Hutt derby the Chatham Cup highlight

Not even being in a different division could separate longtime Hutt Valley football rivals Lower Hutt City and Petone this season.

The latter was relegated from the Central League last year as Lower Hutt stayed up, but the two will meet in the first round of the Chatham Cup at Petone Memorial tomorrow.

The fixture always has spice and should be evenly contested despite Petone being in a lower division. That’s because the boys in blue are flying high in the Capital Premier league, six points clear at the top, while Lower Hutt are just two positions higher in the grand scheme of things as they sit ninth in the Central League.

The match will feature the return of Lower Hutt’s Ryan Benson to Petone where he played before crossing the tracks to Lower Hutt.

Another intriguing matchups sees Wainuiomata host Western Suburbs in what, on paper at least, is the biggest mismatch of the round.

Wests sit third in the Central League, while Wainui lie sixth in the third-tier Capital 1. But Wainui have the home ground advantage of Richard Prouse Park, which is a far cry from Wests’ carpet-like surface out an Endeavour Park in Whitby.

Wests will also be without gargantuan target-man Noah Billingsley and midfielder Callum McCowatt, both of whom are away in China with the New Zealand Under-20 World Cup side, while Wainui have history on their side after famously beating Wests 1-0 in the Chatham Cup at the same ground in 2013.

The game of the round for Wellington city residents pits Island Bay against Waterside Karori. When these two teams met in Capital Premier last weekend, Wharfies handed Island Bay a 5-1 drubbing.

Wharfies may have been a powerhouse in the league for the past few years, but Island Bay have flourished in the cup, including a run to the quarterfinals in 2014.

Other matches see a Capital 2 derby between Seatoun and Naenae. Either side in that match would be understandably delighted to make it to the second round.

Upset of the round could come at Delaney Park where Stokes Valley host Tawa. Both teams have had a poor start to their respective leagues, with Tawa sixth in Capital Premier while Stokes Valley are ninth in the league below (Capital 1). On paper Tawa should win comfortably, but a cup match at home might just get Stokes Valley’s tails up.