An Auckland City meltdown has thrown another twist into the playoff race after a blockbuster day in the Stirling Sports Premiership.
Auckland City had three players sent off as they crashed to a 4-1 defeat to Waitakere United, missing their chance to claim the minor premiership.
In the most bizarre game of the season, the league front-runners blew a lead, had an embarrassing goalkeeping howler, and conceded as many goals as they had in their prior 360 minutes of football.
The rot started in the 30th minute. Having gone ahead through Emiliano Tade, Auckland conceded a free-kick on the edge of the area. As their defence was setting up a wall, Keegan Linderboom took it quickly, slotting it in off the crossbar to howls of protest from the City defence.
The worst goalkeeping mistake of the season soon followed, with Auckland custodian Enaut Zubikarai losing Stefan Thelen's wayward cross in the sun. Under no pressure, he tried to punch the ball clear, succeeding only in flapping the ball into his own net.