Soccer: City lead Waitakere on goal difference

Battle lines will be drawn again in the top-of-the-table New Zealand Football Championship clash at Kiwitea St on Saturday.

Draws in round-nine games for Auckland City, 1-1 away to Canterbury United yesterday, and Waitakere United, who battled with Napier City for 90 minutes on Friday at Park Island without either team scoring, has left City ahead of Waitakere on goal difference.

"We would have liked to have won, obviously," said Auckland City coach Allan Jones after the draw at English Park. "But in the circumstances, a point on the road was acceptable. That has set up Saturday's game with Waitakere very nicely.

"With the right conditions, we must hope for a crowd as big as they got at their place when we met two weeks ago."

Yesterday's match was played on a surface which Jones described as "like a skating rink". Rain on top of a rock-hard surface made life difficult for both teams.

"In the end it was a fair result," said Jones. "We were down a goal at halftime but turned in a pretty good second-half performance. In goal, Ross Nicholson was outstanding. He pulled off three or four outstanding saves."

Nathan Knox opened the scoring for the home side in the 38th minute when he managed to wriggle past two or three City defenders to get close enough to score.

Grant Young's reply, for his fifth goal of the season, came two minutes into the second spell when he was on hand to provide the finish to a Neil Sykes near-post corner.

The only concern for Jones was a hand injury suffered by striker Paul Urlovic. At the end of the game he had an x-ray to see if a bone was broken or merely dislocated.

"He doesn't take the throw-in," quipped Jones. "So he should be okay to play."

Waikato's woes continued on Saturday. After a strong start to their season, they cannot buy a win these days.

They held the ever-likely Otago United at bay for 70 minutes at Waikato Stadium but then conceded a free kick to the right of the penalty area when Michael Abbott was fouled by Michael Mayne.

Powerhouse Otago defender Nathan Strom pressed forward and, unchallenged at the far post, headed home for 1-0, giving Waikato goalkeeper Michael Utting no chance.

Utting was also left stranded with the visitors' second goal 12 minutes later, when a long-range Jakub Sinkora shot took a nasty deflection as Craig Flowerday attempted to cover and the ball found the net.

The game was fairly even throughout, but Waikato's lack of firepower in front of goal cost them.

Their best chance came in the 39th minute when Cameron Jones smacked a long-range free kick on to the post, while Otago had the best of the early exchanges when Victor Maleb burst through, went around Utting but fired into the side netting.

Waikato, looking to snap a run of outs, are away to Team Wellington on Sunday, while Napier, now at the bottom of the table, will get no favours on their visit to English Park to play Canterbury.