Promotion odds slim for Wairarapa

Close but no cigar ... that seems certain to be the case for the Douglas Villa and Wairarapa United seconds teams in their Capital Football competitions this season.

Both sides needed to finish in the top two to earn promotion and while second-equal is still a definite possibility the odds in each instance are that they will be relegated to third based on goal differential.

With one match remaining to be played to complete two full rounds in the Capital third division series, Douglas Villa are sitting on 32 points, equal with Petone Armanis and behind only runaway leaders Paekakariki who have 42.

It is a gross understatement to suggest Douglas Villa have a more difficult task than Petone Armanis when the final series of games are staged this weekend.

They have the massive challenge of ending their campaign with a match against Paekakariki at home while Petone Armanis take on eighth-placed Karori Barcodes.

And even if fate conspires to have Douglas Villa and Petone Armanis finish on the same number of competition points the Villa side will have had to score five more goals to edge ahead.

To all intents and purposes the Capital fourth division competition has been completed with Karori Cougars topping the points table with 38 points, just one ahead of University Scarfies and Wairarapa United seconds.

As things stand goal differential would see Wairarapa United finish third with University Scarfies having an 11-goal advantage over them. Frustratingly for Wairarapa United, however, they won three of their matches by default and when that happens a 2-0 win is awarded.

Each of those games were against bottom-placed sides, teams which Wairarapa United could have expected to beat by close to double figure margins.

Aware of the unfairness of the situation Capital Football have apparently allowed Wairarapa United to replay one of their defaulted games but with a 12-goal winning margin required for promotion the scenario is unlikely to change.