KEY POINTS:
NZFC
Auckland City1
Team Wellington3
At the start of each NZFC season, you could normally pencil in with some certainty Auckland City for one of the playoffs spots. Not anymore.
After a limp performance against Team Wellington yesterday and with three rounds now remaining, the three-time champions are under pressure to make the top three.
And perhaps of more concern for the chieftains of Kiwitea St is the fact they are in even more danger of missing out on one of the two spots in the O-League and its potential riches for the first time in their history. One goes to the winner of the NZFC final while the other goes to the league winners (or runners-up if the same side wins the league and final).
Auckland are now fourth on the NZFC table, behind runaway leaders Waitakere United, Hawke's Bay and YoungHeart Manawatu on goal difference, but they could even fall behind Waikato FC, who travel to Otago United today.
In football parlance, Auckland's trip to Hawke's Bay on Friday is a classic six-pointer.
"It was disappointing," Auckland coach Paul Posa said quietly. "In front of a home crowd, we have to deliver more than that.
"It puts the pressure on for the last three rounds. I'm angry [with the players]... but in a controlled way."
It was appropriate that Abba's Mamma Mia was playing in the background as Posa delivered his assessment. "Here we go again," Sweden's finest sang as the Auckland players went through their stretches in hushed tones.
Historically, City aren't used to losing, certainly not half of their games as they have this season.
To make matters worse, they have now lost three in a row against Wellington, including two at home.
The visitors deserved to take the points yesterday.
They played the more controlled football and the return from injury of former All White Andy Barron provided bite and experience to the middle of the park. He also scored a useful goal with a superb shot from the edge of the box.
Tricky Puerto Rican winger Luis Corrales scored the game's opening goal after an uninspiring first hour. His exquisite side-foot volley while in mid-air looped perfectly into the far corner in the 72nd minute and Barron's second six minutes later left Auckland needing a miracle.
Skipper Ivan Vicelich gave them a glimmer of hope in the 82nd minute with a neat near-post header from a corner but former City winger Bryan Little drilled in a third Wellington goal in injury time to condemn Auckland to a fifth loss this season.
"For me it sums up our squad," Wellington coach Stu Jacobs said in reference to his side turning around a five-goal hiding from Hawke's Bay last weekend. "If we do it right, that's what we can do. It's not like we came here and it was a smash and grab."
