WAITAKERE UNITED 1
AUCKLAND CITY 0
KEY POINTS:
Waitakere United took a giant step towards retaining their New Zealand Football Championship crown with an absorbing home win over long time combatants Auckland City yesterday.
The win, for a team tagged a "band of gypsies" by their chairman Rex Dawkins given their variety of venues in recent times, allowed United to leap to the top of the table on goal difference and with a game in hand over City.
It was a perfect homecoming for Danny Hay and his team. In front of arguably the biggest crowd of the season - around 2000 - Waitakere treated the Trusts Stadium turnout to an emphatic opening 45 minutes.
The second half was, at times, more akin to "all hands to the pump" but in the end they deserved the win which maintained their season-long unbeaten run against City.
Team Wellington can still have a major say in the make-up (and venues) for next month's play-offs following their three-goal second half burst which earned them a 3-0 away win over Hawkes Bay United who are now out of play-off contention.
Wellington have home games against struggling Canterbury and Otago to play before a last-round trip to play City at Kiwitea St by which time Waitakere, with wins over YoungHeart Manawatu (away) and Hawkes Bay - likely to be a return to Trusts Stadium - could have top spot in safekeeping.
From the time Chris Bale intercepted and snapped a shot straight at City goalkeeper Tamati Williams in the opening two minutes, United showed they were ready to step up from last week's pedestrian effort.
The hosts, who had also forced three corners in the opening 10 minutes, went ahead inside 19 when Jonathan Perry - who had another strong game - won the ball in defence. It was quickly played through to Allan Pearce who scampered through the flat City defence which was caught pushing forward before capping the move with a well-taken goal.
Peter O'Leary was still keen to add to his yellow card count which reached six including City captain/defender Ben Sigmund who now faces a couple of weeks on the sideline.
Ki-Hyung Lee tested United goalkeeper Richard Gillespie with a freekick to the top corner but it was Pearce who went closest when, following a carving run from Bale, he fired on to the post from where the ball ricocheted across the face of the City goal.
Chad Coombes blasted one City attempt over and then in the dying seconds of added time, Neil Emblen had to clear off the Waitakere line after a scramble in front of goal threatened to snatch a late point for the visitors.
City were well served by their defensive trio of Perry, Hay and Emblen while Pearce and newcomer Roy Krishna (in his 25 minutes) were constant thorns in the City side. Keryn Jordan continued his remarkable comeback with a full-on 90 minute effort to spearhead the City charge.
A 54th minute Aaron Burgess goal earned Otago a 1-0 home win over Manawatu to almost ensure they don't end up holding the wooden spoon for the second time.
Jaime Smith gave Canterbury the lead after five minutes at Links Ave which Michael Gwyther equalised in the 68th minute.
Waitakere's youngsters beat Team Wellington 5-4 and will meet Canterbury United in the National Youth League final at home.
