Soccer: Leaders stumble on red letter day for Cantabs

Canterbury United gave YoungHeart Manawatu nine of the best as Auckland City and Waitakere United both stumbled on a day of shocks in Round 8 of the ASB Premiership today.

Auckland City increased their lead at the top of the table to four points despite a 0-0 draw with youthful Waikato FC at Kiwitea Street. But it was Canterbury United's 9-1 demolition of Manawatu that caught the eye.

The staggering result leaves Canterbury, Waitakere and Team Wellington all tied on fifteen points separated only by goal difference with six rounds to play. The result also equalled the competition's highest ever score line set by Waitakere United in 2007-08 season when the West Aucklanders hammered Canterbury by the same margin.

Team Wellington's 2-1 win over playoff rivals Otago United combined with Hawke's Bay's remarkable 1-0 victory over Waitakere leaves the chase for New Zealand's two O-League berths for next season wide open.

Both the ASB Premiership champions and the ASB minor premiers qualify for the 2013 O-League. But if the same team wins both titles, the ASB minor premier runners-up will nab the second O-League berth.

In Christchurch, Canterbury United ran amok over a Manawatu side now just three goals short of breaking their own record of the most goals ever conceded in a fourteen round regular season. Manawatu has conceded thirty five goals so far in just eight matches.

Ahead 3-0 courtesy of a Darren White double and an Aaron Clapham free-kick, Canterbury were caught out when Jimmy Haidakis grabbed his third goal of the season for Manawatu with a trademark free-kick of his own on 38 minutes. But that proved the only highlight for the visitors as Russell Kamo bagged a second half hat-trick with further goals by Clapham, Tom Schwarz and Julyan Collett completing the rout.

At Kiwitea Street, goalkeeper Mark Fulcher denied Auckland City a seventh consecutive win when the All Whites team doctor saved a Manel Exposito penalty on 63 minutes to hand Waikato FC a deserved 0-0 draw.

In an entertaining match Jacob Spoonley made up for his error in midweek against Amicale with an excellent display. Despite the result Waikato FC slip to seventh place after Hawke's Bay United's 1-0 victory over Waitakere.

Beaten 6-2 at home last week by Team Wellington, Hawke's Bay United pulled off their second consecutive win over Waitakere United thanks to a Conor Tinnion tap in on 78 minutes.

Hawke's Bay have now won back to back matches with Waitakere following on from last season's 2-1 victory at Whenuapai.

Hawke's Bay clamber into sixth place, level on points with Waikato FC, courtesy of a superior goal difference.

Team Wellington dealt Otago United's playoff hopes a blow after a 2-1 win in Dunedin today. Wellington took the lead when Karl Whalen tapped in a Dakota Lucas header six minutes before halftime.

Harley Rodeka levelled the match within two minutes with a similar finish. Both teams were reduced to ten when first Otago's Matt Joy was sent off for bringing down Dakota Lucas, Michael Eagar scoring from the resultant penalty one minute after the restart to restore Wellington's advantage.

Then Wellington's Tim Schaeffers was sent off with fifteen minutes left after a foul on Craig Ferguson.

Next Sunday, Waikato FC entertain Canterbury United at Porritt Stadium in Hamilton, Auckland City travel south to face in-form Team Wellington at Newtown Park.

Waitakere United meets Otago United at Fred Taylor Park in Whenuapai and struggling YoungHeart Manawatu welcome Hawke's Bay United to Palmerston North in a central province derby showdown.