KNYSNA NEWS – The Knysna Local Football Association (KLFA) Domestic League has taken a brief break to allow for the hosting of the KLFA Oyster Soccer Tournament.

The last round of fixtures before the Oyster break was played on 4 and 5 June, and left the league only a few games away from the end of the season.

Smuts United remain top of the log, only four points ahead of Young Boys and five points ahead of Young Stars. While Smuts United and Young Boys have both played 26 games so far and only have two games left to play, Young Stars has three games in hand.

Further afield, Pine Stars lie in fourth place with three games in hand and eight points off Smuts United, and La Liga are fifth with four games in hand and nine points from top spot.

This means the chase for the title is quite close, with any of the top five sides standing a chance to win the league - albeit more likely for some than others.

Smuts United remains the club with the best chance of winning the league due to the lead they have at the top of the table.

Any of the remaining four sides in contention that want to make a charge for the title will need to win all of their remaining games, while Smuts United only needs to earn a win and a draw from their last two games.

Of the four sides who can pounce on a Smuts United slip-up, Rheenendal outfit Young Stars is perhaps in the best position.

With three games left they can earn nine points if they win all their remaining games, and if Smuts United lose one of their last two games, the title goes to Young Stars. 

But this would mean the men from Rheenendal have to be faultless in their remaining games - never easy at the business end of the season. However, no potential scenario matters if Smuts United simply win their last two games as this will give them an unassailable lead at the top. Only time will tell who has the nerves of steel required to see it out to the end. 

The league will in all likelihood return in mid- to late-July and the top five will be chomping at the bit to get going.

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