21 May 2000
The Press
Spare a thought for Christchurch soccer club Rangers - and its beleaguered treasurer. Fresh from beating Queenstown Rovers, Rangers will play national league club Nelson Suburbs in the third round of the Chatham Cup at Queen's Birthday weekend. Rangers face an expensive third successive away trip in the cup competition. "It's one end of the island to another," Rangers coach Fred Simpson said. "First it was Marlborough, then Queenstown, and now Nelson. But that's why you enter this competition." Rangers beat Queenstown, 3-1, in the second-round tie at Frankton on Saturday. "We could have won by four or five, but we hit the woodwork four times," Simpson said.
An Aaron Nixon goal gave Halswell United a hard-fought win over New Brighton at Bexley Reserve. Halswell will host Dunedin club Caversham in the third round. Caversham thrashed Green Island, 5-0, on Saturday. National league clubs Christchurch City and Dunedin Technical, which enter the draw for the third round, will clash in Christchurch. The third-round games will be played on June 4 and 5.
Christchurch United moved back to the top of the Federation Six regional soccer league with an entertaining 4-3 win over Nelson Suburbs at QEII Park on Saturday.