Hawke's Bay United slipped 1-0 today against Auckland City for their third defeat this summer.
The hosts went up 1-0 in the Stirling Sports Premiership match at Kiwitea St in what was a soft goal in just the second minute when a sliding effort from Solomon Island international Micah Lea'alafa.
The cross came from wing back Takuya Iwata on the left flank but how the ball beat three white shirts, including last man Fergus Neil, to find winger Lea'alafa was hard to comprehend.
In the 37th minute, it was heart-in-the-mouth stuff when Bay defender Nile Walwyn cleared from a gaping goalmouth after goalkeeper Joshua Hill was beaten going for a 50-50 ball inside his real estate.
Auckland City weren't done when midfielder Clayton Lewis clipped the upright with a crisp drive from about 25m out but a Lea'alafa reload hit the chest of Joao Moreira to find the net but celbertaions were muted when officials rightly ruled it no goal as the Portuguese striker was retreating from an offside position.