Soccer: Pritchett is Waitakere's nemesis

James Pritchett was supposed to have been in Vietnam with the New Zealand A team, and the Waitakere United players and coaching staff were yesterday wishing he was.

A last-minute withdrawal from the New Zealand A touring party through injury, Pritchett recovered sufficiently during the week to take his place in the Auckland City starting line-up for the key New Zealand Football Championship derby with United at Trusts Stadium.

In a game which had 0-0 written all over it as the minutes ticked down, Pritchett provided the spark that broke the deadlock and set up City's 1-0 away win to continue United's misery.

Left free to run, Pritchett turned defence into attack, charged for 60 unchallenged metres, found substitute Bryan Little with a snaking pass and then watched in delight as Little's ball to the far post was met by a rampant Grant Young, who thumped home the game-breaking winner.

It was City's eighth straight win over their neighbours and left the two sides locked in second place, three points behind leaders YoungHeart Manawatu after four rounds.

City, making good use of a strong wind behind them in the first half, had three good chances - two to Keryn Jordan and from a Dean Gordon freekick - to grab the initiative but were denied each time by super Michael Utting saves.

The second half was more balanced, with the home side having their chance with the wind.

Daniel Koprivcic chased deep to set up Sam Jasper but he blasted over from close range; Hoani Edwards snapped a shot which City goalkeeper Ross Nicholson blocked for a corner; Commins Menapi, like Allan Pearce, introduced from the bench in the second half, played a good ball to Danny Hay but the big defender, who got forward unchallenged, was just wide with his effort.

The came the counterattack and joy for the visitors.

"We are trying to impose our game on teams we play against," said City coach Roger Wilkinson. "The spirit is very good within the squad.

"We played some good football, but as I have said all along, this championship will come down to the last man standing. It is going to be a battle."

As Manawatu found out on Saturday.

After cruising through their first three games and collecting maximum points, they went to Napier and needed to come back from a goal down to grab a 1-1 draw with a decimated Hawkes Bay United side to end the round as the only unbeaten team.

Team Wellington stormed into the top four with a crushing 5-0 away win over Waikato FC after leading 2-0 at the break.

While Graham Little has yet to figure on Wellington's goal-scoring chart, he played a man of the match role for the visitors as they emphatically erased memories of last season's 6-0 defeat by Waikato.

Peter Halstead headed home in the sixth and 88th minutes and substitute David Batty also grabbed two after Michael Wilson had given them their 2-0 halftime lead.

In a minor upset, Otago United won the Mainland battle, beating Canterbury United 2-1.

Golden boot

4 Benjamin Totori (YoungHeart Manawatu)

3 Peter Halstead (Team Wellington), Grant Young (Auckland City)

2 David Batty (Team Wellington), Jindrich Hahn (Otago United), Keryn Jordan (Auckland City), Ross Mckenzie (Auckland City), Paul Seaman (Auckland City)