KEY POINTS:
Forget about goal-scoring rampages, defence as Waitakere United continue to show, is key to success in any sporting arena.
With their 3-0 home win over Otago United, Neil Emblen-led Waitakere took another bold step towards the New Zealand Football Championship's minor premiership.
In Napier, in another Waitangi Day catch-up, Auckland City, with a first half goal from captain Ivan Vicelich - his second in as many outings - kept their faint title hopes alive with a 1-0 win over Hawkes Bay United.
Waitakere now head into tomorrow's round 13 battle (for their 12th game of the season) against Waikato FC at Ngarua-wahia's Centennial Park six points clear of YoungHeart Manawatu and Auckland City who clash in the day's feature at Kiwitea St.
While their ever-likely strikers Benjamin Totori and Roy Krishna scored either side of halftime with Allan Pearce adding the third in the 70th minute, it was again the Waitakere defence who laid the foundation.
Emblen again led the way with his customary effort with his young general-at-arms Tim Myers continuing his rise with another no-frills performance.
Fullbacks Aaron Scott and Neil Sykes, more mobile than usual but just as effective played their part well with Scott in particular turning in 90 accomplished minutes - his best of the season.
Behind them goalkeeper Richard Gillespie - under pressure to keep out Danny Robinson - had an armchair ride.
The stats tell the story. In 10 games - 900 minutes of football - Waitakere have conceded just six goals. Four came in 4-2 wins over Team Wellington and Auckland City and one each in the 1-1 draw with Canterbury United and the 2-1 away win over City in round two. Their last three games have produced clean sheets.
In those three outings they have scored seven unanswered goals.
For the first 30 minutes of yesterday's game they rarely threatened to unlock a resolute Otago defence but when Totori ran wide and hit his shot from the edge of the penalty area back on to the far post from where it rebounded into the goal, there was the feeling of how many.
Krishna needed less than a minute after the break to add the second - his pace again too much for the defence - and Pearce the third when the ball was played to substitute Paul Seaman beyond the far post from where he touched it back to Pearce for the simple finish.
Referee Chris Kerr came away with well-deserved plaudits. Just one booking (for back-chat) and just 12 freekicks made for an enjoyable game in which the officials were largely anonymous.
"It was just a case of winning and leaving something in the tank for Sunday," said Waitakere coach Chris Milicich.
"I'll take three points, three goals and a clean sheet anytime.
"We're doing enough to win at the moment. It is more important to be playing well at the end of February and into March."
Milicich's counterpart Terry Phelan was straight to the point. "It boils down to quality off and on the park. We gave away two sloppy goals," he said.
"Our decision making on the ball let us down. I would have been happy with 1-0, but not three."
