KEY POINTS:
The biggest cheer at Trusts Stadium yesterday was not for Roy Krishna's match-sealing third goal in Waitakere United's 3-0 win over YoungHeart Manawatu but for the ground announcement that Canterbury United had gone 2-1 ahead of Auckland City.
The rivalry between the Auckland clubs is as keen as ever but in sneaking a point ahead of City - and with two games in hand - the Waitakere faithful can sit down to Christmas dinner with some hope as they chase repeat New Zealand Football Championship titles.
A new challenger has emerged though with Waikato FC a surprise leader following yesterday's 2-0 win over Team Wellington in Ngaruawahia. With the top seven teams now separated by just four points there promises to be plenty of nail biting before the champion is found.
Waitakere do hold the advantage however. They have yet to lose, dropping points only in the uninspiring 1-1 draw with Canterbury in their last NZFC outing at the same ground three weeks earlier.
Canterbury showed that result was no fluke in coming back from 0-1 after 17 minutes when Keryn Jordan headed into an empty goal after Andy Pitman had headed the ball back across his own goal.
The equaliser came 57 minutes later with a well-taken goal from Tom Lancaster after Jamie Smith had headed the ball down.
Five minutes on Gareth Turnbull's 80th-minute strike - from a freekick after City skipper Ivan Vicelich had bundled Ryan Faichnie over on the edge of the penalty area - completed the fairytale.
Further south Otago United struck first against Hawkes Bay with Stu Kelly scoring after 25 minutes against the run of play.
The second half was all the Bay's. Che Bunce lobbed home the 60th-minute equaliser and Graham Fyfe was twice successful from the spot after referee Nick Waldron apparently ruled a hand ball and then against John Chisholm's challenge which also earned him his marching orders.
The buzz word in Ngaruawahia was Rojas - Marco Rojas, the Waikato FC youngster in his first NZFC start.
In a scintillating display, Rojas set up the first goal - scored in the shadow of the halftime break by Shaun van Rooyen who headed home a Stu Hogg cross - and scored the second in the 68th minute to seal it and leave Team Wellington lamenting their third loss of the season which leaves them with all teams bar Otago ahead of them on the points table.
But in the form they showed yesterday, Waitakere will be in the frame for a long time with Benjamin Totori's return to his sizzling best the biggest plus for coach Chris Milicich.
After earlier near misses and the failure to convert any of five corners in the opening 23 minutes, the home side went ahead after 40 minutes when the ever-likely Krishna turned his marker before finding Daniel Kopricvic on the edge of the penalty area from where he thumped the ball home.
Totori set up the second seven minutes after the break when, from another great run on the flank, he played the ball in to Paul Seaman who hit it on to the underside of the crossbar and across the line. Krishna deservedly got the last.
Next up, at home for Waitakere, are a hurting Team Wellington in what could still be the match of the eighth round on January 10-11.
