KEY POINTS:
Roger Wilkinson has not given up on the New Zealand Football Championship season even though hopes of a top three finish are fading. His Waikato FC team are 12 points out of play-off contention but with a game in hand.
"Anything can happen. We are very much a work in progress," said Wilkinson. "We haven't had the best of luck. Against Auckland City down here we were down 0-2, got back to 2-2 and were then hurt by a referee's call on a penalty.
"Playing them away will not be easy. We have to give them the respect they deserve. We certainly can't take them lightly but at the same time want to play our own game."
Wilkinson's concern in recent outings has been the failure of his players to turn in a full 90 minutes.
"In the last two games we have fallen away in the second half. Against Canterbury we got goals up but did not maintain that momentum."
While Wilkinson has virtually a full squad to call on, Colin Tuaa, his City counterpart, again searches for his best options especially with captain Ben Sigmund and Chad Coombes both sidelined through suspension after the loss to Waitakere United - City's first since March 7, 2007 (to Canterbury United). Tuaa also continues to count a growing injury toll.
Canterbury, a shadow of their past and now with a new coach after Danny Halligan left this week - replaced by former academy coach Korouch Monsef - face another big test on their trip to play Team Wellington in Porirua.
Waitakere will be looking for more of the same from Allan Pearce on their Sunday trip to Palmerston North. Pearce was the workhorse in the breakthrough win over City playing his part in setting up the goal which shot Benjamin Totori to the top of the golden boot standings.
YoungHeart Manawatu, like Canterbury, is but a shadow of the team that was closer to the top of the table than the bottom in seasons past and will find no favours from the leaders.
