Chances running out for Marist
For the umpteenth time this football season, Palmerston North Marist are in dire need of a result.
After a break for the Chatham Cup last weekend, there are five rounds of the Central League remaining and bottom-placed Marist look destined for relegation unless they can pick up a miracle result or two.
They are four points behind ninth-placed Wellington Olympic, who Marist host at Memorial Park today, making it Marist’s best possible chance to pick up a muchneeded win and three points.
Marist have occasionally shown they can compete, but other times have been poor, so they will need to be good against Olympic, who beat Team Taranaki 2-0 in the last round.
Marist’s last outing was a 3-1 loss to Stop Out.
Another glimmer of hope is that Taranaki, who are eighth and five points ahead of Marist, could still lose three points for playing an ineligible player. That decision is with New Zealand Football.
Marist and Olympic drew 1-all in the first round in Wellington.
Relegation would be the worst possible result for Marist, who have designs of becoming a national league team if New Zealand Football decide to change the format of the national competition from franchises to clubs.
Also playing this weekend is Stop Out and Miramar Rangers in Lower Hutt, Wellington United against Napier City Rovers in Wellington, Lower Hutt against Western Suburbs at Lower Hutt and Team Taranaki against Wairarapa United in New Plymouth.
In the women’s Capital W League, Palmerston North Marist can only aim for a win and hope the team they are chasing for the
title, Upper Hutt, stumbles along the way.
Marist are four points off Upper Hutt and need the Wellington club to drop points twice in the final four rounds for Marist to be any chance of winning the league.
Upper Hutt do play Seatoun this weekend, who held Marist to a draw in their last outing.
This weekend though, Marist meet last-placed Wairarapa United in Masterton in a night game to be played on the turf, where Marist should win.
Winless Wairarapa have conceded 66 goals in 11 games.
In the other games, Seatoun play Wellington United in Wellington and Upper Hutt host Stop Out.
In the men’s Federation League, Massey University is the only Palmerston North club in action at home, as they host Gisborne Thistle.
Red Sox-manawatu are away against New Plymouth Rangers and Marist Reserves play Wanganui Athletic in Wanganui.