Soccer: City deny Jacobs' Wellington

City's Luis Corrales (left) intercepts Ramon Cornand. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Stu Jacobs brought Team Wellington to Kiwitea St yesterday with just one thing on his mind - winning this ASB Premiership battle. In the end they came up short, losing 2-0 to an impressive Auckland City.

But Jacobs was not too disconsolate.

"We came here to win. A draw was no good to us but I'm not too upset," said Jacobs, who added that he was glad he was in the dugout rather than running around in the searing heat.

"We now know that we are in the semifinals and will finish third."

The planning might now include a return with City in the 2nd versus 3rd leg of the play-offs if City finish second and Waitakere United, upset 2-1 by Hawkes Bay United at Fred Taylor Park 24 hours earlier, hold on to take the minor premiership.

The other interest in the last two rounds will be the four-way battle for the fourth semifinal spot.

With their win, courtesy of a second Jarrod Smith goal in stoppage time, Hawkes Bay gained valuable ground, slipping ahead of Canterbury United and Waikato FC with Otago United the longshot.

Waikato stayed in the race with their 1-0 Saturday home win over Canterbury but the southerners retain the advantage on goal difference.

Otago, who would need to win both of their matches and hope other results fell their way, won a see-saw affair over YoungHeart Manawatu 4-3 at Tahuna Park yesterday.

Ahead 2-0 inside half an hour, Otago surrendered that lead, got back to 3-3 and then snatched the winner when substitute Aaron Burgess scored four minutes into added time.

Yesterday's game at Kiwitea St began disappointingly with referee Jon Price whistling the life out of it.

In the first 20 minutes Price booked four players - one for simulation, (diving) by Hitcham Kari, Wellington goalkeeper Phil Imray for time wasting, City's David Mulligan for a soft challenge and his teammate Luis Corrales for "encroachment" at a Wellington free kick.

The pace picked up and the opportunities came at both ends.

Eventually, after half-chances at both ends, the drought - hardly appropriate in the conditions - was broken when City captain Ivan Vicelich played a long, pinpoint ball to Manel Exposito, who showed his class with an exquisite lob over the advancing Imray into the unprotected Wellington goal.

The coaches went to the bench from the outset of the second half as the sapping conditions took their toll and it was 60th-minute substitute Adam Dickinson who set up the second City goal when he broke cleverly on the left, carved in and played a perfect cross for Corrales to charge on to and score.

Happy with a result that kept his side in the title race, City co-coach Ramon Tribulietx still wanted more.

"We created a lot of chances and have to learn how to use those chances. The players are not always choosing the right option but that will come. Over the past couple of months our conversion rate has been very good."