Selwyn defeated Nomads 2 - 0 to deny Nomads a place in the top five, with Suburbs ending Cashmere Technical's league record undefeated run of 47 when winning 1 - 0.
Coastal Spirit edged Christchurch United 1 - 0, and virtually the last kick of the league saw Halswell avoid going through the league points-less by scoring to draw 2 - 2 with Ferrymead Bays.
Technical finished on 35 points, Coastal 28, United 24, Suburbs 21 with Selwyn and Nomads on 18 with Selwyn goal difference one better than Nomads. Bays finished on 15, with Halswell on 1.
Selwyn came into their game knowing they had to win by a two-goal margin and took the lead in the 17th minute when Jamie Carrodus scored from the penalty spot after being clipped by Nomads keeper Max Collingwood in the act of shooting.
Nomads then dominated the chances in the fifteen minutes before the break, with Guy Reeves going the closest five minutes before the break with Selwyn keeper Pieter-taco Bierema doing well to block the shot on the line.
Early in the second half, Dan Ede was allowed to run into the area, and Joe Allott met his cross to double the Stallions lead. Nomads continued to waste chances with Luke Blackie having a chance to put more pressure on Nomads, but he shot straight at Collingwood.
The game look set to turn when going into the final ten minutes when Nomads were awarded a penalty after a trip in the area.
Daniel Thoms looked to have struck the ball perfectly, low and hard and into the left-hand corner, but Bierema somehow got a good hand on the ball to turn it away for a corner. A shot was blocked on the line with Nomads from the corner then pressing for a goal that would have turned the goal difference in their favour.
Nomads pushed several shots wide, with Selwyn having to defend in numbers before the final whistle sounded. Selwyn was the form team in the last six rounds, unbeaten to pick up sixteen points, the most of any side in the league, with only Technical scoring more and conceding less than the Stallions.
Suburbs ensure they were not involved in a three-way battle with Selwyn and Nomads when defeating Technical.
Technical hit the post from a free-kick in the opening minutes, and just after Lucas Hogg put his body on the line to clear a shot from Jake Grove, Hogg cluttered onto the post. Early in the second half, Technical turned the ball over and it was quickly played out to the left with Will Tucker finishing well. On the hour, Technical received a free-kick which was played out to Danny Boys who's shot was deflected off a Suburbs player with Fraser Angus running through to chest the ball home.
The assistant did not flag for offside at first, but a long debate took place with the referee before the 'goal' was ruled out for offside. Both sides had chances go begging before Tech's unbeaten run came to an end, just the second time in 60 games that they failed to score a goal.
In a somewhat flat game at times between Coastal and United, the latter needed the win to overtake Coastal for second place.
The deadlock was broken in the 35th with Coastal going ahead from a free-kick, where Dominic McGarr found the back of the net with an overhead strike. United took the game to Coastal after the break, with Max Chretien drawing a good save out of Coastal keeper Ellis Hare-Reid with Coastal then defending well for the remainder of the game.
Halswell took the lead courtesy of an own goal after 30 minutes; the first half's only goal.
Sam Peterson drew Bays back on level terms when scoring in the 81st minute with fellow sub Hemi Innes, scoring to put Bays ahead six minutes later. The drama was not over with the Hawks levelling via Ryan Bellamy deep in added time with the game barely having time to the restart before the final whistle sounded.
Technical, Coastal, United Suburbs and Selwyn will now contest the one round Southern League, along with the top three sides from the Football South Premiership - Southern Royals, Otago University and Green Island with the top two sides progressing to the National League Championship phase.
Nomads, Bays and Halswell will now join the top three sides from the New World Men's Championship, Western, Waimak and FC Twenty11, for one round of the Southern Qualifying League, which like the Southern League, commences on 17th July. With the Chatham Cup scheduled next weekend, Cashmere Technical face Christchurch United. On Tuesday evening, FC meets Coastal in the quarter-final of the Blackwells English Cup.
Results
- Cashmere Technical 0 Nelson Suburbs 1 (Will Tucker) HT 0 - 0
- Christchurch United 0 Coastal Spirit 1 (Dominic McGarr)
- Ferrymead Bays 2 (Sam Peterson, Hemi Innes) Halswell 2 (Ryan Bellamy, own goal) HT 0 - 1
- Selwyn 2 (Jamie Carrodus - pen, Joe Allott) Nomads 0 HT 1 - 0
Top three record wins in Women's Premier League
The top sides all recorded wins in the New World Women's Premiership on Saturday. Leader's Coastal Spirit SAS recorded the biggest win of the season when overrunning Nomads 18 - 0, second-placed Cashmere Technical accounted for Ferrymead Bays 7 - 1, with Universities cementing their third-place, defeating Waimak 4 - 0.
