ASA: Following completion today of the 2003/04 NSL Premiership season last weekend, the top 6 teams that will compete in the 2003/04 NSL Championship series are as follows; 1. Perth Glory (Premiers), 2. Parramatta Power, 3. Adelaide United, 4. Marconi Stallions, 5. South Melbourne, 6. Brisbane Strikers.

The draw for week 1 and 2 of the 2003/04 Championship Series is as follows:

Week 1

Elimination Final (1st leg)

Adelaide United v Brisbane Strikers

Sunday 7 March

Hindmarsh Stadium - 7pm CST

Elimination Final (1st leg)

Marconi Stallions v South Melbourne

Sunday 7 March

Marconi Stadium - 3.45pm EST

Week 2 draw

Major Semi Final (1st leg)

Parramatta Power v Perth Glory

Sunday 14 March

Parramatta Stadium - 3.45pm EST

Elimination Final (2nd leg)

Brisbane Strikers v Adelaide United

Saturday 13 March

Perry Park - 7pm Qld time

Elimination Final (2nd leg)

South Melbourne v Marconi Stallions

Sunday 14 March

Bob Jane Stadium - 7pm EST

NSL Round 26 report

FINALS TEAM DO IT TOUGH IN LAST ROUND

ASA: Any team entering a finals series wants to go into those games in the best frame of mind and with confidence and form on your side. However the final round was anything but for the three finals teams that took part in matches today, with two losing and the other playing out a 0-0 draw.

Next week's combatants Adelaide United and Brisbane Strikers (see separate report), although not at full strength, both lost to lowly opposition in Northern Spirit and the Football Kingz, while South Melbourne's scoring woes continued in its match with Sydney Olympic.

At Pittwater Park in Sydney's north, Spirit's terrific end of season run continued and provided a fitting farewell for the all-time NSL appearance record holder Alex Tobin and Spirit stalwart Paul Henderson, who both received standing ovation's from the small but appreciative crowd when substituted late in the game.

For Tobin, plagued by injury all season, it was only fitting he went out a winner and how ironic it was against a team from his hometown of Adelaide that he should do it against.

Only Tobin knows if he will try and get a club in the proposed new revamped National competition starting later this year, but age and injuries must surely be catching up on him. If he doesn't play one hopes he stays involved in the game in some capacity, as he has always been a positive influence wherever he has been both on and off the field and he has been an inspiration for many of the young players coming through the NSL today.

One such youngster provided the goals for Spirit in its win, Adam Kwasnik's goal either side of the break, cancelling out Aurelio Vidmar's first half injury time screamer.

Kwasnik (pictured above) who spent most of his time this season on the bench, proved a handful for the Adelaide defence throughout and could quite easily have a hat-trick next to his name.

He opened the scoring in the 27th minute when he stabbed home a cross from the left and it looked as though it would be enough at the break.

However Vidmar, a former long-time teammate of Tobin's at Adelaide City and for the Socceroos, had other ideas and his sweetly hit free kick from outside the box, went straight through the hands of Henderson for a goal and it was 1-1 at the break.

Kwasnik though sealed Spirit's third win on the trot with a looping header over the advancing Bajic in the 69th minute.

Both sides, despite the very windy conditions, had opportunities to add to the scoreline, but neither side was able to and with Adelaide already assured of third spot, coach John Kosmina with eye towards next week, took several of his key players off to make sure they were fit and available for next week.

The win saw Spirit finish in 7th position on the table just two points behind sixth place Brisbane.

Meanwhile Micky Brock reports that a howling first-half wind at OKI Jubilee Oval didn't help matters but it certainly didn't prove a factor in the amount of missed chances by both sides in the last ever NSL meeting between traditional rivals - Olympic and South Melbourne.

Olympic had by far the better opportunities and should have been ahead before the 12th minute fiasco that almost produced an opening goal.

Hiroyuki Ishida, lethal down the left, sent over a long cross that Zenon Caravella pulled back for Predrag Bojic. His poor effort came back off a defender and fell for Troy Halpin who, showing terrific vision, attempted to chip the keeper but with the ball, for once, holding up in the wind it was an easy take for Eugene Galekovic between the sticks for South.

A minute later and Olympic once again should have taken the lead. Caravella this time sent his shot, again from an Ishida cross on the left, against the legs of Galekovic and with the ball bouncing fortuitously back to him he miss-hit another attempt whilst on the ground and the lead went begging.

Iain Fyfe was next to benefit from another Ishida cross, as the Japanese import cut South apart down the left wing channel in the opening 40-minutes. Fyfe though saw his header go high and wide before the visitors had their first worthwhile attempt at goal themselves when Vince Lia broke through the middle from a Kristian Sarkies pass only to see his well placed shot go agonizingly inches wide of Brett Hughes right-hand upright.

From then on it was more a catalogue of squandered chances with shots ballooning over the bar or being hit straight at either custodian.

NSL Round 26 results

Perth 2 Marconi 2

Kingz 4 Brisbane 3

Spirit 2 Adelaide 1

Olympic 0 Sth Melb 0

Knights 0 Sydney 0

Wollongong 3 Newcastle 0

Parramatta Bye

NSL 2003-2004 Round: 26  
Team            	GP W  D L  GF GA Pts 
1 Perth Glory 		24 18 3 3  56 22 57 
2 Parramatta Power 	24 16 3 5  58 30 51 
3 Adelaide United 	24 11 7 6  28 25 40 
4 Marconi Stallions 	24 10 8 6  29 25 38 
5 South Melbourne 	24 11 4 9  39 21 37 
6 Brisbane Strikers 	24  9 5 10 28 33 32 
7 Northern Spirit 	24  9 3 12 31 33 30 
8 Sydney Olympic 	24  7 8 9  26 31 29 
9 Wollongong Wolves 	24  8 5 11 34 41 29 
10 Sydney United 	24  7 8 9  18 25 29 
11 Newcastle United 	24  6 6 12 18 33 24 
12 Melbourne Knights 	24  6 5 13 21 41 23 
13 Football Kingz 	24  4 3 17 25 51 15