Recent intimidating form shown by Caversham suggests Roslyn-Wakari will have to lift its game in today's Chatham Cup tie at Tonga Park.
Purists have been praising Caversham's attacking style after it disposed of highly rated Footballsouth teams Dunedin Technical 5-1 and Mosgiel 8-0.
Coach Steve Fleming has assembled an exciting young side that combines pace with flair and knows how to hit the net at the business end.
However, while Fleming is enjoying his team's good form, he appreciates that every step forward in the cup has to be earned against increasingly difficult opposition.
"We expect a hard match with Roslyn," Fleming said.
"In the league it was a very competitive 3-2 win for us, and it could be very close again."
In recent cup campaigns, Caversham has progressed consistently and last year's quarterfinal loss to Three Kings was a pulsating 4-3 result, in a game which could have gone either way.
Two semifinal appearances against Western Suburbs, in 2006 and 2007, prevented further progress, and clearly the lack of tough opposition in southern domestic football does not help any team to progress outside the Footballsouth area.
"It's a huge step for us from domestic football in Otago," Fleming said.
"This year in the Auckland area, they have an 18-team competition from which eight teams are relegated after one round, which really makes for intense competition.
"We may not have their numbers, but southern clubs need harder matches, and that surely means regular matches with Canterbury."
Roslyn is still reforming after extensive player losses, and coach James Vaughan says the club still has some way to go, "but if we get our best selection out against Caversham, and play to our potential, we can create an upset".
Roslyn also plays attacking football and so far in the cup has scored 16 goals in three matches, but Vaughan says it will be another step up against the rampant Caversham side.
"If the lads can reproduce the FPL form that had Caversham barely beating us 3-2, then with the added boost that cup ties generate, anything is possible, and we have the potential," he said.
In the league, Mosgiel plays the Spirit at Memorial Park today, needing a win to stay ahead of the Invercargill side, only three points behind.
University and Northern meet in the early match at the Caledonian Ground.
Only two competition points separate the teams on the FPL table.
Grants Braes has home advantage at Ocean Grove and could well need any edge against Dunedin Technical, which seems to be focused on boosting its goal tally in the race for silverware this season.
Chatham Cup
Tonga Park, today, 2pm
Caversham: James Waggett, Tom Schwarz, Rhys Henderson, Terry Boylan, Mike Smith, Hamish Chang, Robbie Deeley, Tom Jackson, Seamus Ryder, Tony Hancock, Blair Duncan, Jeremy Wild, Darren Overton, Patrick Fleming, Tim Horner, Harley Rodeka, Ben Hawkey, Michael Jones, Dave Butler, Taylor Powers.
Roslyn-Wakari: Nathan Watt, Brad Johnstone, Dave Shaw, Tim Witten-Sage, Fraser Cameron, James Watson, Tim Mather, Sam Mepham, Damian Foster, Tom Connor, Peter Rae, Konyo Yoon, Paul Steele, AJ Cunningham, Tim Dalman, James Vaughan, James Govan, Mike Cunningham.
