KEY POINTS:
With the finish line in sight, the New Zealand Football Championship contenders have hit the speed wobbles.
Favourites Waitakere United and defending champions Auckland City were both dumped 3-0 on Saturday, and yesterday YoungHeart Manawatu got home 2-0 over Waikato FC, but only after the visitors had missed two penalties.
Now, with City's catch-up game to play away to Team Wellington on Wednesday, and the final round of matches on Saturday - all kicking-off at 4pm - the conundrum at the top of the table remains as curly as ever.
After blowing their chance to seal top spot with a win in Napier, Waitakere must now win at home against Otago or, if they lose, hope that Manawatu do not beat a weakened Canterbury away.
Even maximum points on their two trips to the capital will not be enough to get City any higher than third, which leaves them facing an away game in the end-of-season play-off to find the second grand finalist.
A flat City struggled against Canterbury at Kiwitea St.
Even with only 10 men for the last 16 minutes, and nine for the last couple after Joe Murray and Dan Terris had been sent off for second yellow cards, the visitors were untroubled to hold on after a sublime Henry Fa'arodo strike into the top corner after eight minutes. Blair Scoullar added a second 17 minutes later.
The home team woes were compounded three minutes from time when Scoullar feasted on a terrible defensive mix-up, between new signing Sean Douglas and Greg Uhlmann, to pounce and push the ball between substitute goalkeeper Richard Gillespie's legs.
Hawkes Bay, at even longer odds than Canterbury, stunned Waitakere when Chris McIvor headed home after Sam Messam's second-minute shot came back off the crossbar.
Another rebound, from a long-range Jimmy Cudd attempt, handed Messam the chance for 2-0. He took it, and four minutes after the break, in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Michael Utting, slammed the lid at 3-0.
Manawatu were far from impressive in edging past Waikato.
Gustavo Savalegui, starting in place of the suspended Nelson Sale, opened the scoring after 40 minutes with a super solo effort. Ten minutes after the break he assisted in a deft one-two letting Alex Maemae score.
It could have been a lot different had Matt Williams hit home from the spot after 23 minutes. A second penalty awarded by Neil Fox late in the game was blasted over the goal by Michael Mayne.
Both teams ended the match with only 10 players as Team Wellington snatched a late equaliser against Otago United at the Caledonian.
Otago quickly took the lead when Justin Flaws capitalised on a third-minute defensive lapse to give the home side a dream start.
They held that advantage until stoppage time at the end of the match when Matt Adams profited from a mix-up in the Otago defence to score.
Michael Cunningham (Otago) and Kyung Ryang Kim (Wellington) were sent off.
