Football: Battle for second position hots up

Hawke's Bay Untied remain in touch with second place thanks to striker Sam Mason-Smith's double against the Phoenix Reserves in their 2-0 win yesterday.

The shuffle for the contenders of second-place qualifiers has intensified in national league summer football as Hawke's Bay United settled on the fourth rung yesterday.

The Brett Angell-coached Bay franchise claimed three points on the road with a reportedly "scrappy" 2-0 against Wellington Phoenix Reserves on Saturday to flirt with the second rung of the ASB Premiership table before resting in fourth place yesterday.

Canterbury United caused all the commotion after further denting WaiBOP United's hopes of making the top four with a 3-2 victory in Hamilton although there were no expectations in Team Wellington's 3-0 result over Southern United in Dunedin.

That leaves the Finlay Milne-skippered Bay United on equal 21 points with Team Wellington but perched below on an inferior goal difference while the Dragons are in second place but not looking so smug on 22 points.

At Newtown Park the game reportedly failed to reach the heights of the 5-5 stalemate in Napier.

Striker Sam Mason-Smith struck twice (6th, 89th) to help Bay United claim their third win after a 3-1 loss to leaders Auckland City the previous Sunday.

Angell said: "I felt we were too quick to get ourselves in during the first half. We never really linked that well. Also I think we had a lot of opportunities where the final ball was lacking or players haven't attacked the box to try [to] score goals."

Phoenix coach Andy Hedge said: "Hawke's Bay played very well in certain areas of the pitch.

They bullied us a lot, which they will do against young kids.

Their two strikers, in particular, were really strong in holding the ball up, linking play and bullying our young boys into submission, really."