Football: Cavvy claims title in style

Caversham players celebrate another Football South Premier League title at Sunnyvale on Saturday....
Caversham players celebrate another Football South Premier League title at Sunnyvale on Saturday. Photo by Rab Smith.
Caversham scooped the pool at Sunnyvale on Saturday, winning both Football South Premier League and Fletcher Cup trophies with wins over Green Island.

The senior match typified Caversham's modus operandi as coach Tim Horner's side scored after only five minutes as star striker Tom Jackson raced in to hit the first of a hat trick in a 6-0 scoreline.

Jackson who will soon play his football in Wellington, has had an impressive season. Saturday's efforts took his goal tally to 26 in 12 games, and make him favourite for the Golden Boot.

Close behind, brother Lewis Jackson was also in fine form, drilling in a 62nd minute goal to take his season's tally to 15.

Also on the scoresheet were Mike Hogan and, in party mood, popular Scots fullback Craig Ferguson, who was allowed to take a rare penalty, which he pounded into the Green Island net.

Green Island's pre game strategy teetered after that early Jackson goal, but things worsened dramatically when referee Calvin Berg flashed a second yellow card at Jesse Smith, and the Sunnyvale side faced 74 minutes with just 10 men.

However, led by sterling defensive performances from captain Cam McPhail, keeper Josh Dijkstra, Sean McIntee and Blair Porteous, Green Island kept the scoreline to 1-0 at halftime.

One can imagine Caversham coach Malcolm Fleming asking for more of the same in the second half, and unfortunately it happened. Exactly as in the first half, Caversham ripped through from the kick off and scored again, to go 2-0 ahead.

From then on, despite spirited Green Island resistance, it was party time for Caversham. With silver trophies on the touchline, Andrew Ridden, Seamus Ryder and Hogan lifted the tempo and set up attacks over a wide front that Green Island could not repel.

At Tahuna Park, Dunedin Technical was also in scoring mode against Mosgiel, and the 5-1 result produced a winning streak that coach Aaron Burgess hoped would extend to Sunday's Chatham Cup quarterfinal against Mangere United.

Eder Franchini gave Mosgiel some hope when he equalised from the penalty spot for 1-1, but Technical bombarded Zane Smith's goalmouth with a barrage of free kicks, corners and long throw ins that broke the Plainsmen's backline.

Goals came via Andrew Douglas, Tim McLennan and Taylor McCormack for a halftime 3-1 scoreline. John Curwen and Dave Hayman added another two goals in the second spell, and McLennan earned the man of the match award.

At the Caledonian Ground, University and Northern provided 90 minutes of cut and thrust in a 2-2 draw.

 

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