Soccer: Waitakere's hopes slip away

Waitakere United's New Zealand Football Championship hopes disappeared at Newtown Park yesterday.

In the dying seconds of the only game of the weekend, Team Wellington substitutes Dan Keat and Michael Fifii combined for a dramatic 4-3 win.

Waitakere ended the day still in second place on the same points as leaders Auckland City, but with three games in hand and an infinitely better goal difference, City can switch to cruise mode and still scoop the goodies.

A day earlier in their O-League game, away to Tahiti's AS Manu Ura, City consolidated their group A lead over Waitakere with a 2-0 win through second-half Ian Hogg and Daniel Kopricvic goals.

Waitakere headed south yesterday. All Whites defender Aaron Scott was left on the bench, but otherwise coach Neil Emblen pitched his best into action.

When Roy Krishna opened the scoring, providing the final touch to a 17th minute corner, the visitors were jubilant.

But not for long. A botched clearance from goalkeeper Dan Robinson handed a simple tap-in opportunity to Greg Draper. Four minutes later it got worse as Robinson scored an own-goal in attempting to clear Andy Barron's corner.

Eight minutes into the second half, United's Brent Fisher provided the lead-up and Allan Pearce the finish for 2-2. Twelve minutes later captain Jake Butler pounded home from close range to give Waitakere their 3-2 lead.

But the hosts were not done with.

With his first touch after coming on in the 80th minute, Darren Cheriton locked it up 3-3.

The final say, in the third minute of added time, was with Fifii who, in the same spectacular manner Eugene Dadi had scored for the Wellington Phoenix, launched himself into an overhead kick to meet Keat's cross and snatch the stunning winner.

The loss capped a bad weekend for the West Auckland club.

Their previously unbeaten youth side went down to Brian Turner's Auckland Manukau 3-1 away after United had taken the lead inside five minutes.