Soccer: Central to battle elements as well as Halswell

Snow is forecast to low levels in Canterbury tomorrow and Chatham Cup favourites Central will have to battle the elements as well as Halswell United in their semifinal.

Halswell, fourth in the Mainland Premier League and rookies at this cup level, are clearly the underdogs.

The Auckland visitors have a squad loaded with national league players and have previously won New Zealand's premier knockout competition in 1997 and 1998.
Statistics would suggest an easy win for the visitors.

Halswell needed extra time to beat Papakura in the semifinals. Papakura were beaten 9-0 by North Shore in the Northern Premier League last week and Central beat Shore 2-0 at Devonport earlier in the season.

Central will be without striker Grant Young, with an ankle injury, and defender Matt Fowler, with a broken thumb. Nick Robson has been added to their travelling squad.

Central coach Aaron McFarland will be looking for an improvement over their recent league form.

An admittedly weakened Central team lost 3-0 to Eastern Suburbs 10 days ago and by the same margin to University-Mt Wellington last Sunday.

Halswell coach, Wayne Burt, suffered a double blow last weekend.

Central defender Keith Purcell was sent off in a league game and his likely replacement, Mark Teesdale, suffered the same fate in a reserve game. Both are suspended.

His only national league players are veteran Keith Grosvenor, who has played for both Christchurch and Dunedin clubs, and striker Michael Sands, who played for Manawatu last season.

Halswell have an extra incentive for the game. If they reach the final, New Zealand Soccer is likely to move the game to Christchurch.

If Central win, the final will be at North Harbour Stadium on September 5.

The other semifinal pits Wellington Olympic against Palmerston North Marist in the capital tomorrow.

CENTRAL SQUAD

Ross Nicholson (c), Joel Matthews, Nick Robson, Dean Tallentire, Greg Uhlmann, John Eley, Luis del Monte, Neil Sykes, Johnathon Smith, Lee Jones, Paul Seaman, Paul Urlovic, Scott Greenhalgh, Heath McCormack, Craig Wilkins.