KEY POINTS:
Auckland City 4 Waitakere Utd 3
There has never been a game of soccer like it.
The result of last night's New Zealand Football Championship match at Kiwitea St will show Auckland City beat leaders Waitakere United.
What it does not say is that the score was
completely overshadowed by an unfathomable game in which referee Neil Fox was a joke.
He should never be allowed to referee at this level again.
Somehow, in a game which could not be described as nasty, Fox was hell-bent on setting a New Zealand record. In flashing 19 cards - 16 yellow and three red - he succeeded.
The shame is that his pitiful performance stole the limelight from a gallant and highly-emotional City fightback.
Down 0-3 with 23 minutes to play, the home side shrugged off jetlag and two tough games at the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan, to find a card of their own - the get out of jail free variety - to snatch a dramatic winner 53m 58s after Fox had signalled the start of the second half.
"The guys were still on the plane in the first half," said City stand-in co-coach Craig Alexander. "We changed things at halftime time, went 3-4-3 and asked them to give us everything.
"They did, and a whole lot more."
Asked about Fox's shocker, Alexander, diplomatically, said: "I don't think either coach would be happy with the officials. And, it wasn't a dirty game."
United coach Steve Cain who, at halftime was eyeing a handy four-point lead going to the Christmas break, was dumbfounded.
"What can you say without getting into trouble," said Cain. "We gave away some dumb goals. At halftime I said to the guys, go out and keep a clean sheet for the first 25 minutes. They almost did that but then things went bad."
Referees inspector John Cameron, when asked who was assessing Fox, said: "Me. Why do you think I'm saying nothing."
When time was finally blown, well into the 103rd minute - City were down to 10 players and the visitors nine.
From the time Fox, last month named New Zealand referee of the year, booked United's Jacob Sinkora in the 15th minute, the die was cast.
He had grabbed centre-stage and was not going to let go.
Three minutes earlier, the home crowd had been silenced when Commins Menapi angled home the opening goal. They went even quieter in the 25th minute when one-time Kiwitea St regular Daniel Koprivcic put the visitors further ahead.
By the time Allan Pearce had slotted a penalty on the half-hour for 3-0, the City players looked gone.
By the break Fox already had four in his black book.
Rejuvenated, City came out after the break ready to battle. But before they got on the score sheet, in the 68th minute, a further three players had been booked.
Keryn Jordan, booked early in the second spell, got City started with a penalty after a foul on Paul Seaman. Like the earlier decision to award a spot kick, there was an element of real doubt in Fox's call.
Seven minutes later Seaman headed home a Neil Sykes corner to give even more hope.
Half a minute into added time - with the card count up to 16 - Grant Young headed home for 3-3.
Young was denied a second two minutes later by a Michael Utting save. The clock was winding down but not Fox. In the next three minutes he added three more names to his list. He had already despatched Hone Edwards (later named United's man of the match), teammate Rupesh Puna and Jordan.
Then came the fairytale and Paul Urlovic's most dramatic of winners to get the defending champions back into the championship race.
But football was not the headline-grabber. Neil Fox saw to that.
