KEY POINTS:
Tomorrow's Chatham Cup quarter-final clash between Central United and Eastern Suburbs promises to be much more than just a replay of last season's semifinal - won in a penalty shootout by Suburbs, who went on to lose the final in the same manner.
Yesterday Central were under fire for pressing to have a northern league fixture played today so two of their players can complete periods of suspension by sitting out the game.
The pair will thus be able to play tomorrow, meaning Central can field a full-strength team.
In normal circumstances, northern league fixtures involving teams still in the Chatham Cup are postponed, and Central's away game with Onehunga Sports would fall into that category.
But in getting Onehunga Sports to agree to play today, Central can use the match to clear Sam Mathews and Luis del Monte.
Mathews is under a three-match suspension and del Monte is under a two-game ban. Sitting out today's game will wipe their slates clean.
Northern Soccer League manager Melita Martorana said the fact that Central had players under suspension "could be the reason the game is being played on Saturday".
"Matches should always be played in goodwill," said Martorana. "But it does not mean they always will."
Clubs battling with bottom-placed Onehunga Sports are crying foul, with suggestions Central will not put out a full-strength team for today's game, thus giving Onehunga Sports an unfair opportunity to pick up valuable points.
"Of course it is not fair [for the other clubs in the relegation battle]," said Martorana, "but I don't think it is right to have cup and league fixtures scheduled to be played at the same time."
While most agree Central are within their rights to play the game, some point to the rules, which state that clubs should always put out their best possible team "in the spirit of the game".
The matter will surely be taken further if Onehunga Sports win. There have been suggestions that a check of Central team cards for matches played last weekend, today and tomorrow may then be in order.
Eastern Suburbs coach Chris Milicich said he was not letting the issue upset his planning but did say he thought the late switch was "making mockery of the rules". He quickly added: "If they can get away with it, good on them."
Central will go into tomorrow's Chatham Cup tie at Kiwitea St as deserved favourites but perhaps not as easily as the odds suggest. They are at $1.33 and Suburbs $9 to progress in normal time. Given their respective records in the premier league, it promises to be closer than that.
North Shore have home advantage over Hamilton Wanderers in the other northern battle and that should swing it their way.
Cup-holders Western Suburbs meet Miramar Rangers in a replay of last week's Central League fixture, won 4-0 by Suburbs.
In the quarter-final played last weekend, Caversham (Dunedin) beat Nomads (Christchurch) 1-0 to book their place in the last four.
Eastern Suburbs will also be away in tomorrow's Women's Knockout Cup clash with Glenfield Rovers, while Western Springs travel to play Claudelands Rovers in the other northern quarter-final.
The winners will join Seatoun (Wellington) and Western (Christchurch) in Monday's semifinal draw.
* Unexpected interest in tomorrow's A-League Pre Season Cup game between the Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC has seen the game switched from Newtown Park to Westpac Stadium in Wellington.
While coach Ricki Herbert says these games are simply part of the building process in preparing for the start of the league proper next month, he has been heartened by what he has seen from his team in their limited time together.
He has captain Ross Aloisi back after a carry-over one-match suspension but has lost young defender Steve O'Dor, who was sent off for two cautions in the 2-0 loss to Central Coast Mariners last Saturday.
