Soccer: Fourth playoff spot up-for-grabs

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The top of the national soccer league table has a familiar look to it but the chase for the final play-off spot in remains wide open with four teams separated by just three points.

With four rounds to play, wins this weekend for Auckland City and Waitakere have all but cemented their play-off positions for another season, while Wellington - despite losing 2-1 to Waitakere yesterday - also have a healthy seven-point gap between themselves and fourth place.

But battle for the final play-off spot is far from over.

Waikato - fourth going into their match with Auckland - dropped to sixth after a 5-1 thrashing.

Hawke's Bay rose to fourth place after a 0-0 draw in Dunedin with seventh placed Otago United.

Canterbury United climed to fifth after breaking a seven-match winless drought after beating Manawatu 3-2 at Palmerston North.

Waitakere dealt Wellington's minor premiership aspirations a blow with a 2-1 win in the capital.

Fiji international Roy Krishna opened the scoring inn the 31st minute and then turned provider when he crossed for Dakota Lucas to score in the 65th.

Wellington struck back when Wiremu Patrick fired home a brilliant long range shot with a minute left to play. The home side nearly scored an equaliser from an unlikely source when goalkeeper Phil Imray went close deep into time added on.

Auckland City showed no mercy as they dismantled Waikato 5-1.

All Whites midfielder David Mulligan opened the scoring with a freekick to give Auckland a 1-0 halftime lead. Daniel Koprivcic scored a quick-fire double just after halftime to make it 3-0 before Stu Kelly added a fourth on 68 minutes.

Jason Hicks scored a consolation goal for Waikato seven minutes before the end but Auckland had the final say when Andrew Milne scored his second goal of the season to complete the 5-1 rout.

Manawatu trailed Canterbury United 2-0 at halftime thanks to goals by defenders Dan Terris and Gareth Rowe.

Canterbury's Russell Kamo appeared to put the game beyond Manawatu's reach when he added a third just five minutes into the second half.

But a late rally by Manawatu saw Nobu Ishi score twice in a 15-minute spell in the second-half to set up a nerve-wracking end to a match that saw three players booked by referee Campbell-Kirk Waugh.

In Dunedin, Andy Coburn made his 100th ASB Premiership appearance for Otago United as they drew 0-0 with Hawke's Bay United, a result that keeps the seventh placed southerners in touch with the chasing pack.

- NZPA