The Star: April 18, 2024

Thursday April 18 2024 The Star 27
SPORTS NEWS
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United captain finding the fun again
• By Sam Coughlan
CHRISTCHURCH United’s
new captain is bouncing back
from some dark professional
days overseas – and enjoying his
football again.
Joel Stevens joined United from
Wellington Olympic this season,
after winning last year’s Central
League and National League –
where he was man of the match
in the final.
Before then, he’d had two
stints playing professionally in
Sweden’s second and third-tier
competitions, and spent time
with the Wellington Phoenix in
Australia’s A-League.
But Stevens said being at
United was probably the most
fun he’d ever had in football.
“We just play fun football. We
try and bounce the ball around.
“With all the young players in
the team, it just all works, it all
bounces off each other.”
He said his forays into the professional
side of the sport hadn’t
gone well, despite some successful
team results. He helped
Värnamo go from the third tier
to the first with two consecutive
promotions, only for his contract
to not be renewed.
“It didn’t matter if you were the
best player on the field, sometimes
you just didn’t play well
because you didn’t fit into the
system,” he said.
“Sometimes you have some
players you don’t get along with.
I don’t love playing with people
that are overly arrogant or anything
like that.
“I just think you should all be
mates when you’re on the field,
and enjoy it no matter what.”
But he said he still harbours
dreams of getting back to the
Southern League round 4
(Saturday)
• Christchurch Utd v
Dunedin CR, United Sports
Centre, 2pm
• Universities v Nelson
Suburbs, English Park, 2pm
Ferrymead Bays v FC
Twenty 11, Ferrymead Park,
2.45pm
• Nomads v Coastal Spirit,
Tulett Park, 2.45pm
Cashmere Tech v Selwyn
Utd, Garrick Park, 2.45pm
Points
Chch Utd 9; Cash Tech
7; Nelson 7; Nomads 6;
Coastal 5; Bays 4; Selwyn 3;
Dunedin 1; Universities 0;
FC Twenty 0
professional level.
“If a professional club, probably
more at home at the moment,
like around New Zealand, came
to me, I would probably go, or
consider it at least.
“It’s not my main priority right
now, but of course I would.”
Stevens made the move south
from Olympic in the off-season
to be closer to family after the
birth of his first daughter in
December. He and wife Grace
are both from Dunedin, and have
family across the South Island.
CAPTAIN: Joel Stevens joined Christchurch United from National League champions
Wellington Olympic after being recruited by coach Ryan Edwards, above left.
PHOTO: JIM WATTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Stevens said he had looked at
a number of clubs in the area
before deciding to join United.
“We were considering Dunedin
as well to go back home.
“Cashmere (Technical) as well,
I played for them a little bit when
I was younger and I know most
of the players because a lot of
them played for Southern when I
was there.
“I talked to them a lot, but then
Ryan (Edwards, United coach)
came to me with what their plan
is for the future, and everything
was quite shiny and I was pretty
excited, so I wanted to give it a
go, and I think it was a really
good decision.’’
Stevens has started the 2024
season strongly, scoring four
goals, with United winning
their opening three games to
sit at the top of the Southern
League table ahead of Saturday’s
match against Dunedin City
Royals.
Their closest challengers
are Cashmere Technical, who
slipped from their 100 per cent
win record after a 4-4 draw with
Coastal Spirit, and Nelson Suburbs,
both two points back.
Tech take on Selwyn at home
this weekend while Nelson travel
to play Universities.
In other matches, Nomads and
Coastal meet – both teams are in
the top half of the table.
Ferrymead Bays have also
impressed and host FC Twenty
11 who are rooted to the bottom
of the table, having scored zero
goals and conceded 26 in their
opening games.
UC aiming to improve on first round win
• By Sam Coughlan
UNIVERSITY OF Canterbury
are preparing to face a wounded
beast when they take on Marist
Albion this weekend.
Defending champions Marist
went down 23-20 to High School
Old Boys in round one last week.
UC head coach Daniel O’Brien
said he expected them to want to
make a statement.
“They would see us as an upand-coming
team, and I think
they know that if they can do a
number on us this week their
season’s back on track and they’re
flying.
“So I’m expecting they’ll throw
the kitchen sink at us, and they’ll
come out with everything they
can. They’ll be really disappointed
if they don’t get the victory.”
O’Brien said his team would
only focus on themselves.
“To be completely honest, this
HARD RUNNING: UC’s Jae Broomfield tries to evade a
Linwood tackler during his side’s 28-3 win at the weekend.
early in the season, we’re probably
not going to focus too much
on Marist.
We’re going to focus more on
what we’re doing and how we can
improve after our performance
against Linwood.”
PHOTO: HARRY ALLAN
O’Brien praised that performance
– a 28-3 bonus-point victory
against the side that dumped
them out in the semi-finals last
season.
“I think the defence was really
good, if you can keep Linwood
Metro Premier round 2 (2.45pm Saturday)
• Marist Albion v UC, Edgar MacIntosh Park
• Linwood v HSOB, Linfield Park
• Christchurch v Shirley, Christchurch Park
• Lincoln Uni v Sumner, Lincoln University
• Burnside v New Brighton, Burnside Park
• Sydenham v Belfast, Sydenham Park
Points
Burnside 5; Lincoln Uni 5; U of C 5; Sumner 5;
Sydenham 5; HSOB 4; Christchurch 2; New Brighton 1;
Marist 1; Belfast 1; Linwood 0; Shirley 0
from scoring a try you’d be
really happy because they’re an
extremely physical team as well.
“Still a lot to work on in terms
of getting the processes right, but
you’ll be happy if you’re going
to walk away with a bonus point
victory.”
Linwood will host HSOB while
Christchurch and Shirley will
square off with both sides having
lost their opening game.
Lincoln University and Sumner
will meet in the only match
between teams that won their
opening game, and Burnside
will be hoping for a repeat of
their 45-point victory over
Belfast when they take on New
Brighton.
Sydenham will put the DHL
Shield on the line against Belfast
at home after winning it off New
Brighton last week.