KEY POINTS:
AUCKLAND CITY 1
WAITAKERE UNITED 1
Old rivals Auckland City and Waitakere United squared off in another classic New Zealand Football Championship battle yesterday that left many unanswered questions. This one ended in a thrilling draw.
Elsewhere, Waikato FC snatched a last-minute penalty to finish level, also 1-1, with Canterbury United in Christchurch and YoungHeart Manawatu scored five in the second half to thump visiting Otago United 6-0.
At Newtown Park, Team Wellington did their best to throw it away when, after leading Hawkes Bay United 3-1 at halftime, they were level 3-3 after 68 minutes and needed a 71st-minute Raf de Gregorio goal to win 4-3 and take a two-point lead at the top of the table.
Auckland City - short-priced favourites to continue the hex they have enjoyed over their cross-town rivals in almost 12 willing contests - were given a rugged welcome when Korean midfielder Ki-Hyung Lee was left in a heap after tangling with United's Chris Bale after just 50s.
Bale was booked - a decision United coach Chris Milicich later was adamant was the wrong call by referee Peter O'Leary. Given the almost indecent haste in which Lee bounced up, Milicich may have had a point.
The first 45 minutes produced barely a handful of at best half chances as two well-disciplined defences gave little away.
Chad Coombes and Bryan Little, so dominant for City in earlier games at the Croatian Cultural Society ground, were not given the same space and freedom and struggled to get quality ball to Grant Young and Keryn Jordan.
They in turn found their options limited by a strong defensive effort led by United captain Danny Hay and his central partner Jonathan Perry, a former City player .
United too did not have the same potency on the flanks, with Jason Hayne too often some place else when ever-steady right back Darren Bazeley was looking to play wide.
Up front, the visitors struggled as Solomon Islanders Benjamin Totori and Commins Menapi struggled to find their rhythm.
After the scoreless opening stanza, Bale gave the United faithful something to get excited about when from 40 metres he let fly.
City goalkeeper Tamati Williams was well positioned but the ball ripped through his hands and rolled between his legs. Just as it was about to cross the line, Totori nipped in with the final touch to claim the goal.
Somewhat against the run of play, City struck back with 10 minutes to play when Jordan was allowed to run free and square on the edge of the penalty area from where he snapped home a shot which goalkeeper Simon Eaddy could do nothing about as it curled in the back of his net.
Hayne had a gift-wrapped chance to make amends for his ordinary efforts but, unchallenged, he blasted his 86th-minute effort over the bar when he could have simply stroked home from the penalty spot into an unprotected goal.
"I'm pleased and disappointed," said Milicich.
"Pleased with the way we have continued to step up but disappointed we did not finish the job. In the end, we got the hard game we wanted before we go to Japan."
City coach Colin Tuaa, happy to keep his club's unbeaten on-field record against their rivals intact, said: "They are a difficult side to play against when they play like that. They are a fairly direct side. It was a bit ugly but we got a good point."
Waikato's grit and determination were rewarded at English Park when, after conceding a 23rd-minute own goal, they got back to 1-1 in the last minute with a Robert Gill penalty following a hand-ball.
