymead on Saturday as Nomads attempt to cement a sixth-place finish.

— Harrison Ryburn

Goal of the week

Todd Vermeir from UC Football was judged to have scored the best goal of the week, when he struck in the final minute of his side’s match against Nomads United. Here’s NZ Football’s clip of the goal …

Bold predictions

Despite the league table and a one-sided reverse fixture, history indicates the Dunedin City Royals have a good chance of toppling Nelson Suburbs at Tahuna Park.

The hosts haven’t lost at home to Nelson in four previous fixtures, and they won their last home game of the season in both the last two years.

Suburbs, however, arrive in superb form, having impressively won away to Ferrymead and drawn against Christchurch United lately.

The focus may be elsewhere for neutrals on Sunday, but this could quietly be a great game. Let’s say 4-3 to the Royals.

— Logan Smith

All eyes are on Christchurch United as they seek to avoid missing out on the National League this season.

Having lost their last three encounters against Technical, including defeat in the English Cup semifinal last week, United will have to pull off their first league victory against them since May 2022.

It’s a hard task, but I’m predicting coach Ryan Edwards to motivate his side to one of their best performances of the season with a 2-1 win that could take them back into the top two.

— Harrison Ryburn

Golden Boot

25 — Garbhan Coughlan (Cashmere Technical)
18— Joel Stevens (Christchurch United), Alejandro Steinwascher (Coastal Spirit)
13 — Trevin Myers (Nelson Suburbs)
12 — Lennon Whewell (Nelson Suburbs)
10 — Jack Hallahan (Cashmere Technical), Gabriel Gallaway (Cashmere Technical), David Yoo (Christchurch United)
9 — Lyle Matthysen (Cashmere Technical), Yuya Taguchi (Cashmere Technical), Cameron Rean (Ferrymead Bays)
8 — Matt Brazier (Christchurch United), Satsuki Ito (Ferrymead Bays), Flynn Holdem (Nomads United)
7 — Spencer Barber (Nelson Suburbs), Liam Cotter (Coastal Spirit)
6 — Angus McIntyre (Nomads United), Lachie McIsaac (Cashmere Technical), Will Turner (Dunedin City Royals), Nic Zambrano (Dunedin City Royals)
5 — Weston Bell (Coastal Spirit), Pero Forman (UC Football), Apisai Rabuka (Coastal Spirit)