Soccer: Upset gifts Kiwi side top spot in playoffs

New Zealand's hopes of an all-Kiwi final in the Oceania Club Championships are still alive after a dramatic last day of pool play yesterday.

YoungHeart Manawatu looked set to bow out until Benjamin Totori earned his side a 3-3 draw with Vanuatu's Tafea FC with a last-minute equaliser in the early game at Bill McKinlay Park.

In the late game Fiji's Nokia Eagles, who were set to top group B, were upset by New Caledonia's AS Magenta who went into the game without a point or a goal from their two earlier matches.

Albert Kaqea's 84th minute goal relegated Nokia Eagles to second place and the early Friday semifinal with Auckland City.

Tafea were sitting pretty on four points but in the end lost out on goal differnece to the Fijians who were nowhere near as impressive in last night's cold conditions as they had been in taking a draw (against Manawatu) and a win (over Tafea) in their earlier games.

YoungHeart Manawatu will play AS Pirae (Tahiti) in the late game.

Auckland City booked their place in the last four as top qualifier from pool A with their 1-0 win over Pirae at North Harbour Stadiums outer oval.

That victory came at cost however as both teams finished with nine men and will be without those players for Friday's semifinals.

Initially it seemed City would meet Vanuatu representative Tafea in the semifinals when they led Manawatu 3-0 with 32 minutes to play.

But in bouncing back to snatch a point, Manawatu dashed Tafea's hopes of qualifying.

It was a case of deja vu for City in making it three straight in pool play. Pirae ended City's hopes with a 1-0 win in second round action in Papeete two years ago.

In yesterday's match City held the upper hand for much of the game but did not convert until the 85th minute when Graham Little tapped in from a goalmouth melee when the defence failed to clear a freekick.

Minutes earlier Little had been left with a bloodied nose after a clash with Area Resopawiro which resulted in the Tahitian being sent off.

He followed team-mate Heirani Bennett to the showers after Bennett had been red-carded for a studs-up tackle on Matt Cuneen.

The showers were busy long before the game ended as City's Paul Vodanovich was sent packing in the 35th minute when, as the last defender, he brought a player down.

Eleven minutes from time Chad Coombes too received his marching orders when he deliberately handled on the line.

Had Jose Hmae scored the resultant penalty, the visitors would have taken a crucial advantage but from the spot he succeeded only in pumping the ball over the top of Ross Nicholson's goal.

Against Manawatu Hubert Nake put Tafea ahead after 24 minutes.

Two quick goals after the break further stymied Manawatu hopes.

Etienne Mermer scored from a freekick two minutes into the second half. Nake added his second two minutes later.

Down, but not out, Manawatu struck back with Commins Menapi scoring in the 58th minute, Ian Robinson in the 72nd and Totori with time all but up.

In the earlier game Marist (Solomon Islands) beat PNG's Sobou 7-1.