Soccer: Group-A decider heats up

Auckland City will have a second trip to Fifa's Club World Cup firmly in their sights when they travel across town to play Waitakere United in the O-League group-A decider on April 5.

City need only a draw from that match to progress to the home and away Oceania final with the group-B winner. The winner there goes to the World Cup in the UAE in December.

Waitakere kept themselves in the group-A race in testing conditions in Port Vila on Saturday when, for a time, those hopes verged on the precarious. Three goals from set play got Waitakere home 3-2 over Vanuatu champions Port Vila Sharks.

Conditions - muggy temperatures close to 30C and the pitch at the Municipal Stadium at best questionable - made life tough for the visitors.

Midfielder Chris Bale gave Waitakere their 11th-minute lead with the final touch from a Neil Sykes corner. Seven minutes later it was locked up at 1-1 when Moise Poida scored.

Paul Seaman re-established Waitakere's one-goal lead nine minutes after the break when his freekick was spilled by the goalkeeper and Seaman turned and hit home a low shot. Again, the home side replied quickly as Francois Sakama slammed a freekick into the defensive wall, gathered the rebound and slotted for 2-2.

The winner came 15 minutes from time when Neil Sykes and Neil Emblen - the pick of the Waitakere players - combined to find Danny Hay who powered home his header.

The sapping heat took its toll with Allan Pearce forced out at halftime. Keen to take the game to the home side, Waitakere coach Chris Milicich pushed Emblen forward to spearhead the attack at that point.

It was a ploy that paid a winning dividend.