AUCKLAND REGAIN TOP SPOT IN NZFC

Auckland City returned to the top of the New Zealand Football Championship with a 2-0 win over Waikato FC while Waitakere gave away a two goal lead to Manawatu at FMG Stadium in
Palmerston North.

In the match of the round, Waitakere, fresh from their 2-0 triumph over Auckland last week started strongly and found themselves 2-0 up after 52 minutes with goals to Benjamin
Totori and Daniel Koprivcic respectively.

Uruguayan striker Gouzalo Nieres pegged a goal back for Manawatu after an hour and his second – a penalty for Eaddy’s red-card wrestle with Dominic Rowe as both contested the
ball – set up a dramatic final 15 minutes.

Referee Antony Riley sent off Eaddy, a decision that enraged Waitakere coach Chris Milicich. With defender Darren Bazeley having to fill in between the sticks, a third Manawatu
goal was always a chance and crowd favorite Adam Cowan provided the game winner, three minutes into added time.

By contrast Auckland’s win at the Croatian Club was un-contentious. The home side went ahead in the 13th minute after veteran striker Grant Young latched onto a Salesh Kumar
through ball to lop over Waikato goalkeeper Dan Robinson. Auckland’s dominance was reinforced in the 39th minute when Ky-Hung Lee found space in the midfield to unleash a right footed cannon
into the top corner from all of 30 yards.

Both teams had chances in the second spell though no one could find the back of the net.

In Saturday’s matches Team Wellington and Hawke’s Bay united kept up the pressure on the top two with wins.

Veteran striker Graham Little scored a second-half hat-trick to march Wellington home 3-0 over bottom placed Canterbury at Porirua Park.

His first in the 47th minute was a fortunate ricochet from a clearing kick by young goalkeeper Michael O’Keefe, the second was a well-taken penalty in the 77th minute and the
third a neat finish five minutes later as he slipped his markers.

In the other Saturday game Hawke’s Bay beat Otago 3-1 at Napier after the teams had been level 1-1 right up until the 88th minute.

NZFC Round 11 Results

Team Wellington 3 (Graham Little 47 / 77-pen / 82)

Halftime: 0-0

Hawke’s Bay United 3 (Sam Messam 13, Jeremy Brockie 88, Jonathan Taylor 89)

Halftime: 1-1

Sunday

YoungHeart Manawatu 3 (Gouzalo Nieres 61 / 72-pen, Adam Cowan 90+1 )

Halftime: 0-1

Auckland City 1 (Grant Young 13, Ki-Hyung Lee 39)

Halftime: 2-0

NZFC Standings

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