KEY POINTS:
It's again game on in the New Zealand Football Championship.
Front-runners Auckland City, stunned 2-0 away by Hawkes Bay yesterday, have seen their lead cut to three points over Waitakere United, who have a game in hand and a healthy goal-difference advantage.
City led the possession and territory stakes but failed to turn that into goals against a plucky Bay side who ran themselves to a standstill to claim their sixth win of the season.
Fifteen minutes into the match Greig Henslee won possession in midfield. He linked with Graham Fyfe, who found Ian Hogg, whose cross was well-met by David Geary, who nodded past Ross Nicholson in the City goal.
Veteran Leon Birnie made certain of the points with his goal two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the match.
Waitakere, stung by the late departure of captain Danny Hay with a slight hamstring strain, and the dismissal of Hoani Edwards in the 69th minute, still hung tough to take a 2-0 win over a battling Waikato FC in difficult conditions at North Harbour Stadium's outer oval.
The visitors, too, finished the match a player short.
In a weekend when all teams were hampered by the loss of players to the Olympic qualifiers in Fiji, some players took the chance to shine.
Chris Bale, not afraid to shoot on sight from long range, gave Waitakere their 40th minute lead with a well-angled strike which took a slight deflection.
In stoppage time before the break, Neil Emblen headed across the Waikato goal and a defender succeeded only in heading the ball into his own goal.
There was plenty for the Canterbury United players to celebrate at English Park yesterday.
After a season from hell, and with just two draws in their first 15 outings, they finally broke through for their first win.
Rhodri Payne set one up and scored the other as they rewarded their dwindling band of fans with a 2-0 victory over Otago United in the battle of the south.
A Payne freekick took a Gareth Turnbull deflection to give the hosts the lead. Ahead by that goal at the break, Payne sealed it in the second spell with a direct strike from another set play.
YoungHeart Manawatu's defensive woes were again exposed as visiting Team Wellington helped themselves to four in getting home 4-0 to keep their Auckland rivals in sight.
Handicapped from the 17th minute when Trent Watson was sent off, the home side battled gallantly and went to the break only a goal down after Graham Little scored from the spot in the 45th minute, after a ruling that Prince Quansah had handled.
The advantage of the extra player told in the second spell as Rupert Ryan headed home for 2-0 and Luis Corrales added another two in the 67th and 90th minutes.
