KEY POINTS:
Auckland City produced their own version of a game of two halves to beat YoungHeart Manawatu 4-1 on Saturday and storm to the top of the New Zealand Football Championship.
In another game of late scoring action, Waikato FC charged home with three late goals to beat Otago United 3-1 to record their first home win of the season at Waikato Stadium yesterday.
The third game was a different story with all the goals scored in the opening half hour as Hawkes Bay United beat Canterbury United at Park Island to cement their spot in the top four.
The remaining sixth round game will not be played until December 23 when Waitakere United travel to play Team Wellington in the fixture postponed because of United's involvement in the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan.
In that game, in Tokyo, United conceded two goals inside the opening five minutes but battled bravely for the remaining 85 minutes before going down 3-1 to Iranian champions Sepahan. Darren Bazeley scored the first goal for a New Zealand team in that competition with a second half freekick.
Auckland City seized the chance to go to the top of the NZFC table but only after stern halftime words from coach Colin Tuaa.
After dominating the opening 10 minutes of the game played at the Croatian Cultural Society's ground but failing to score, City did little as the visitors played their way into it and quickly stunned the faithful when Ian Sandbrook slammed home a left-foot shot from outside the penalty area following good lead-up play from Nick Roydhouse and Adam Cowan.
Paul Urlovic had the best chance to tie it up but after a good solo break fired wide.
Tuaa rang the changes at the break with Jeff Campbell on for Luis del Monte and Eliezer replacing Urlovic.
The switches were rewarded on the hour when Henry Fa'arodo won a corner which Campbell floated to the far post from where the again impressive City skipper Ben Sigmund headed home.
Keryn Jordan accepted a gift-wrapped pass from Bryan Little and slotted a well-struck first-time effort home for 2-1.
Two further goals, to Korean midfielder Ki-Hyung Lee from a retaken freekick and a sweetly-struck Campbell effort, sealed it for the home side who cruised home against a Manawatu side reduced to 10 players for the last 10 minutes after Cowan was sent off for what appeared as two petty infringement.
Waikato left their run even later.
After 80 goal-less minutes, Joe Simpkins, on as a 73rd minute substitute, opened the scoring. Robert Gill capped a brilliant individual effort by firing the ball in to the top corner of the Otago goal three minutes later and then added his second, and fifth of the season, from the penalty spot in the 86th minute.
John Lang headed a consolation goal in stoppage time for the southerners.
