Continued storm breaks and persistent heavy rain resulted in major issues on day three of the National Youth Championships in Coffs Harbour.
The sky opened up during the 2:25pm fixtures leaving C.eX International Stadium Fields 1 and 2 unplayable. These matches were quickly moved to synthetic pitches with fixtures updated for the remainder of day three.
Championship manager, Ramsey Vane-Wood explained the significance of the delays and the balancing act required to continue play on days four and five.
"Fixturing the remaining games is a jigsaw puzzle and we are making decisions based on fair outcomes after consulting with state stakeholders," Vane-Wood said.
What to expect on days four and five
Day four - Thursday 28 September
- 9:00am - Games missed on day three played
(matches have potential to influence ladders, semi-finals and cross over matches)
- 12:00pm - Cross over matches commence
- 4:00pm - 14s semi-finals
- 5:20pm - 15s semi-finals
Day five - Friday 29 September
- Fixtures to remain unchanged
Remaining group stage fixtures are available here. (filter by organisation "Northern NSW Football" competition "National Youth Championships").
As for the weather, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology forecasts a ten per cent chance of rain tomorrow with a higher chance of further rain on Friday.
Explainer: How the finals series works
C.eX International Stadium will host semi-final matches from 12:00PM on Thursday. The leading teams in each group automatically progress and the second placed team with the highest cumulative points tally will be deemed the highest ranked team.
Ramsey Vane-Wood explains the points tally is determined by a range of factors to ensure the process is equitable.
"We calculate the points tally with a combination of goals scored, penalties scored, goals conceded and number of cards. The method has been developed by Football Australia with equity and quality match ups in mind," Vane-Wood said.
