Soccer: Dunedin hand City repeat hiding

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Waitakere City will be glad to see the back of coach Roger Brooks and his Dunedin Technical soccer team. They are not too keen on Aaron Burgess either.

Beaten 4-0 by the southerners in last year's Chatham Cup final at North Harbour Stadium, City flew south yesterday and smack into a Burgess goal-scoring blitz.

Burgess scored five in Tech's 6-2 win as they surged into third place on the Ansett national club championship points table and pushed Waitakere back to fourth.

Mads Svenstrup scored for the home side after 17 minutes. On halftime Burgess got his first, then added another couple before Paul Stephens got one back for City in the 69th minute.

Burgess replied with two more for 6-1 before Tim Stevens slotted a late penalty.

Facing Napier away and Central at home will not be an easy run-in for City, who at least will have Ryan Dawkins back to plug some holes in an obviously leaky defence.

Leaders University/Mt Wellington scored a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Miramar at Bill McKinlay Park, Panmure.

Craig Candy needed under four minutes to open the scoring when he punished a square University/Mt Wellington defence with an easy goal.

It was not until the 34th minute that the home side equalised, when the Miramar defence stood flatfooted as Michael Buhagiar raced on to a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area, spotted goalkeeper Angus Campbell off his line and was unchallenged in hitting home.

Ten minutes later, and just three minutes after he had replaced the injured Leigh Kenyon, Sean Armstrong deftly touched a good ball down for Jeff Campbell, who capped a fine move with a well-taken goal.

Seven minutes into the second spell Nick Hyde and Billy Harris - who had a strong game - played a one-two before Harris fired in a dangerous cross. In his attempt to clear, Nic Longley succeeded only in steering the ball away from Campbell and into his own goal.

The home side went in search of a fourth goal - and a bonus point - but inspirational goalkeeping and some wayward finishing put paid to that.

Miramar substitute Curtis Bernard had a couple of chances, but Simon Eady pulled off a superb reflex save to deny him.

Noah Hickey had a solid game for Central as they held on for a 1-1 draw with Christchurch City at Kiwitea St, Sandringham.

Miro Major opened the scoring in the 25th minute after his shot took a wicked deflection en-route to the back of the City goal.

Gerard Brown got the visitors back on terms in the 58th minute after a well-worked move when he drew goalkeeper Ross Nicholson and beat Michael Ridenton's despairing effort.

Central probably cost themselves victory with some questionable substitutions, including leaving on a struggling Fred de Jong for 90 minutes.

In other games, Napier beat Manawatu 3-0 to consolidate second place and Nelson beat Metro 4-3 to keep their playoff hopes alive and further add to Metro's woes.