Southern United were very keen to gauge where they were at with respect to one of the competition's benchmark clubs at the season's half way point.

First grade:

Coffs United would have been feeling confident as they strode onto Boronia Park with a midweek hiding of Sawtell 10-1 under their belt, as well as a narrow loss to NPL club Broadmeadow Magic in the Australia Cup the preceding weekend.

It was Coffs' only loss so far this season. Southern United has managed to break a string of losses with successive draws away from home in their last two outings and were looking to spring a surprise on their more fancied opponent.

Certainly the match was fairly evenly poised through the first 10 minutes, with Southern United showing good defensive discipline and creating some difficulties for United's defence.

However, perhaps as a result of a rise in confidence in seeing out the early stages of the match, Southern United were caught short down their right flank, allowing Coffs to get a shot away that Rhys Dawes could only parry. This was seized upon by another Coffs player who laid the ball square for a simple tap in to put Coffs in front. To their credit Southern United then lifted and really took the game to Coffs. When Mark Mallia slid home his second goal in as many matches after a wonderful sequence of passes it was nothing more than the Ospreys deserved.

The equaliser appeared to shock Coffs United and for the rest of the first half the match was very evenly balanced.

The second half started much in the same way as the first had ended, and 10 minutes in it really looked like an upset could have been on the cards. However, a slightly under-hit back pass, a slight slip by the keeper and another slip by the defender on the line allowed Coffs the softest of goals and they found themselves fortuitously in front again.

This really appeared to rock the Ospreys and they very soon found themselves further behind with a loss of marking discipline at the back. Despite this though, Southern United still were producing chances at the other end, including a great ball from Mallia to find Tommy Elder in space behind the Coffs defence, but the youngster blazed his shot directly at the keeper.

Shortly after that the Ospreys hit the post, and as they chased the game there was always a danger they would leave themselves exposed at the back, and Coffs made them pay with a fourth goal with just under 20 minutes to go. Southern United pressed hard for the remainder of the match but, as seems to have been the case in recent weeks, found clear cut chances to score hard to come by. Flynn Parker had the best of these, but his close range shot was cleared off the line by a Coffs defence desperate to keep the home side to just the solitary goal.

Final score Southern united 1 Coffs United 4.

Coach Jonathon Newman was understandably unhappy at the outcome.

"Once again we've competed with the best this competition has to offer, this time for 55 minutes, playing some great possession-based football and denying them the time and space they normally like to have,'' he said.

"You wouldn't have known that the starting lineup and some individual player's roles had to be rearranged this morning. But then we just seem to find a way to shoot ourselves in the foot.

"Once that second goal went in it took the boys a few minutes to get over conceding in the way we did, and in this competition you don't have two minutes to do that. Coffs seized on the very next opportunity and took the game right away from us."

Newman said he was especially proud of several players in the side who despite illness and injury put their hands up to play, with Graeme Pearson and Brock Gutherson his picks for the most outstanding.

Nathanael Deas continued to impress in his second first grade start, and Mark Mallia was close to his elusive best.

Reserve grade

Buoyed by a dominant display against Macleay Valley Rangers on the long weekend the Ospreys reserve grade was in confident mood as they ran on to face Coffs United.

The first half was a very tight tussle, with Southern United's defensive structure serving them well and setting a good platform for the creating of a number of good opportunities to score. The half ended goal-less and with the match finely balanced.

As often happens in matches like this though it can take only one error or slice of misfortune to swing the scales one way or the other, and swing in Coffs United's favour they did as they took the lead through a very soft goal. Despite the setback the Ospreys steeled themselves for a strong finish, but couldn't find a way to restore parity. Final score Southern United FC 0 Coffs City United 1.