.........Premier champs Old Boys and Larry O’Rorke cup holders Thistle will play out the last action of Southland Football’s 2011 senior men’s season when they meet in the Charity Cup final at the ILT Turf in Invercargill at 2:45 on Saturday afternoon.
The
traditional end of season tourney attracted seven teams to the quarter finals
played last weekend when that total was reduced to four for the semi finals
played mid week.
Following an upset win over premier outfit Eyeview Queens Park in their quarter
final the Southbuild ITM Winton team from division one faced Computer Supplyline
Thistle in Tuesday night’s semi final.
Thistle raced
to a 2 goal lead early but then had to defend a stubborn and threatening Winton
fight back until two late goals from striker Richie Sutherland put the issue
beyond doubt with a 4-0 final score line.
The second semi final was played on Wednesday night and was a much tighter
affair.
It was played in atrocious overhead conditions at times and needed 30 minutes of
extra time to get a result after being deadlocked at 0-0 at the end of normal
time.
The game was
evenly balanced from the outset until Matt Webb struck the only goal in the
extra time period to send Old Boys through to the final.
Both Old Boys and Thistle will be near full strength for Saturday’s final
although Thistle will again miss the leadership of their experienced central
defender John McCarroll through injury.
A feature of the game promises to be the effect to each team of their talented strikers Brandon de Garnham, Old Boys, and Richie Sutherland, Thistle.
Both are
capable on their day of turning the fortunes of a game to their advantage in a
flash.
I'll stay completely unbiased and predict a win for Thistle.
(YES....say's the Old Boys.)
The Edinburgh Cup Final for Division 1 and 2 teams will be decided in the curtain raiser between Walker Murdoch Lawyers Old Boys and Cabbage Tree Knox Church...Old Boys by the proverbial country mile here.
Bain Park is
the place to be on Sunday where the Dave Ridden coached Southend United women
are expected to dominate their final game against JKS Queens Park and in doing
so formally clinch the 2011 title and retain the Ottley Challenge trophy.
It’s been a long season for the women, and it’s not over yet I don’t think, made
even more memorable by their exploits in the snow following the cancellation
that weekend of all other football in the province.
Mary Fraser is pretty much assured of the Golden Boot award with her 11 goal
lead and will probably enhance that against Winton up at the resort.
And for good measure there's the Junior League Knockout Cup finals on Saturday
morning.
And the FFL (Festival of Football League) age-group rep games on Sunday morning
& afternoon.