The top four Footballsouth Premier League clubs clash today, and Dunedin Technical faces a serious challenge from Green Island at Sunnyvale.
Coach Malcolm Fleming regards his side as a "work in progress" and steady improvement has been a hallmark of the Island play this season.
The return of flying winger Joel Stevens from the United States has boosted Green Island's attack, and if striker Donnie MacGregor can overcome his injury problems, attacking options will increase.
More help is imminent from Australia. Scot Gannon, who played for the Amicale club in Port Vila, has also signed for the Island and should make an appearance soon.
Technical is now in second place on the FPL table, after a bye last week, and the com-petition will certainly benefit if an Invercargill club side returns to re-establish a 10-team league to eliminate irritating weeks without matches.
Led by top striker Aaron Burgess, who has nine goals from seven matches, Technical needs to fend off aspiring challengers, such as Green Island, to regain top place.
It is Caversham's turn to sit on the fence with a bye this week, and while coaches and players will observe rival Technical, there will also be major interest in Mosgiel, at home on Memorial Park against University.
Raucous home support might just tip the scales towards the Plainsmen, whose best form could really challenge coach Luiz Uehara's talented side.
Only Caversham has scored more goals (26) than the students (17), who are a powerful, skilful unit going forward, with midfield maestro Guilherme Melo, Peter Rae and Anthony Tarrant spicing the attack.
But Mosgiel has class of its own. The two goals scored last week, a header by Morgan Day and a ripping shot by Regan Coldicott, were top-drawer.
Both sides suffer from the same problem, in that when attacks break down, team shape suffers and doors open, which could make for yet another exciting contest.
Roslyn-Wakari plays Grants Braes at Ellis Park, and while coach Colin Thom's side starts favourite, Braes is no longer a soft touch, and any result is likely to be hard won.
Typical of this season's inconsistencies, Northern and Queenstown could produce a top match at the Gardens, but the X-factor of the pitch surface, and erratic form by both sides, make this another unpredictable result.
Tomorrow, at Culling Park, the national women's knockout cup will be contested by Dunedin's two top sides, Technical and Roslyn-Wakari.
No longer restricted to social football, these women play hard and fast, with technique superior to many men's sides, and the clash will be well worth a look.
On Monday, a full round of 2pm Chatham Cup ties pits Grants Braes against Caversham, at Ocean Grove, Dunedin Technical v Old Boys, at the Caledonian, Northern v University, at the Gardens, and Queens Park hosting Roslyn-Wakari, in Invercargill.
