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Chatham Cup Draw Controversy

Focus on this week’s Footballsouth Premier League matches was diverted slightly due to some controversy regarding the Chatham Cup draw.He’s been like this since the Chatham CUP draw

The draw was made live on radio on Monday, but prior to that, there were versions of the draw being bandied around which cast some aspersions on the validity of the ‘live’ draw.

For when the ‘live’ draw produced, a head on Cup clash between Dunedin Technical and Caversham, heads were shaking since that important match exactly replicated the earlier unofficial draw and conspiracy theorists were everywhere. As the cartoon on right shows – many folk were extremely shocked..

However Footballsouth’s operations co-ordinator Peter Ritchie accepted that his computer included the two teams that had ‘byes’ in the earlier round, Technical and Caversham, into his automatic fixture producing programme.

He clarified the situation, deleted that draw but enough soccer fans had by then seen his Bill Chisholmversion prior to the ‘live’ official draw, and kick started rumours and thoughts of conspiracy.

Footballsouth General Manager Bill Chisholm said it was just a computer glitch, magnified by the eventual ‘live’ draw once again pairing Technical and Caversham to play each other in the next Cup round on 7 June.

Naturally the southern region would have preferred two of its stronger sides to proceed into the open national draw against top opposition, but, ‘ Live draws run by the national body can produce any permutations – that is the nature of Cup football, and I am satisfied’ said Chisholm.

WaggettFPL leader Caversham will now concentrate on its demanding fixture against third placed Mosgiel at Memorial park on Saturday. All FPL matches start at 2.45 pm.

Mosgiel may not have the player depth or staying power to actually win the competition, but is more than capable of upsetting any team in the league.

Aging talent such as Phil Kelly, Mike McGarry, Shayne Danielson and Pat Howell may still feel aches and pains in midweek, but they will all step up for critical matches if they are at all able to play and aim at an upset.

Meanwhile Caversham’s large assembled playing squad – the envy of many other clubs – brings with it as many problems as answers.Jackson

Three returning players from the USA, Pat Fleming, Seamus Ryder and Tom Jackson, plus guest American players Taylor Powers and Dave Butler may require a re-jig of the team shape from what was already a strong squad.

No doubt coaches Steve Fleming and Andy Deeley will have utilized last weeks Cup bye to test a few team combinations, but match play is what counts.

Dunedin Technical will also be wary of a slight stumble against Green Island at the Caledonian ground. Malcolm Fleming’s young side is better organized now defensively, and even one dropped point could be critical for Technical’s silverware ambitions.

Braes jumpNorthern hosts Roslyn-Wakari at the Gardens. Just two points separate the sides, and the vagaries of corrigated surface and that tilted slope of the Gardens ground could introduce a real random factor in what is always a tight match.

For a change, Grants Braes starts as favourite against University at Ocean Grove. Coach Al Laidler’s team’s no nonsense football has elevated that club above the students as well as Spirit and Green Island, and was unlucky not to progress further in the Cup last week.

University is playing tidy football under Brazilian Luiz Uehara, yet has so far been punished by unforced errors, but the team still has great potential.

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