Soccer: Daunting draw for Chatham minnows

The draw for the first round of the Chatham Cup domestic club knockout competition has thrown up some heavyweight clashes but there is still plenty for soccer romantics to look forward to this weekend.

An all-Central League meeting between Olympic and Lower Hutt City headlines a feast of cup action in Wellington but lowly Eastbourne would certainly steal the limelight should they topple 2006 champions Western Suburbs.

Eastbourne, who play in the middle tiers of Capital Football, face a jump in class of six divisions when they welcome the Central League leaders to Bishop Park on Sunday.

Elsewhere, three school teams and two Sunday league sides hope to build cup runs after successfully navigating qualification round ties last month.

Mt Albert Grammar School, who made it to the last 16 last season, face a tough task against Northern premier league side Papatoetoe tomorrow, while Westlake and Christchurch boys' high schools have only slightly less daunting challenges against Mt Albert Ponsonby and Coastal Spirit respectively.

The pair of Auckland Sunday League teams left have been handed relatively kind draws, although Bohemian Celtic's visit to FC Whangarei and O'Carroll's home tie against Taupo should still be close affairs.

While the likes of cup holders East Coast Bays, last year's beaten finalists Dunedin Technical and four-time winners Central United, of Auckland, have all received byes to the second round, a trio of all-premier league clashes in Canterbury means some bigger teams will not get over their first hurdle.

With Woolston Tech hosting Halswell, Ferrymead Bays visiting Burnside and Western meeting Nomads, the door to the second round has been opened for a number of teams outside Mainland Football's top league.

Waimakariri United have drawn fellow Christchurch division one side Cashmere Wanderers while a Sunday derby between Nelson City and Nelson United will send one of those local league sides into round two. The cup is played along regional lines until the quarter-finals where teams enter an open national draw.

- NZPA