With four rounds to play, Coastal SAS have the possible 33 points, six ahead of Technical with Universities on 19. Waimak has 13, Bays 6 and Nomads still chasing their first point.
The goals for Coastal SAS started with the fastest goal of the season coming in the opening minute, one of four that Britney-lee Nicholson scored, with Mel Cameron going one better with five, three coming in two minutes after the break. Zoe McMeeken and Jayda Stewart both bagged a brace with Freya Lodge, Whitney Hepburn, Darsha Keogan and Bel van Noorden also adding their names to the score sheet.
Emma Kench gave Technical the early lead, quickly followed by a second by Nicola Dominikovich before Jonelle Arthur added a third midway into the half. Bays captain Sophie Williams reduced the margin before Kate Guildford (Technical) grabbed a double just before the break. Kench completed her hat-trick early in the second half, the second from the penalty spot.
Universities took out the mid-table clash against Waimak with an Erin Roxburgh goal after 13 minutes, the only goal of the opening half. Frankie Morrow then completed the scoring when notching up a hat-trick in the space of five minutes, her third 'triple' of the season.
Next week, the league takes a break due to the Kate Sheppard Cup quarter-final, Coastal SAS away to Dunedin Technical, and returns in a fortnight. In the next round, Technical host Waimak, Coastal SAS take on Universities with Bays facing Nomads.
- Ferrymead Bays 1 (Sophie Williams) Cashmere Technical 7 (Emma Kench 3, Kate Guildford 2, Nicola Dominikovich, Jonelle Arthur) HT 1 - 5
- Nomads 0 Coastal Spirit SA 18 (Mel Cameron 5, Britney-Lee Nicholson 4, Zoe McMeeken 2, Jayda Stewart 2, Frey Lodge, Darsha Keogan, Whitney Hepburn, Alyssa Whinham, Bel Van Noorden) HT 0 - 8
- Universities 4 (Frankie Morrow 3, Erin Roxburgh) Waimak 0 HT 1 - 0
Goal difference decides championship in favour of Western
Western claimed their second New World Men's Championship title in three seasons after needing to defeat Waimak, who had topped the table coming into the final round, 4 - 0.
Western finished with a one-goal better goal difference than their North Canterbury rivals, who had been on top of the table for the previous eight rounds. FC Twenty11 edged Burwood 2 - 1, Parklands came out on top of St Albans Shirley (SAS) 3 - 2, with Universities ending a four-game losing streak when defeating Mid Canterbury 3 - 1. Western and Waimak finished 34 points (Western - + 28 goal difference to Waimak's + 27), FC have 30 with Burwood on 22. Parklands finished in fourth place on 15, Universities 12, Mid Canterbury 10 and SAS on 9.
It was scoreless between Western and Waimak at half-time, with Western taking the lead when Aaron McDonald found the back of the net in the 53rd minute. Western title hopes increased when scoring twice in two minutes, the first to Omar Cameron and the second to substitute Arian Ashari after 66 minutes. Cameron's second goal came 11 minutes later to give Western the required four-goal margin to claim the title, and they had to see off several half chances from Waimak.
FC made it eight wins in a row when overcoming Burwood. Conor Clarke gave FC the lead at the break with a goal from Cody Reid doubling the margin just after play resumed, with Matt Cox scoring for Burwood in the final few minutes of the game.
A Jesse Robson goal put Parklands ahead before SAS levelled when Hamish Wallace scored with twenty to play. Parklands went back in front from a Danny Lingard penalty with SAS drawing level again when Atticus Foulcher scored with a minute to play. Parklands captain Marcus Livingstone then scored in the 90th minute to claim his side first win in six games.
Universities were in control at the break when leading 2 - 0 going on to score a third, with their goals going to Adam Doherty, Issac Noble and Matt Shaw. The Mid Canterbury player/coach, Luke Martin, continued his season-long scoring form with his sixteenth goal of the season to claim the Golden Boot.
- FC Twenty11 2 Burwood 1 HT 1 - 0
- Parklands 3 (Jesse Robson, Danny Lingard - pen, Marcus Livingstone) St Albans Shirley 2 Hamish Wallace, Atticus Foulcher) HT 1 - 0
- Universities 3 (Adam Doherty, Issac Noble, Matt Shaw) Mid Canterbury 1 (Luke Martin) HT 2 - 0
- Western 4 (Omar Cameron 2, Aaron McDonald, Arian Asghari) Waimak 0 HT 0 - 0
