KEY POINTS:
Auckland City and Team Wellington are unbeaten after two rounds of the New Zealand Football Championship while at the other end of the table, YoungHeart Manawatu are the only team without a point.
After their first-up stumble at home, Waitakere United got their season back on track with
a 1-0 away win over Waikato FC to end the round as one of three teams on three points.
The only goal of the match at Waikato Stadium came in the seventh minute when Commins Menapi, who missed the opening game through suspension, pounced on the rebound after Waikato goalkeeper Dan Robinson blocked an initial shot on the run from Benjamin Totori.
The visitors dominated the first half, with captain Danny Hay just wide with a header from a corner, Totori having a goal disallowed for offside, Menapi stabbing wide from close range and Robinson denying Allan Pearce with a brilliant save.
The second half was more of the same, with Waitakere creating the chances but failing to take them.
At the other end, United goalkeeper Simon Eaddy had little to do until the 85th minute when he covered a shot from Stu Watene after a great run by Welshman Dale Williams.
"Some days the goals go flying in, some days they don't," said Waitakere coach Chris Milicich. "When we go forward, we are difficult to stop.
"It would have been a travesty if that match had been drawn. Every match we have played we have moved up a step. Today I thought we went up another two steps."
Auckland City were never going to lose to Hawkes Bay on Saturday but they were made to work hard, particularly in the first half when the visitors promised plenty but failed to produce the final touch.
Hawkes Bay strikers Jarrod Smith, Jeremy Brockie and Sam Messam posed problems for the City defence but without success.
The first 45 minutes, allowed to flow by Michael Hester (the third referee assigned to the game), produced some enterprising football but no goals.
Nine minutes into the second half the deadlock was broken when a leaden-footed Bay defence allowed Grant Young to get low and head home after a City corner was not cleared.
Nineteen minutes later Keryn Jordan, in his first outing of the season, made it safe when he volleyed home a good ball played square by Young.
Chad Coombes, continuing from where he left off against AS Manu Ura on the same ground two weeks earlier, was again everywhere but could not cap another sound effort by scoring when, with only goalkeeper Mitch O'Brien to beat, he chipped over the goal.
"I think it was a good performance from us in the end," said City coach Colin Tuaa.
"But Hawkes Bay put up a fight in the first half. I said at halftime that we had to be patient and the goals would come."
Bay coach Jonathan Gould was disappointed his team could not match their first-up win.
"They [the South African duo of Young and Jordan] are well-polished and took their chances well. For us, we knew we needed an early goal to have a chance in a difficult away game like this."
YoungHeart Manawatu, looking to bounce back from their first round home loss to Auckland City stunned Team Wellington and their supporters at Newtown Park when Dominic Rowe scored after seven minutes.
The home side equalised in the 24th minute when Graham Little scored from a corner after Manawatu goalkeeper Michael Utting had pulled off a fantastic save. He needed another two minutes later to deny Raf de Gregorio.
Daniel Ellensohn, unmarked at the far post, slotted easily to give the home side a 2-1 halftime lead and completed the scoring 10 minutes from time when he rounded Utting to score into an empty net.
The all-South Island affair at Carisbrook ended scoreless, with Otago United and Canterbury United picking up their first point of the season.