Title Race Flung Wide Open As City Slump Again
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Youngheart Manawatu have taken a one-point lead at the top of the NZ Community Trust Football Championship standings with four rounds remaining, after downing Team Wellington 3-1 while reigning champions Auckland City stumbled again, this time suffering a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Otago United.

Manawatu opened the scoring at Newtown Park through Commins Menapi’s twelfth minute effort, but Wiremu Patrick levelled matters for the home team six minutes later, following in to punish Hayden Englefield’s inability to hold onto a David Johnston shot.

The second spell swung the visitors’ way just before the hour mark, when Benjamin Totori, fresh from his five-goal haul a week ago, set off on a solo run from half-way before scything into the Wellington penalty area and playing a one-two before lashing home from twelve yards.

After Wellington’s Steven Gulley had been sent off with ten minutes to go, Totori struck again five minutes from time to seal the points and top place for Manawatu, who now lead Auckland by a point, with Canterbury United three points behind the new league leaders.

Auckland’s indifferent February form continued, Ross Nicholson the busier of the two goalkeepers in a match which saw few shots on target. The All Whites’ squad member was called into action by Brad Scott straight from the kick-off as Otago began brightly, and denied the striker, Michael Eisenhut and Croydon Wheeler in quick succession before the break.

Lutz Pfannenstiel was less active, but earned his keep when called upon. After tipping a Grant Young effort against the crossbar late in the first spell, he raced off his line to thwart Paul Urlovic on the hour, then looked on as Young, who was fresh off the plane from South Africa, found the side-netting after evading the ‘keeper’s clutches.

Sixteen minutes from time, Francesco Caruso secured three precious points for Otago, who hadn’t won since the sixth round. They did today, though, the American’s scrambled effort separating the sides on the scoreboard come the final whistle of a match in which Nicholson thwarted the goalscorer soon after his match-winning strike.

Canterbury took full advantage of Auckland’s latest stumble, closing to within two points of the title-holders with a rock-solid 3-0 win at Hawkes Bay United, who were first to score in this match, only for the offside flag to deny Sam Jenkins, who had also hit the post prior to this effort.

These efforts aside, the visitors had made the majority of the play, with Michael White hitting the crossbar, and seeing Martin Akers clear another effort off the line. The pressure eventually told, however, and four minutes before the interval, Brent Fisher potted a penalty to put the Cantabrians in front.

The All White extended his team’s advantage just after the hour mark when prodding home from close-range, while in the 69th minute, Glen Collins wrapped up the scoring, much to the chagrin of Mitchell O’Brien, one of only ten Hawkes Bay players on the park come the final whistle, an injury to Nathan Holten reducing their numbers after all three substitutes had been called upon.

If you arrived late at Trusts Stadium - not beyond the realms of possibility given Auckland’s traffic issues! - you’d have missed all the fun as Waikato FC overcame Waitakere United 2-1, a match in which all the goals came inside the first eight minutes.

Indeed, just twenty-seven seconds into the game, the visitors opened the scoring when Simon Eaddy parried a Jakub Sinkora shot against a retreating defender, off whom the ball cannoned into the net.

Within five minutes, United were level, Daniel Ellensohn taking full advantage of retreating Waikato defenders to pick his spot past Tamati Williams. But a Sinkora free-kick three minutes later restored Waikato’s advantage, and this time they held onto it to keep alive their hopes of making the play-offs.

Next weekend, Otago will look to maintain their new-found winning form at Hawkes Bay, but it’s on the Sabbath when the crunch games involving the top three take place. Auckland and Manawatu are on the road, at Wellington and Waikato respectively, while Canterbury entertain Waitakere at English Park in the only 3pm encounter of the weekend - the other games start an hour later.

Details:
Auckland City 0, Otago United 1 (F. Caruso (74)) HT 0-0

Hawkes Bay United 0, Canterbury United 3 (B. Fisher (41 pen, 61), G. Collins (69)) HT 0-1

Team Wellington 1 (W. Patrick (18)), Youngheart Manawatu 3 (C. Menapi (12), B. Totori (58, 85)) HT 1-1

Waitakere United 1 (D. Ellensohn (5)), Waikato FC 2 (“oggie” (1), J. Sinkora (8)) HT 1-2

P W D L F A GD Pts
Youngheart Manawatu 17 11 4 2 39 20 +19 37
Auckland City 17 12 0 5 49 26 +23 36
Canterbury United 17 11 1 5 29 17 +12 34
Waitakere United 17 6 3 8 33 31 +2 21
Otago United 17 5 6 6 22 20 +2 21
Waikato FC 17 5 4 8 23 34 -11 19
Team Wellington 17 5 4 8 32 44 -12 19
Hawkes Bay United 17 1 2 14 13 48 -35 5