Nafa sides in battle to avoid relegation
WITH Helenvale enjoying a 10-point cushion at the top of the log, the focus in the Nafa premier soccer league this weekend will be on the relegation battle.
Five teams are deep in the relegation zone.
Tail-enders Rangers, who are putting up a fight to avoid relegation, face fellow contenders Swallows in Springdale tomor- row and Hotspurs on Sunday.
Last week, they scored a shock 3-1 win over Wolves, only their second victory of the season, and held title contenders Bloom Callies to a 1-1 draw before losing on penalties in the Mayoral Cup.
Hotspurs, who are themselves facing relegation, play arch-rivals Blackpool in Marock Road tomorrow.
Swallows, who are four points ahead of Rangers, also had a storming weekend. They probably ended Westlake’s title hopes when they beat them 3-1 on Saturday.
The following day they defeated Fairview Rovers 3-2 in the cup competition.
Booysens Pride, the third team battling relegation, play Fairview Rovers, who are also not out of the woods.
Last week, Booysens scored an upset win over Blackpool and then went on to beat Celtic 3-0 in their cup match.
Rovers face Wolves at Finnis 1 on Sunday.
The smart money will be on Helenvale retaining their position at the top when they play Wolves in Helenvale tomorrow.
Bloom Callies must repeat their win over Saints in the first round if they are to keep in touch with the log leaders.
After losing to Swallows last week, Westlake must also repeat their win over Glenville to keep their title hopes alive.
With a match in hand, the champions are four points behind Westlake and have an outside chance of keeping the title.
The fixtures are: Tomorrow: Saints v Bloom Callies (Saints), Blackpool v Hotspurs (Marock Road), Helenvale v Wolves (Helenvale), Westlake v Glenville (Windvogel), Booysens Pride v Fairview Rovers (Booysens Park), Rangers v Swallows (Springdale), Fairdene v Park United (Finnis 1). Sunday: Rangers v Hotspurs (Springdale), Fairview Rovers v Wolves (Finnis 1), Fairdene v Blackpool (Finnis 2)