KEY POINTS:
Waitakere United were the only top-five team to take maximum points in a tight New Zealand Football Championship seventh round but their 4-0 home win over hapless Otago United did little to suggest they are poised to charge to the top of the table.
They ended the day
four points behind leaders Auckland City, who picked up a point at Newtown Park in drawing their top-of-the-table clash - 1-1 - with Team Wellington.
The Stu Jacobs-coached Wellingtonians hold second and have the chance to storm back to the top on Sunday when they play their catch-up game with Waitakere.
Hawkes Bay United and Waikato FC also stumbled in their efforts to show out as the favourite for the fourth play-off spot when they too ended 1-1 at Waikato Stadium.
YoungHeart Manawatu finally picked up their second win of the season when they held on to beat winless Canterbury United 3-2 in Palmerston North yesterday.
Otago's intentions were obvious from the outset at Fred Taylor Park. In getting 10, sometimes 11, players behind the ball, the southerners tossed a "come and get us" challenge at Waitakere. For 65 minutes the home side appeared bereft of ideas of how to unlock the resolute defensive plan player-coach Terry Phelan had brought north.
This was a game of the passive variety. Rookie referee James Thian had an armchair ride. He did not have to reach for his cards as there was rarely a tackle in anger.
Otago's reticence on attack was underlined in their failure to force a corner.
In holding out for 65 minutes - and with their cause not helped when Phelan, 40, was forced off with a groin injury in the 59th minute - Otago had the satisfaction of a mission at least half-accomplished.
Once the deadlock was broken, when Commins Menapi scored after good work from Chris Bale and Graham Pearce, there was no holding back.
Menapi added a second - a peach - eight minutes later, substitute Jake Butler the third and, a minute into stoppage time, Daniel Koprivcic, another from the bench, the fourth.
"I don't think they were worth four goals," said Phelan. "When one player [Phelan] comes off it should not make such a difference to a side." It did.
Waitakere coach Chris Milicich had fired the first shots in the verbal war in saying "They were the most negative side I've ever seen", referring to their five-man defence and four in midfield. We could not get round them or over them so we had to be a bit clever. When we saw the way, we got through."
In Wellington, Auckland City forced the pace for much of the game but needed a 51st-minute equaliser from Eliezer Anello to earn a point after Wiremu Patrick had given Wellington their 16th-minute lead.
A missed Keryn Jordan penalty at the end of the first half could have been costly for City.
"It's the sort of point that wins leagues," said Jacobs. That and more of what they have shown thus far in going six games unbeaten.
Waikato, too, had to come from behind to salvage a point against Hawkes Bay, who went ahead after 19 minutes through Greig Henslee.
That point was a heart-stopping 88th minute Robert Gill penalty - his fifth from the spot this season.
Apart from Sunday's catch-up, the NZFC now takes a break until January 5-6.