KEY POINTS:
There will be no holding back for the Auckland City players when they lock horns with YoungHeart Manawatu in the New Zealand Football Championship at Kiwitea St tomorrow.
With the team set to leave for Japan and the Fifa Club World Cup on Wednesday, there will, no doubt, be some anxiety among the City players but not if stand-in coach Allan Jones has anything to do with it.
"They will be given the message in no uncertain terms," said Jones. "There is a football match to be won. More importantly, from my point of view, this is the last chance for players to play their way in or out of the starting line-up for the first match in Japan."
Jones will have a clearer idea of who will start in the match of the round after a light training run this morning.
He will have to make changes to cover the loss of defender Dean Gordon who has joined the New Zealand Knights.
"We have adequate cover but I need to check a couple of players before making a decision," said Jones, who got through Thursday training without crutches but still found standing for long periods difficult.
"The [ankle] injury is not the problem. It is the infection that is causing some concern."
Manawatu, who beat City 1-0 in Palmerston North in round two - Auckland's only on-field loss this season - will be a handful.
"The lads were all chipper at training," said Jones. "It was not too difficult slotting back in."
In his appearance at Kiwitea St last season, Solomon Islands midfielder Benjamin Totori showed out as a player of real class. Under Manawatu coach Shane Rufer he has got even better and scored 10 goals in eight outings.
He, and fellow Solomon Islanders Aleck Maemae and Nelson Sale, pose a real danger, one Jones and his players will be aware of.
There will also be changes in defence for Waitakere United in their away game with Canterbury United this afternoon.
Danny Hay, rested by coach Steve Cain for last Sunday's home game against Waikato FC, returns and will join George Suri at the back with Graham Pearce dropping to the bench. Elsewhere, changes will be minimal with Cain giving his players every opportunity to show they are worthy of holding top spot in the NZFC.
Canterbury beat Waitakere 2-1 twice last season but Waitakere reversed that scoreline at Trusts Stadium earlier this season. The southerners have Daniel Terris and Joe Murray back but lose Nathan Knox to suspension.
Held to 1-1 by Manawatu last weekend, Team Wellington will be keen to regain winning form on the trip to Napier. With three wins over Hawkes Bay last season, Wellington take some confidence into the match.
Waikato have another chance to break their duck when they play Otago United, the team two places above them, in Hamilton tomorrow.
They showed patches of reasonable form against Waitakere but must convert half chances into goals.
