Soccer: Canterbury close in on inept Auckland

Canterbury United put some life back into the New Zealand Football Championship with yesterday's deserved 2-1 win over leaders Auckland City.

Shrugging off the disadvantage of playing at QEII Park and without key players, United picked up their 10th win of the season to move to within five points of the lead.

YoungHeart Manawatu fared even better. Their 8-1 win over struggling Hawkes Bay at the Arena allowed them to close to within two points of City and set up what promises to be no-holds-barred run to the finish.

Waitakere United did themselves a favour in holding on to beat Otago United 2-1 at Trusts Stadium, with all goals scored in the first half.

Ben Steward opened the scoring after 22 minutes when he headed home from a corner. Three minutes later Daniel Ellensohn poked the ball home after a long-range Dean Storey attempt had hit the post.

The visitors pulled one back just before the break when Andy Coburn curled home from the edge of the penalty area.

Coburn could have stolen at least a point for Otago in the second half but was denied, firstly by a blocking Simon Eaddy save and later by a good Eaddy effort from a corner.

It was, like the day's early match, a drab affair but one Waitakere were happy to take the points from.

The absence of key players obviously told in both teams in the match of the day in Christchurch, but this alone could not be blamed for the scrappy spectacle that unfolded.

City coach Allan Jones, not surprisingly, did not mince words in deploring his team's ham-fisted display.

"If you don't win the fight you don't win the game," said Jones. "Of course I'm disappointed. We had players out but so did they. That is no excuse for how they played.

"They [Canterbury] are a good side and if you do not perform they will beat you. It was not quite - but very close to - our worst performance of the season."

In an encouraging start, the visitors forced two corners in the opening 45 seconds. But their set play was inept to say the least. After 15 minutes they should have been at least a couple of goals down.

In the seventh minute Matt Cunneen failed to clear, the ball was stolen and played through to Brian Wetret, who should have buried it.

Two minutes later Riki Van Steeden was caught in possession, Michael White got clear but his shot was blocked by stand-in goalkeeper Richard Gillespie.

Referee Allan Martin then decided to take centre stage, booking three players in four minutes before Canterbury again produced a better than half chance.

Breaking from a City corner, the ball was played quickly to White, who found Stuart Kelly. But his woeful attempt did not involve Gillespie. White then played another weak attempt wide, leaving the crowd wondering whether either side would ever find the target.

The deadlock was broken in the 25th minute when the City defence were again caught flat-footed.

The ball was played from midfield through to Kelly, who, on the edge of the penalty area and with one eye on the advancing Gillespie, turned and looped a shot into the gaping City goal.

Stung, the visitors hit back within three minutes when the uncertain Canterbury defence failed to clear. Reg Davani fired in a shot which was blocked and fell to Paul Urlovic, who buried from close range.

Just before halftime Urlovic turned provider for Davani, but he headed over.

The home side again dominated a listless second half which was notable only for Kelly's 67th-minute strike which deflected off Van Steeden to undo Gillespie, and for another three bookings from Martin.

Team Wellington kept themselves in the playoff race by coming from a goal down - scored in the fifth minute by Jakub Sinkora - to beat Waikato FC 2-1 with two goals in two minutes on the half hour from Bryan Little and Peter Halstead.