Soccer: Auckland City back in game

Normal transmission resumed at Kiwitea St yesterday as Auckland City hit their straps, thumped Hawkes Bay United 6-2 and shot from nowhere to third place in the New Zealand Football Championship.

After struggling to deliver in a hesitant start to their season, the defending champions, led by two goals each from Grant Young and Keryn Jordan, notched their first win, handing out an emphatic warning that the champs are back and ready to dish out more on their short trip to play Waitakere United on Sunday.

While City impressed with their goal-grabbing blitz, unsung YoungHeart Manawatu had earlier cruised to their third straight win, dispatching Otago United 4-1, and an early two-point lead over Waitakere who kept their unbeaten start to their season intact with a 1-1 draw against Team Wellington.

Fancied Canterbury United needed a last-ditch Jamie Smith goal to salvage their first point of the weekend with a 1-1 home draw against Waikato FC, who had snatched a dramatic lead when Arron Scott scored two minutes into stoppage time. Smith's desperate equaliser came a minute later to save embarrassment at English Park.

In seeing off a plucky but under-strength Hawkes Bay United, Auckland City bagged their second six-goal haul of the year after beating Team Wellington 6-4 in January.

From the time Ross McKenzie swooped to score after six minutes, the goals kept coming.

Ten minutes on the visitors were back on terms when Graham Fyfe fired in a pin-point cross from the left and Sam Messam headed back to Joel Wakelin, who provided the finish.

The home side went back in front on the half hour when a shot from Jordan was spilled by goalkeeper Mitch O'Brien and Paul Seaman was on hand to score.

The Jordan and Young show took over after the break as City piled on four more, with Chris McIvor providing the only ray of hope for the visitors when he headed home a long-range Dean Johnson cross for 2-3 just eight minutes into the second half.

Ahead 6-2 with 16 minutes to play, City could have gone further ahead a minute later when Seaman slid in at the far post and was just wide.

It was a game played at pace and referee Steve Fletcher got through with the one card flashed at Bay's Ricky Gillies.

It was vastly different in Christchurch where Allan Martin dished out nine cards worth $25 each to New Zealand Soccer as Canterbury and Waikato shared the points.

At FMG Stadium, goals in the opening 15 minutes to Hayden Laird and Benjamin Totori had Manawatu 2-0 ahead. Jindrich Hahn got one back for Otago in the 38th minute but that was not enough as the home side pushed on to win with goals from Alick Maemae (on the hour) and Ian Robinson, four minutes from time.

Waitakere captain/central defender Danny Hay scored an own goal to hand Team Wellington the 66th minute lead at Newtown Park. But Daniel Kopricvic snatched the equaliser within a minute.

Peter Halstead had the ball in the Waitakere goal eight minutes from time but it was ruled out with the linesman flagging for offside.