The draw was made live on radio on Monday but, prior to that, there were preliminary schedules being bandied around in Dunedin which cast some aspersions on the validity of the live draw.
The conspiracy theory grew when leading clubs Dunedin Technical and Caversham were drawn to play each other - just as they were in the preliminary draw.
However, Footballsouth operations co-ordinator Peter Ritchie explained the coincidence by pointing out an automatic programme had matched up the two clubs, as both had byes in the previous round.
Ritchie deleted the automatic draw but enough people had seen it before the official draw to get the rumour mill buzzing.
Footballsouth general manager Bill Chisholm said it was just a computer glitch, magnified by the subsequent pairing of Caversham and Technical in the June 7 cup round.
"Naturally, the southern region would have preferred two of its stronger sides to proceed into the open national draw against top opposition," Chisholm said.
"But live draws run by the national body can produce any permutations - that is the nature of cup football."
FPL leader Caversham will now concentrate on its demanding fixture against third-placed Mosgiel at Memorial Park today.
Mosgiel may not have the player depth or staying power to win the competition, but is more than capable of upsetting any team in the league.
Mature players like Phil Kelly, Mike McGarry, Shayne Danielson and Pat Howell may still feel aches and pains in midweek, but they will all step up for critical matches if they are able.
Caversham's large squad, the envy of many other clubs, brings with it as many problems as answers.
Three returning players from the United States - Pat Fleming, Seamus Ryder and Tom Jackson - plus guest American players Taylor Powers and Dave Butler may force the team shape to be rejigged from what already was a strong squad.
No doubt coaches Steve Fleming and Andy Deeley used last week's cup bye to test a few team combinations, but match play is what counts.
Dunedin Technical will also be wary of a slight stumble against Green Island at the Caledonian Ground.
Malcolm Fleming's young side is now better organised defensively, yet even one dropped point could be critical for the club's silverware ambitions.
Northern hosts Roslyn-Wakari at the Gardens. Just two points separate the sides, and the vagaries and slope of the Gardens Ground could be a random factor in what is always a tight match.
For a change, Grants Braes starts as favourite against University at Ocean Grove.
Al Laidler's team's no-nonsense football has elevated that club above the students as well as Spirit and Green Island, and it was unlucky not to progress further in the cup last week.
University is playing tidy football under Brazilian Luiz Uehara and has great potential, but has so far been punished by unforced errors.
In Invercargill, the second-bottom Spirit hosts fifth-placed Queenstown Rovers, and anything is possible between these two volatile sides.
