Otago Clinch Play-Off Spot After Drama-Filled Round
Story by Jeremy Ruane

The league lead changed hands twice, two losing teams bottled two-goal leads before the final whistle, and Otago United clinch a play-off spot - it all points to another dramatic weekend’s action in the NZ Community Trust Football Championship.

Auckland took the overnight lead in the competition after trouncing hapless Hawkes Bay United 6-0 at Kiwitea Street on Saturday, the first match in the league’s third-to-last round of action. It took City thirteen minutes to establish an advantage on the scoreboard, but once Liam Mulrooney had stabbed home Reg Davani’s cross, there was only ever going to be one winner.

And so it proved, with Grant Young doubling Auckland’s lead when heading home a Mulrooney cross in the 26th minute. The South African hit the crossbar in the second spell before countryman Keryn Jordan joined him in the attack for the final twenty minutes of the match, during which City struck four times in ten minutes.

Jonathan Smith, after many attempts, finally found his range when heading home a Neil Sykes corner from six yards, before substitute Chad Coombes struck twice in three minutes, the first a reward for following up after Young had again hit the crossbar.

Sykes made it six in stoppage time to complete Auckland’s most emphatic victory of the season to date, one recorded at the expense of a Hawkes Bay combination who can’t wait for their hellish campaign to conclude.

That result left Manawatu needing three points to go into next week’s top-of-the-table clash in first place. They got them, but only via the circuitous route, for Waitakere stormed to a 2-0 lead inside the first twenty-two minutes at Arena Manawatu, courtesy George Suri and Shannon Cole.

But as been the case far too often for coach Steve Cain’s liking this season, the West Aucklanders contrived to bottle their advantage, with Commins Menapi’s 63rd minute strike halving the deficit.

Two goals in the last seven minutes put paid to Waitakere’s hopes of holding onto their advantage, Campbell Banks levelling matters before Menapi’s sixteenth goal of the season, two minutes from time, clinched the Younghearts’ 3-2 come-from-behind win.

Waitakere were in good company in this round, with Canterbury United also bottling a two-goal lead in losing 3-2 at home to Team Wellington. New recruit Jeremy Brockie wasted little time in making his mark on returning to NZFC action, scoring inside the first minute to put Canterbury on their way to what many expected would be a solid win against one of the league’s most porous defences.

Daniel Terris’ goal just before the half-hour mark further strengthened those who had Home Win on their TAB ticket, with Bryan Little’s 34th minute strike for the visitors giving said ticket-holders little cause for concern at this point.

Karl Whalen’s equalising strike eight minutes into the second half had the Canterbury faithful twitching nervously, however, and they were willing the final whistle to blow when Graham Little pulled the trigger three minutes into injury time to score the goal which completed a remarkable come-from-behind triumph for Team Wellington, on a day when Capital Soccer’s National Youth League squad retained their title.

While it was a good day all round for the Wellingtonians, Otago United were delighted with the way other results favoured them, because their 2-0 win at Waikato FC has secured the southerners a play-offs berth.

Goals in each half from Andy Coburn and Blair Scoullar - a penalty - proved suffice to make the southerners’ return home from Rotorua a trip to savour, and leave last year’s play-off surprise packets needing a miracle if they are to repeat the dose in 2006.

Next weekend‘s penultimate round of the competition is headlined by one fixture in particular, as Auckland host Manawatu in the top-of-the-table clash at Kiwitea Street on Saturday from 4pm.

At the same time, Waikato take on Hawkes Bay at Park Island, while on the Sabbath, 3pm kick-offs are the way of life in Dunedin and Henderson, as Otago host Canterbury and Waitakere entertain Wellington in a match vital to both teams’ play-off prospects.

Details:
Auckland City 6 (L. Mulrooney (13), G. Young (26), J. Smith (80), C. Coombes (87, 89), N. Sykes (90)), Hawkes Bay United 0 HT 2-0

Canterbury United 2 (J. Brockie (1), D. Terris (27)), Team Wellington 3 (B. Little (34), K. Whalen (53), G. Little (90)) HT 2-1

Waikato FC 0, Otago United 2 (A. Coburn (16), B. Scoullar (80 pen)) HT 0-1

Youngheart Manawatu 3 (C. Menapi (63, 88), C. Banks (83)), Waitakere United 2 (G. Suri (4), S. Cole (22)) HT 0-2

P W D L F A GD Pts
Youngheart Manawatu 19 13 4 2 46 25 +21 43
Auckland City 19 14 0 5 59 26 +33 42
Canterbury United 19 11 2 6 32 21 +11 35
Otago United 19 7 6 6 25 20 +5 27
Waitakere United 19 6 4 9 36 35 +1 22
Team Wellington 19 6 4 9 35 50 -15 22
Waikato FC 19 5 4 10 26 40 -14 19
Hawkes Bay United 19 1 2 16 13 55 -42 5