Soccer: Uni-Mount facing searching questions

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Handed a lesson they could have done without, national league contenders University Mt Wellington must turn it all around when they meet a fired-up Manawatu at Bill McKinlay Park this afternoon.

Miramar Rangers hammered Uni-Mount 4-0 at the same ground on Saturday, and the Aucklanders have dropped out of the top two on the national league points table. They now face an anxious run at the play-offs.

Tim Butterfield, hardly a household name in New Zealand football and certainly no frontrunner in the scoring stakes, stung Uni-Mount with his first goal inside a minute. By the time 70 minutes had ticked by, Butterfield had the home side on the rack, scoring all four goals as Miramar reversed their earlier loss to Uni-Mount.

There were no such problems for leaders Central, who beat improving Tauranga City 4-2. But Central are up against it today when they go back to their Kiwitea St ground to square off against a super-confident Miramar, who lie second and would top the table with a win today. The Stu Jacobs-coached side from Wellington also have the advantage of a game against lowly Christchurch City in hand.

Daniel Koprivic hit home a first-minute penalty to get Central underway. Dion Bartosh replied in the same manner in the 26th minute, but Central regained the initiative straight after halftime with goals from Daniel Aliaga and Campbell Banks, his eighth of the season.

Bartosh got one back for Tauranga - his ninth in 11 games - but Glen Eie had the final say as Central maintained their season-long unbeaten run.

Waitakere City suffered ecstasy and agony in the deep south. After a delayed start against Dunedin Technical, City went ahead through Neil Jones just before halftime. Thomas Edge continued his goal-a-game ratio for 2-0 four minutes after the restart.

Things then turned sour for City. Terry Tennyson got one back in the 57th minute but was sent off 24 minutes later. In the shadow off fulltime City conceded a penalty, which Aaron Burgess slotted.

Waitakere head north this morning to play Christchurch City. That might not be an easy assignment as Christchurch had the embarrassment of becoming Metro's first victim of the season.

After a good showing against Uni-Mount in their last outing, Metro were justly rewarded. Livewire striker Willie Osborne grabbed a goal and Daniel Eisenhoft another as Metro came back from being one down inside three minutes. Former international, Danny Halligan, got the home side back to 2-2 before Osborne grabbed his second and the deserved triumph. Metro are in Dunedin this afternoon seeking to maintain that momentum.

In another upset, Manawatu thumped Napier City Rovers 3-0 in Palmerston North. While Manawatu head to Auckland this afternoon, Napier will be at Park Island to play Tauranga City.With only six rounds - and three catch-up games - remaining in the Southern Trust-sponsored league after this afternoon's games, these are critical times for Manawatu, Napier and Waitakere.

Two postponed Chatham Cup games will be played at Mangere and Papatoetoe, while the northern premier league match between North Shore and Manukau City is moved from Allen Hill Stadium to Devonport Domain today.