Green Island is typical of a group of dark horses that are lurking in the Footballsouth Premier League this season.
Coach Malcolm Fleming's side is tucked quietly in fourth place, but has a game in hand and is so far unbeaten in the league.
Fleming has nurtured several youngsters into his squad, around the hard core of experienced players such as Dan Rutter, Cody Robinson, Nathan Gunn and Liam Dungey.
The arrival of Canadian striker Donny MacGregor should add firepower, and Joel Stevens' undoubted talents will freshen the squad when he arrives back from the United States.
The Green Island club now has a pool of highly experienced players in differing levels within the club.
Former All White Graham Marshall, the no-nonsense Kevin Scoullar, Rodney Fleming, Keith McFadgen and senior coach Malcolm Fleming have all operated at the highest level.
Many of the above are involved in Green Island's Academy, which attends to player development from juniors, women's grades and throughout the senior club.
Today, Green Island hosts Caversham at Sunnyvale and will not be intimidated by coach Richard Murray's side which is also in a transitory stage, bedding in new players.
FPL leaders Caversham and Dunedin Technical are tied at the top, after an emotion-charged 1-1 draw last week, but tucked in behind are Mosgiel and University, two clubs capable of playing attractive football.
Heading a string of evenly balanced matches today, Dunedin Technical plays University at the Caledonian, with coach Mike Fridge's structured Tech contrasting with the fluid style of Brazilian Luiz Uehara's side.
Students of the game can compare the deadly finishing of Aaron Burgess with the left-footed brilliance of Varsity's Guilherme Melo whose skills, according to local pundit Wilson James, are "worth the price of admission alone".
At Ellis Park, Roslyn-Wakari plays Mosgiel. Roslyn morale has zoomed after last week's fusillade of six goals against old adversary Northern, and coach Colin Thom hopes the cutting edge can be maintained this week.
The return of striker James Govan may have sparked Roslyn's attack, although the six-goal haul was spread throughout the team.
Northern has obviously slipped a little since the disciplined performance which earned a 1-1 draw with Technical, but with a bye this week, coach Steve Brook has a chance to do some serious coaching.
Mosgiel, one point off the pace in third spot, will test Roslyn's competitiveness.
Mike McGarry has a balanced squad. Tom Bekker towers in central defence and is matched by a sprinting, goal-scoring attack in Regan Coldicott and Tim Dunn.
A heavy 5-0 defeat last week will have provoked tough training sessions at Ocean Grove as Grants Braes coach Alan Laidler tries to erase memories of the Varsity defeat and prepares his side to face Queenstown.
Rather like University, Queenstown has its share of talented South Americans, but a lot depends on whether coach Steve Henderson can convince his best team to travel to Dunedin.
All FPL matches start at 2.45pm.
