Two second half goals, one from the penalty spot, gave Auckland victory against the youngest squad in the competition, but they made heavy work of breaking down their opponents after a goalless first half.
That deadlock eventually ended on the hour mark when Spanish striker Gustavo Souto lobbed the Mont Dore goalkeeper for his first O-League strike. And the visitors' lead was soon doubled, with fellow Spaniard Manel Exposito bundled over in the box and Adam Dickinson converting the spot kick.
Waitakere, meanwhile, found the going similarly tough on a heavy pitch in west Auckland. The hosts started the match slowly, with the only real chance of the first half falling to Roy Krishna who saw his shot cleared off the line.
Dragon may have been lucky to make it to halftime with 10 men after All Whites defender Aaron Scott suffered a kick to the neck near the benches, with Fijian referee Rakesh Varman opting to show a yellow card.
Waitakere warmed into their work in the second spell, hitting the woodwork twice and being denied in a couple of one-on-one opportunities. But - much to the elation of the Tahitian side and their supporters - they were unable to find the breakthrough and ceded early advantage to Auckland.
