KEY POINTS:
Before a ball was kicked in the fourth New Zealand Football Championship, the odds-makers touted Auckland City, Waitakere United, YoungHeart Manawatu and Canterbury United as their top four tips.
In a highly-entertaining opening round - in which the away teams all won - only City delivered.
The other
three among the four came up empty in a round which produced 13 goals but even more yellow cards.
Hawkes Bay United produced the most stunning result, thumping Canterbury United 3-1 at English Park.
Auckland City, led by a Bryan Little hat-trick, beat Manawatu by the same score in Palmerston North while on Saturday Peter Halstead headed home late in the game at Fred Taylor Park to earn Team Wellington their 2-1 win over Waitakere United and Waikato savoured their trip to Carisbrook, beating Otago United 2-0. Little gave City the lead when he scored in the 28th minute.
The home side got back to 1-1 early in the second half when Gouzalo Nieres scored a retaken penalty.
Hometown joy was short-lived as Little lifted a freekick over the wall for 2-1 and completed his hat-trick five minutes from time.
Manawatu played the last seven minutes a player short after referee Jamie Cross, who had booked the home team's captain Ian Robinson after just four minutes and took his tally to six by the end of the game, sent Nieres off for a second booking.
New Zealand's top referee Peter O'Leary also flashed the yellow cards issuing the first, of four, after seven minutes at English Park.
Dave Walker gave Canterbury United the lead just before the break. That was their lot as the visitors, through Jeremy Brockie, Sam Massam and Leon Birnie, scored three in 17 minutes to snatch an unexpected but richly-deserved victory.
It was much the same story as Waitakere opened their campaign at a game in which referee Michael Hester booked five players.
Former Waitakere striker Daniel Ellensohn was handed the match-opening goal after 20 minutes when Matt Cuneen botched a clearance.
Allan Pearce got the home side back to 1-1 when he volleyed home in the 63rd minute. Halstead, unchallenged by Cuneen, grabbed the decisive late goal from a corner.
Waikato FC made light of the trip south to score a goal in each half to beat Otago in a game in which Auckland referee Kevin Stoltenkamp kept his cards in his pocket.
Robert Gill, a new signing, scored a 30th minute penalty.
A minute after the home side had muffed a good chance to equalise, Jakub Sinkora sealed it for Waikato with his 88th minute strike.