KEY POINTS:
All Whites midfielder Andy Barron has made certain there will be added spice in tomorrow's key battle between Canterbury United and Team Wellington.
Barron, an off-season signing in the capital and handed the captaincy by coach Mick Waitt, has stunned his Wellington teammates by taking advantage of the mid-season transfer window to return to United in time for the English Park clash.
Coach Danny Halligan has named Barron on the bench for the game which is vital to the visitors' hopes of staying in the play-off race.
A loss for Wellington, four points behind Canterbury in fifth place, would severely dent their hopes of making it to the business end of the season.
But Waitt's hopes have been boosted a little with Raf de Gregorio set to pull on the captain's armband, ready to start for the first time this season after recovering from a pre-season stress fracture.
Canterbury, chasing a fifth straight win, also have their hopes enhanced with Henry Fa'arodo set to play two further games for United before his return to the Victorian State League.
He, Brent Fisher and Stuart Kelly (and Barron) shape as a more than useful strikeforce against the visitors, who have won only once in their last five outings.
At Trusts Stadium tomorrow, leaders Waitakere United are at home to YoungHeart Manawatu in a mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash.
United coach Steve Cain will still be hurting after watching his charges blow a 3-0 halftime lead and somehow conspire to lose 4-3 to a stoppage-time strike by Auckland City in the Christmas-stocking thriller at Kiwitea St.
Card-happy referee Neil Fox did not cost Waitakere that game but the uncalled-for red cards he flashed at Rupesh Puna and Hoani Edwards leave Cain without two key players for this vital square-off.
Cain must find the tactics needed to contain runaway golden boot leader Benjamin Totori if the home team are to have any chance of grabbing a second win this season over the NZFC favourites.
In their only clash at the ground last season, they drew 3-3. There remains the hope that goals aplenty will again be the order of the day in a game which promises to have plenty of say in the final outcome of NZFC chapter three.
The battle in Dunedin at the other end of the table between hapless Otago - who could not have won a ham in the Christmas raffle even if they had the only ticket - and Hawkes Bay United, who have won only once this season, should be a classic with the home side aware that a loss will, like the Bay, end any thoughts of a shot at the big prize.
Ryley Webster (back in Auckland), influential midfielder Michael Eisenhut and Croyden Wheeler (injuries) are missing from the Otago line-up while Bay coach Jonathan Gould has made a big call in resting Regan Cameron, Reiner Bauerfeind and Willie Stanger.
But these changes in both sides could mean little if referee Fox again decides to take centre stage.
In Sunday's Waikato Stadium battle, Auckland City will be without goal-grabbing Keryn Jordan - another shown red by Fox in the pre-Christmas debacle - but new coach Paul Marshall at least has international striker Paul Urlovic, the hero in the last-gasp victory over Waitakere, to call into his starting XI.
But, with former City coach Roger Wilkinson now back calling the shots in his old stamping ground, and having former City signings Ross McKenzie and Cole Peverley with him, there could be some needle.
Waikato surprised with victories in two home matches against City last season, and lost only 3-2 at Kiwitea St earlier this season. City must back up against Hawkes Bay three days later.
Golden boot
16: Benjamin Totori (Manawatu).
5: Henry Fa'arodo (Canterbury), Commins Menapi (Waitakere), Keryn Jordan, Paul Seaman (Auckland).
4: Stuart Kelly (Canterbury), Grant Young (Auckland).
3: Andy Barron, Peter Halstead, Graham Little (Wellington), Jindrich Hahn (Otago), Ian Robinson (Manawatu).
