Southland Senior Rep Game Reports - Post 2003

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September 15th -2007 (Keach Cup - Dunedin)
Otago 5, Southland 2;
Southland soccer will have to wait another year before attempting to break its now 19 year spell without a win against Otago in their annual clashes for the coveted Keach cup trophy. Otago came from behind twice to finally run away with a flattering 5-2 win against its southern rivals in perfect conditions at Invercargill’s Rugby Park on Saturday.

Pre match hopes were high that Southland would reverse the trend of Otago wins in Saturday’s game and for the first sixty five minutes of the ninety played those hopes were alive and looking like reality. However a fifteen minute spell of defensive lapses and Otago’s ability to capitalize on them put paid to Southland’s valiant attempt.

The local team took the initiative from the start grabbing a 1-nil lead at the 7 minute mark when from a lightening move through midfield Brendon Lloyd slipped an inch-perfect pass to striker John Schol who slotted the ball past Otago keeper Callum Flaws.

Two minutes later Otago suffered a severe blow when the talented Mike Eisenhut was forced to leave the field with a serious ankle injury. Having brought just 11 players down for the game this meant its coach Malcolm Fleming was forced to come off the sub bench as a replacement.

The Southland back four of Danny Rosel, Gordon Lamont, Ryan Boyle and Matty Burgess was doing its job well containing any Otago attacks while in midfield Lloyd and Scott Morton were gaining some dominance over their Otago counterparts.

Southland’s 1-nil lead at the break was no more than it deserved.

Eight minutes into the second half Otago levelled the score when Sean Brand took advantage of a move that had more than a hint of offside play to it and struck his shot wide of Chris Pearson in the Southland goal. Two minutes later Schol regained the lead for Southland with a fine header following good work by Ryan Boyle who had out manoeuvred the Otago defence and headed the ball across to the waiting Schol.

It took Otago just six minutes to draw level again when an uncharacteristic Southland defensive mix up and a botched clearance attempt allowed Ben Keat an easy opportunity to score.

Otago then went on a rampage as Southland took its foot off-the-pedal and goals to Brand, his second, and then a brace to Tom Connor stretched the lead to 5-2 with fifteen minutes remaining. Head coach Ken Cresswell made his three substitutions but the damage was done and Otago was playing with a confidence it wasn’t allowed up to the sixty minute mark. It was an encouraging Southland effort; certainly the most competitive for many years and the signs were there that with expected further improvement its day may well come.

Southland also lost the women’s game against the Otago U18 women’s team and once again it was a valiant effort by the locals as Otago fought hard to achieve its 2-1 result. Nicole McMath grabbed Southland’s lone goal while Kate Kernaghan and Eliza Sims were on target for the Otago visitors.

The Masters teams clashed at Surrey Park with Otago getting off to a good start when Southland netted an own-goal to set its rivals on the way to its 2-1 win. Keith McFadyen netted Otago’s second goal with evergreen Dean Miller replying for Southland.

September 16th -2006 (Keach Cup - Dunedin)
Otago 6, Southland 0;

Saturday’s annual Otago versus Southland soccer results from Dunedin gave a clear indication that all is not well with the Southland Soccer pathway for senior and youth players and that it’s time for some serious soul searching to put it right.

The two Southland coaches Ken Cresswell and Phil Williams who were entrusted with managing the Southland teams on Saturday were not only faced with serious selection difficulties due to injuries impededing their selections but more importantly by players making themselves unavailable for selection.

The earlier finish to the competitive Donald Gray cup games between the three top local senior teams clearly removed the incentive and motivation for many players to continue training at the end of a long season.

This removed the fringe players from the Southland selection equation and made choosing the teams a nightmare for those involved.

Cresswell and Williams were forced to juggle their available Spirit FC and academy players between the senior and youth squads and because of this the youth team was decimated by the need for several of its star players to turn out for the seniors.

As a result the youth team suffered an embarrassing 17-0 loss to its Otago counterparts.

The senior team, further affected by the late withdrawal of players, fared somewhat better and showed more conviction and determination in its game than its 6-nil loss indicated.

The lack of a quality striker weighed heavily during a second half when it actually gained some domination and set up several goalscoring opportunities.

Richard Smith (2), Phil Elder, Mike Abbott, Nick Cape, and Eddie Mason netted Otago's goals.

The master’s clash was also won by Otago but in a thrilling encounter that ended with the home team 4-3 ahead at the final whistle.

There was never more than a one-goal difference in the scoreline with Otago snatching a late winner to seal its victory.

A Jimmy Carroll strike, Dave Muir penalty and an own goal from Otago gave Southland its three goals for the day.

September 10th -2005 (Keach Cup - Invercargill)
Southland 0, v Otago 8;

Otago defeated Southland by 8 goals to nil in their senior men’s Keach cup soccer clash at Rugby Park on Saturday.

That Otago would win was no great surprise, but the magnitude of the victory and the way it was accomplished certainly was.
Otago dominated for long periods of play and scored its goals clinically and within a few minutes of each other in either half.

The Southland players did not lack commitment, but did lack the sharpness, speed and team combinations of their Otago counterparts.

The decision not to rigorously pursue the continuation of the Southland Spirit composite team in the Soccersouth Premier league this season removed the pathway for our elite players to get consistent quality games and this appeared to be a contributing factor in Southland’s demise.


Otago clearly had the edge because its team was based around players from that competition and included several with aspirations to play in the Otago United National Championship team for the coming summer season.

Otago United is also currently putting these prospective players through a comprehensive fitness programme for its tilt at the championship.

Saturday’s game started disastrously for Southland when after just four minutes of play its normally competent goalkeeper Shane Harpur completely misjudged an Otago long throw in and helped the ball into the net to gift the visitors a 1-nil lead.

Craig Dale was the provider of Otago’s second goal when he cleverly set Tim Dalman up to volley into the net and make the score 2-nil. 

Dale then stole the show when he scored the next three goals for Otago with some smart footwork and clinical finishing.


With the margin at 5 goals to nil the Southland players welcomed the half time break and the chance to regroup.

Regroup they did, and for the opening twenty-five minutes of the second half kept Otago scoreless with sheer determination and hard work.

Defenders Scott Templer, Dion Cameron, Gordon Lamont, Matty Burgess and Carl Henderson worked tirelessly all day but could not contain the marauding Otago strikers.

At the twenty-five minute mark Southland did in fact get the ball into the Otago net but had the goal disallowed for what seemed a harsh offside decision.

Tom Kent provided the goal opportunity and his all round performance in the midfield was a highlight for the locals.

That piece of action served as a wake up call for Otago to lift its performance and in a seven-minute spell Alister Rickerby destroyed Southland’s slim hopes with a three-goal haul to claim the game’s second hat-trick.

All three culminated from good work in the Otago midfield where Riley Webster and John Chisholm had outstanding games.

Southland withstood the constant Otago pressure through to full time with help from its goalkeeper Shane Harpur who made two valuable saves, preventing any further embarrassment.

Gore youngster Wade Devine had the distinction of being the only Southland player to score a goal in the four games played on the day. 

Griffin scored for the under18 youth team in its 4-1 loss to its Otago counterparts. 

The under strength senior women, missing players from our top two senior women’s teams was outclassed 7-nil and the Masters grabbed a nil all draw which was not good enough to wrest the Jim Fleming memorial trophy from the Otago masters unit.