Soccer: Struggling time for top two

Auckland City player Jonathan Perry (left) and Dean Johnston of Napier City clash at Kiwitea St on Saturday. Picture / Kenny Rodger

The pack is yapping as the top two teams in the New Zealand Football Championship continue to drop points.

Leaders Auckland City snatched a late goal to salvage a point in a 3-3 draw with Napier City on Saturday and, yesterday at Trusts Stadium, second-placed Waitakere United drew 1-1 with Team Wellington.

In dropping five of a possible six points in their two matches in three days - they lost 3-0 to Waikato FC away on Friday night - United now have 28 points from 16 games, five ahead of Waikato who have a game in hand.

Following his team's heart-breaker against Auckland City at Kiwitea St, Napier coach Charlie Howe said the coaches of the two Auckland sides should be worried about the late charge from teams chasing a spot in the play-offs.

"The top two are struggling at the moment and the teams behind them are mounting something of a run," said Howe. "We are bitterly disappointed we didn't get the win we deserved here which would have got us into the play-off race."

Both coaches at yesterday's game aimed their wrath at referee Ian Walker who, for some inexplicable reason, was asked to control two matches in 24 hours.

"It was crazy. I thought the officials were very poor," said Team Wellington referee Mick Waitt. "We went behind to an offside goal and then we scored one when I thought the referee could have blown for a foul on their goalkeeper.

"I'm delighted with the way we played. I thought we showed a lot of character.

"We deserved to win. We defended very well, moved the ball well and only let ourselves down by poor delivery into our attackers."

The visitors had enough chances to win with the corner kick count 12-5 in their favour but they failed to convert any of the half-dozen half chances they created.

Their goal came seconds before referee Walker began the four minutes of stoppage time when Geoff Brown, with his first touch after being injected as a late substitute, pounced on the loose ball which Waitakere goalkeeper Simon Eaddy dropped under pressure.

Eaddy had looked comfortable until that point claiming, with some justification, he had been impeded.

United had taken the lead on the hour when Keryn Jordan ran through a flat-footed Wellington defence before firing home his 12th goal of the season.

That goal enabled him to join fellow South African Grant Young at the top of the goalscoring list after Young had netted a hat-trick for City against Napier.

Like Waitt, Waitakere coach Chris Milicich thought his side deserved to win but he questioned the wisdom of playing two matches so close together.

"With 10 minutes to play both sides were exhausted," said Milicich.

With neither side looking to play wide, much of yesterday's game was a midfield battle with few clear-cut scoring chances.

Raf de Gregorio and Daniel Keat had early opportunities for the visitors without testing Eaddy, and Graham Little brought a good save from him after a shot on the run.

Allan Pearce tested Wellington goalkeeper Sacha Nathu late in the first spell after Jordan had beaten Jeff Sole.

The goals brought some life to a game which was never going to match Saturday's goalfest.

Napier twice came from behind to draw level and then went ahead 19 minutes into the second spell before being denied with Young's heartbreaker 19s from time.

In a second game brought forward from a later round, Napier are at home to YoungHeart Manawatu tonight.