KEY POINTS:
A gut-wrenching stoppage-time goal cost Waitakere United a deserved win over Tahitian champions AS Manu Ura on Saturday.
In the end, United had to settle for a 1-1 draw which at least keeps their hopes of retaining their O-League title alive.
But to do that they must now get at least a point from Wednesday's away game with old rivals Auckland City.
Against Manu Ura, Waitakere had enough chances to win the match in a canter but a missed penalty and five or six woeful efforts from set play left them scrambling.
Ironically, the one goal Waitakere did score came from a hopeful 30m free-kick, Chris Bale pouncing to hit home after the ball rebounded off the bottom of a post.
That goal followed Allan Pearce's first-half penalty miss after man-of-the-match Benjamin Totori had been brought down. Pearce, who had scored twice from the spot in United's previous game, pulled his attempt wide.
The second half was dominated by the visitors but it was not until the 64th minute that Bale broke the deadlock.
Waitakere had cause to feel agrieved. The game should never have stretched to such an amount of extra time as the only lost time came from the home side who had their captain and goalkeeper Daniel Tapeta booked for time-wasting.
The equalising goal came in the second minute of added time when Billy Mataitaai was given room and time on the edge of the penalty area from where he looped a shot which goalkeeper Simon Eaddy failed to hold, the ball spilling into the net.
"It was frustrating for that to happen," said United coach Chris Milicich. "It was a game we totally dominated and should have put away.
"But we switched off and an error cost us the three points."
Milicich, bitterly disappointed,said he would look at making changes for the midweek game in which he will definitely be without unlucky midfielder Jason Rowley, who was carried off the field on a stretcher in the first half with another ankle ligament injury.
