Soccer: End-of-season decider looms for derby foes

City goalkeeper Jacob Spoonley punches the ball away from United's Benji Totori (No 9), Neil Emblen (No 16) and Craig Wylie (No 15). Photo / Paul Estcourt

March 27 is a long way off, but this is shaping up as D-Day for Auckland City and Waitakere United in their bid for a return trip to Fifa's Club World Cup.

Saturday's 1-1 draw between Oceania club soccer's two top-performing clubs did little to sort out the group-A winner leaving the Kiwitea St clash in four months as the likely decider.

Only a stumble by the two Auckland teams in games against AS Magenta and AS Manu Ura will prevent the end-of-season clash from being a must-win game for United, while City could get through to the play-off against the group B winner with a draw.

Waitakere coach Neil Emblen, reflecting on what might have been after his team's come-from-behind draw at Fred Taylor Park, is resigned to having to win away if his team is to get another crack at the Club World Cup.

"I'm disappointed we did not get all three points," said Emblen after his team had turned in a dominant second-half effort against the group leaders. Benji Totori, getting back to his best form, provided the telling final pass for Brent Fisher to score the 42nd minute equaliser after Aaron Scott won possession and played a good ball in to Totori, whose pass was well-met by Fisher who scored from close range. Fisher has scored a goal in each of three O-League outings this season. He now trails golden boot leader Daniel Kopricvic by just one goal. City's Kopricvic was replaced by Keryn Jordan after 72 minutes.

Earlier Auckland City's Chad Coombes stunned the home supporters in the decent-sized crowd with a 25m rocket which gave Danny Robinson nothing to do but pick the ball out of his net.

Robinson, who bounced back from a potentially serious knee injury a week earlier in the NZFC clash between the two sides, did, however, pull off a couple of match-saving efforts to deny Ivan Vicelich and, late in the game, Coombes.

City coach Paul Posa was happy to get through without injury as he and his players contemplate today's trek to the United Arab Emirates where they will play a warm-up game in Dubai (Friday NZT) before moving to Abu Dhabi for the Club World Cup.

In the other group-A match Tahitian champions Manu Ura drew their home match with New Caledonia's Magenta 1-1.