Football: Bay Utd pip Waitakere

POST-MATCH CHAT: Sean Lovemore (left) shares a light moment with Brett Angell and Chris Milicich after the game today in Napier. PHOTO/Duncan Brown

A penalty-kick goal in added time from player/assistant coach Paul Ifill saw Hawke's Bay edge out Waitakere United in today's final round-robin game in Napier.

Super sub Ifill stepped up for the spot kick in the last minute of four minutes of added time to have a hobbling Waitakere debutant goalkeeper, Alex Gibson, diving the wrong way to secure a 2-1 victory in what was an ASB Premiership dead rubber.

The teams were locked at 1-1 at Park Island at halftime but the second-placed hosts deprived the Chris Milicich-coached visitors of a point.

Former Waitakere midfielder Tom Biss opened the account 1-0 with a pile driver in the 12th minute from an acute angle inside the box following a Kohei Matsumoto pass but three minutes later former Bay United striker Sean Lovemore levelled terms, 1-1, on a counterattack.

Hawke's Bay United captain Fin Milne, in a premiership interview, said the result was satisfying, albeit not the way they intended to go about it.

"We're really happy. I think we've made a bit history for the club in terms of points reached for a season so that's fantastic," Milne said.

"But we did make it hard for ourselves today. [We were] disappointed with conceding in the first half and then also not moving the ball well and moving them around as much as we would have liked.

"But we got there with a penalty in the last minute so that's good."

The centreback said the heat was a factor and his troops stuck to the summer script of getting across the line in the second half.

"It was hot and that was probably to our advantage. I think we pride ourselves on being a pretty fit team and we've played well in the second half of a lot of games this season. Maybe that's the difference."

Lovemore was left lamenting a season that promised a lot but one Waitakere failed to live up to.

"It was a tough one to swallow, especially for me after playing here for the last three seasons," Lovemore said in the aftermatch premiership interview.

"We're disappointed because it hasn't been a good season for us so we wanted to finish on a good note. But that's football for you."

He was busy talking to Bay United coach Brett Angell after the game and exchanging pleasantries.

Will Lovemore return to the Bay franchise where he was co-golden boot winner last season?

Watch that space but for now the Bay have bigger fish to fry.

They host third-placed Team Wellington this Sunday in a 4.35pm kick off at Park Island in a game that will be televised live on Sky Sport.