Soccer: Auckland, Wellington tighten grip on playoffs

Aaron McFarland (left) and Ramon Tribulietx, co-coaches of NZ Football Championship team Auckland City FC. Photo / Natalie Slade

Narrow wins for Team Wellington and Auckland City yesterday have gone a long way to securing them top three finishes and kept runaway leaders Waitakere United just in their sights.

Team Wellington got home 3-2 over YoungHeart Manawatu in Palmerston North with Jason Hayne closing the gap in stoppage time with his second penalty in the last 15 minutes after Wellington had led 2-0 after half an hour with goals from George Barbarouses and Hicham Kamri.

Hayne closed the gap with his first spot kick before Darren Cheriton re-established the visitor's two-goal lead 10 minutes from time.

At Christchurch's Linfield Park, Auckland City and Canterbury United both finished with 10 players after Joe Murray was sent off in the 40th minute and City's Manuel Exposito in the 47th after receiving his first yellow card a minute before the break.

City co-coach Aaron McFarland was far from happy with the second booking when the Spaniard, in his first game for the club, was ruled to have handled the ball while on attack.

"The ball came up and hit him, there was no intent," said McFarland. "It's just not on."

While Exposito will miss Sunday's crucial fixture with Waitakere, McFarland is confident he has the depth needed.

"Overall we are happy with the result. Canterbury denied us a place in last season's final so it was good to win. That's three in a row. We have some momentum and in Ivan [Vicelich] and Angel Berlanga we have a very good centre-back pairing who have now had three games together."

Aaron Clapham opened the scoring for the home side with a 10th-minute penalty after Russell Kamo had been brought down.

Stu Kelly got City back to 1-1 with the final touch from a goalmouth scramble after a David Mulligan freekick in the 23rd minute.

Daniel Kopricvic scored the 36th minute winner with a good solo effort.

Waitakere warmed-up for next Sunday's showdown with a record-breaking 3-1 win over Otago United at Fred Taylor Park on Saturday.

They needed just a minute to open the scoring when golden boot leader Allan Pearce deceived Otago goalkeeper Adam Highfield from a corner. Waitakere gave up that lead when their defence was caught pushing forward, allowing Phil Ruggles to claim the 13th-minute equaliser.

Mike Gwyther put Waitakere back in front in the 58th minute and then set up coach Neil Emblen for his stoppage time goal to ensure an eighth straight ASB Premiership victory - one more than the record previously shared by four teams.

A late Milos Nikolic goal was enough for Waikato FC to beat Hawkes Bay United 1-0 in Hamilton and get them into the fourth play-off spot pushing Canterbury and Hawkes Bay, temporarily at least, out of contention.