It was semi-final weekend for both of our national cup competitions with the last four clubs in the pots scrapping it out for a trip to North Harbour Stadium.

The shenanigans in the latest round of Men’s Northern League were almost indescribable but let’s do our best because this much craziness ought to be recorded for posterity.

The inevitability of Wellington Olympic means it’s only a matter of when, not if, they clinch their fifth consecutive Central League championship. They were away against the Wellington Phoenix Reserves who had their Aussie Cup reps back for this game.

The cup stuff swung back around this weekend as the last eight clubs in the Chatham Cup were chiselled into four. Gotta start with the defending champions Wellington Olympic, who faced Western Suburbs in a Central League duel at Endeavour Park.

There’s nothing quite like a good old top of the table bonanza. That’s what we got at Shepherds Park on Saturday when Birkenhead United hosted Western Springs seeking to reclaim the first place badge that they’d been wearing for most of the season

Sound the bells because we have a new leader in the Men’s Northern League…

What do ya know, the old mates at Auckland FC have made another couple of reserves signings. They already added Benjamin Perez Baldoni (15, Ellerslie) and Nathan Martin (17, Fencibles) a few weeks back and in the last few days…

Let us begin at the summit, where Birkenhead United have been hanging out for a couple of months. Birko remain first after this week’s fixtures... but the lead has been narrowed after they only drew 3-3 against West Coast Rangers.

It was only a fortnight ago that the previous cup rounds took place but the games keep flowing so it was time for third round fixtures in both the Chatham Cup and Kate Sheppard Cup

Dunedin City Royals had won seven outta seven heading into this week but a trip to face Cashmere Technical away posed one of their trickiest fixtures yet. Nevertheless, they did in this game what they did in all the other games.

It was a long weekend and it was a very busy weekend. We had cup games all over the country and somehow the Northern League managed to squeeze in a full round of fixtures on top of that

Another unbeaten record has fallen. Christchurch United have been looking imperious this year but they got popped 2-1 by Coastal Spirit on Sunday in a crazy finish.

Auckland United have done the business at the Oceania Champions League. Having progressed easily through the group stage, they met Henderson Eels (Solomon Islands) in the semis and scored three times in the opening seven minutes…

This is where we take a cheeky excursion to Tahiti where the OFC Champions League is taking place. Auckland United had their 55-game unbeaten streak snapped just prior to leaving but they’ve already started a new streak.

It wasn’t the most notable defeat of the weekend’s footy but woah Auckland City lost to the Auckland FC Reserves. Jonty Bidois scored the decisive goal with fifteen to go, right after Jerson Lagos had been sent off for City.

Wellington Olympic’s quest for a fifth-consecutive Central League title is going swell. They’ve won five out of five and were as convincing as it gets with an 8-0 victory away against last-placed North Wellington on Saturday.

Busy times up North. They always are over Easter Weekend. Busy times often mean crazy times and that’s exactly what we got with a full slate of Northern League fixtures held on Good Friday and then a whole other set on Easter Monday.

Saturday was a very busy day for Auckland City Football Club. At 3pm they hosted Western Springs at Kiwitea Street in Auckland and then at 7pm they faced Hekari United of Papua New Guinea at National Stadium in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

It’s been the question on everyone’s lips lately (if not then it should have been): Is Anna Leat actually playing as an outfielder for Hibiscus Coast? The answer is yes.

Last week we got the two Northern competitions (properly) underway and this week the rest of the country got its turn with the other four top tier comps all kicking off