Selwyn Times: October 20, 2021

Selwyn Times Wednesday October 20 2021
14
SPORT
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
‘Fairytale’ season for resurgent
A year ago Selwyn
United were in danger
of being relegated
from the Mainland
Football premiership
until a win on the final
afternoon. The club’s
resilience was tested
again during 2021,
with two tense victories
highlighting a groundbreaking
campaign
which culminated in
qualification for the
new National League.
Chris Barclay details
the Rolleston-based
organisation’s steady
development to a
competitive force in one
of the province’s fastestgrowing
areas
IT WASN’T a goal of the month
contender, but it made Selwyn
United’s year.
Substitute Ollie Sims’ messy
winner at Saxton Field won’t
be going viral, yet the toe-poke
will live long in the memory of
first team players, support staff,
management and fans.
Take head coach and director
of football Chris Brown, who
thought a Luke Blackie 87thminute
equaliser was scant consolation
from the trip to Nelson
CLUB STALWARTS: Selwyn United director of football Chris Brown (left) and president Stan
de Rooy reflect on a breakthrough season for the club’s first team. PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN ​
Suburbs on October 2.
“It was a crazy 30 seconds
really. We managed to win the
ball back. Will Fairley crossed
the ball in, it bounced off two or
three people and it fell to Ollie
who poked it home. Everyone
was off the scale in terms of happiness
and excitedness,” Brown
said.
Sims, who was first coached by
Brown as a 13-year-old, secured
a place in the club’s folklore
as Selwyn United claimed the
Southern League’s final berth
for the revamped National
League by a point through a 2-1
victory.
Three other clubs were in
the qualification frame during
a fluctuating final round, but
once Christchurch United lost
to Dunedin’s South City Royals
with 10 minutes left on the
clock in Nelson, Selwyn United
somehow engineered their latest
remarkable comeback.
In last year’s Mainland
Football premiership, Selwyn
United were in danger of
relegation until a 2-1 win on
the final afternoon condemned
Western to the second-tier
championship.
Making the eight-team Southern
League, the prerequisite for
the upcoming National League,
was also left late with an 85thminute
save from veteran shot
– and in this case penalty – stopper
Pieter-taco Bierema necessary
to protect the 2-0 margin
required to advance at Nomad
United’s expense.
Brown savours those wins,
though he nominated a 4-2
premiership defeat to Cashmere
Technical in May – after Selwyn
United led 2-0 with eight minutes
to play – as the cornerstone
of this campaign, the launching
pad for a six-game unbeaten
sequence in the premiership.
“That game was the catalyst for
the boys going ‘actually we’re not
far off’, we’d pushed them all the
way.”
Celebrating 10 years
Since its first exhibition on 21st
October 2011, Lincoln’s Down
by the Liffey Gallery has served
the community well and will
celebrate its 10th anniversary
this month. The gallery initially
opened when a group of local
artists and art enthusiasts were
approached to be part of a
steering committee to establish
an art gallery in the recently
vacated Coronation Library.
The 10th anniversary
exhibition /auction will showcase
the work of 16 artists who have
previously exhibited their
work at the gallery. In
addition, four guest artists,
Adrienne Pavelka, Min
Kim, Hamish Allan, Sally
Hope, have generously
agreed to be part of this
celebratory exhibition.
Down by the Liffey
Gallery holds monthly
exhibitions throughout
the year, however the
point of difference with
this exhibition is the
silent auction with bids
accepted during opening
hours from 20th October
through to 31st October.
Gallery chairperson
Cheryl Morrall suggests
people visit the galley to
see an eclectic collection
of great local art and view
the work of emerging and
established artists. The
‘Feather’s Journey’, acrylic on
canvas by Ruth Killoran
‘Of Summers Past’, digital
collage by Anne Dillon
Down by the Liffey Gallery
exhibition celebrates the
ten years of the gallery’s
existence, and is a chance
to view and bid on special
artwork.
A celebration gala due
to be held on 31st October
has unfortunately been
cancelled due to Covid.
However, on 31st
October, the gallery will be
open 5–7 pm, and bids can
be made until 6.30 pm that
day. The event is proudly
and generously sponsored
by the Selwyn District
Creative Communities
Scheme.
Down by the Liffey
Gallery on 1 James Street,
Lincoln is open Wednesday
and Thursday: 11.30
am–2.30 pm, and Friday to
Sunday: 10 am–4 pm.
Down by the
Liffey Gallery
Lincoln’s Community Art Gallery,
1 James Street, Lincoln
It’s our 10 Year
Anniversary Exhibition
2011 – 2021
OCTOBER 20 -31
20 SELECTED ARTISTS
Open to public: Wed - Thur 11.30am - 2.30pm
Fri - Sun 10am - 4pm
WORKS TO BE SOLD BY SILENT AUCTION.
EXHIBITION FINISHES SUNDAY 31 OCTOBER, 5-7PM
(FINAL BIDS BY 6.30PM)
liffeygallery1@gmail.com
www.downbytheliffeygallery.com