It was getting down to the nitty gritty at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Football tournament yesterday as the afternoon semifinals were getting underway following some surprises in the quarterfinals at Wembley Park.
In the main playoffs, defending champions St Pat's were knocked out by last year's beaten finalists WairarapaCollege 1-0.
Central Football spokesman Symon King said St Pat's were not happy with the refereeing decisions, while just as unsurprisingly, Wairarapa thought the officiating was fine.
Lynfield also picked up an upset with a 1-0 win over Pukekohe, while Western Heights overcame Trident 2-1 after a fiery match.
Hamilton Boys High 2nd XI had a 2-0 win over Ormiston in the other quarterfinal.
In the second tier of playoffs for 9th-16th, Waiuku beat Kamo 2-1, Otorohanga defeated St Peter's 2-1, Long Bay won against Northcote 2-1, and Brighton were comfortable 3-0 winners over Hawera.
There was better news for Wanganui Collegiate in the third tier of playoffs, as they beat Inglewood on penalties after being deadlocked 2-2 at fulltime, then won their semifinal convincingly against Campion 5-0.
Collegiate will now go into the final for 17th-18th today, while the main championship match will be held at 1pm.
