Soccer: Sinkora sinks Waikato as Otago ride high

Otago United continue to punch above their weight in keeping pace with the New Zealand Football Championship front-runners. The southerners bounced back from last week's 3-0 loss to Auckland City to beat Waikato FC 2-0 away yesterday.

They draw level with City on 17 points, one behind Waitakere City who picked up a point in Friday night's 0-0 draw in Napier.

It was another strong effort from Otago at Waikato Stadium. Taking confidence from their 2-1 win at home against Waikato three weeks earlier, the southerners battled strongly throughout.

The scores were locked 0-0 at halftime and it wasn't until the 71st minute that Nathan Strom was able to break the deadlock in grabbing his first goal of the season.

Ten minutes from time Jakub Sinkora rode his luck in firing in a shot which took a slight deflection off Waikato defender Craig Flowerday to leave goalkeeper Michael Utting with no chance.

It was Sinkora's second goal of the season and rounded off a very solid performance.

After a couple of recent shaky efforts in the Waikato goal, Utting had a sound game yesterday with no chance of keeping out the two Otago goals.

In Friday night's action, the injury-hit Waitakere side failed to score for the first time this season in a tight affair against Napier City, who have dropped to the bottom of the points table.

In scoring their first win of the season, 2-1 away to YoungHeart Manawatu on the back of two Bryan Little goals, Team Wellington edged ahead of Napier, who have just six points from nine games.

Little gave the visitors the lead but that was pegged back before halftime by Peter Halstead. Little's second-half penalty ended Team Wellington's eight-match winless streak in a game in which Michael Wilson (Wellington) and Manawatu's Luiz Del Monte were sent off by referee Gabriel Streza.

Auckland City have the chance to take the outright lead for the first time when they meet Canterbury United away this afternoon.

City are in the South Island for the second time in seven days and Canterbury are keen to pick up points to remain in the top three play-off race.

City coach Allan Jones is reading nothing into his team's 5-0 romp at Kiwitea St against Danny Halligan's side three weeks ago. He is fully aware of the extra bite to any Auckland-Canterbury clashes, saying this one will be no different.

City's chances are boosted however by the non-availability of Ben Sigmund, who has been United's standout so far this season.