Soccer: Manawatu aiming for three straight wins in Otago match

Two wins in two outings and a share of the early New Zealand Football Championship lead have given YoungHeart Manawatu not only a flying start but a heads-up when it comes to sorting out the make-up of the competition for the next three seasons.

With the axe poised over the Palmerston North-based club, for off- rather than on-field reasons, coach Shane Rufer and his players are throwing the pressure right back on the New Zealand Soccer board - which ultimately will make the call on whether they survive or founder.

Encouraged by Saturday's 1-0 win over Auckland City, Manawatu are back at FMG Stadium this afternoon chasing three straight, against Otago United, who have drawn their opening two games.

After a scoreless first half in Saturday's clash in Palmerston North, the second was all action.

City's Keryn Jordan missed a penalty soon after the break. Benjamin Totori then shot the home side to the lead with his 68th minute strike low to goalkeeper Richard Gillespie's right.

Eleven minutes later referee Michael Hester awarded City their second shot from the spot, but Grant Young's attempt was saved as Phil Imray got his legs in the way.

Three minutes into added time - and six minutes after Manawatu's Trent Watson had been sent off for a second yellow - substitute Jonathan Smith looked to have hit the winner, only to be denied by a point-blank Imray save.

City coach Roger Wilkinson will check his troops today before settling on a starting line-up against Hawkes Bay United at Kiwitea St.

Wilkinson, and the New Zealand A team who left for Vietnam yesterday, are without James Pritchett, who strained a thigh. Jason Hayne is set to replace Pritchett with Cole Tinkler, who will drop into right back.

Dean Gordon, his suspension woes finally behind him, is likely to play at left back.

"I hope we play the football we are capable of," said Wilkinson. "When I had a look back at the first half of the first game, we were way off the pace. But against Manawatu we were much more competitive."

While he gave Smith a pass mark for his brief effort, Wilkinson said he still has plenty of midfield options with Neil Sykes, Paul Seaman, Liam Mulrooney and, when he is over his hamstring injury, Sam Wilkinson.

Waitakere coach Steve Cain heads south for this afternoon's key clash with Team Wellington, looking for better from his players than they showed for long periods in Saturday's 2-1 win over Canterbury United.

"There was no urgency," said Cain. "Unlike the first week when we played well, we made hard work of this one. Allan Pearce, for one, did a lot better last week."

Pearce won, and then converted, a 26th-minute penalty to give Waitakere the lead. A cracking Pedro Santos 58th-minute freekick doubled their lead, but Canterbury got one back seven minutes from time when Nathan Knox struck from long range.

In the other game today Canterbury are at home to Waikato FC, who picked up their first point in a 1-1 away draw with Otago on Saturday.