Two defaults mar Federation League
Two defaults have hit the third-tolast round of the men’s Federation League competition.
New Plymouth Rangers have defaulted their game against Palmerston North Marist that was to be played at Skoglund Park, Palmerston North, and Hokowhitu have defaulted their away fixture against league leaders Havelock North Wanderers.
It is Rangers’ second default this season.
Hokowhitu manager Shane Higgison said the club didn’t have the depth to cover the six or so players who couldn’t turn out today through being unavailable or injured.
‘‘We lost a lot of players at the end of last season,’’ he said.
But Higgison said Hokowhitu still had plenty to look forward to this season, with a last league game against Red Sox-manawatu¯ to come then a Federation Cup semifinal clash against Massey University.
Neither default will affect the two sides’ standings on the league ladder. The most that can happen is if last-placed Palmerston North Boys’ High School win at Massey today, the schoolboys will draw level with Rangers on points, but remain at the foot of the table on goal difference.
At the other end of the ladder, Rangers’ default boosts Marist into third place, a point ahead of North
End, who are at Napier Marist
today.
The North End-napier clash looks to be the game of the round, pitting a high-performing league newbie against one of Manawatu’s best sides.
Napier beat North End 3-1 in the first round and having lost only two games this season are assured of a second-place finish in the league.
But North End coach Garry Hodge says he is out to improve on that defeat even though he will probably have to reshuffle his defence because some players are unavailable.
‘‘We’ll still be very strong and we seem to go better against the better sides,’’ he said.
Key to North End’s performance could be how striker Nathan Cooksley goes.
Cooksley is in second place in the Golden Boot competition, with 17 goals to his credit, one ahead of Napier’s Harry Mason.
If he’s allowed to play his natural game, Cooksley could turn the final result North End’s way.
If not and North End draw or lose they could hand over third place in the league to Palmerston North Marist.
Massey’s on a mini-roll, having won their last two games and today face a Boys’ High side they beat 3-0 in the first round.
Coach of the students, Donald Piper, said he would be picking from an unchanged squad and looking to keep their momentum going.
But he said there was no way Massey would be taking Boys’ High lightly despite their lowly position in the league.
‘‘I think they’re capable of beating most teams in the competition.’’
Boys’ High coach Steve Dawson said his side’s good form against other schools had continued with a 5-4 victory during the week over Wellington’s Onslow College in what he called a see-saw ‘‘nine-goal thriller’’.
But it wasn’t carrying over into their league games.
‘‘But we’ll be playing for pride against Massey,’’ he said.
Midtable Red Sox are at Wanganui City today, a team who beat the Palmerston North side 4-1 in the first round.
Red Sox coach Shane Rufer predicted a mudbath on Whanganui’s Wembley Park against a home side that would ‘‘fight like hell’’ for a win.
‘‘So we’ll have to match that or there could be a rude awakening for us.’’
Rufer said the season had taken its toll on the side, meaning as well as one player suspended, others were unavailable or injured.
‘‘It’s not ideal, but we want to finish on a high.’’