Team Wellington qualify for NZFC playoffs

Wellington have joined Auckland City and Waitakere United in the New Zealand Football Championship playoffs.

The play-off pressure was most keenly felt at Porirua Park where Wellington clinched a dramatic 2-1 win against Canterbury United to move into third in the standings and claim a semifinal spot.

Despite the defeat, fourth-placed Canterbury are almost certain to qualify for the play-offs but face one final regular season match with Auckland City.

Manawatu bowed out of playoffs contention yesterday after a 1-1 draw with Otago United at Carisbrook.

Fifth placed Otago took an early lead through Stu Kelly but Manawatu's Takayuki Omi capitalised on a defensive lapse by the home side to level five minutes before halftime.

The result leaves Otago level on points with Canterbury but with an inferior goal difference of minus six to Canterbury's plus nine.

Sixth placed Hawke's Bay United lost 1-6 to Auckland City at Napier thanks to a second-half goal deluge for the visitors, with two goals each for Jason Hayne, Matt Williams and Adam Dickinson.

A second half red card for Hawke's Bay United defender Phil Clarke saw Auckland exploit the extra space and wrap up an easy win.

Leon Birnie grabbed a late consolation that leaves the Hawke's Bay United striker level with Seule Soromon in the Golden Boot race with nine goals this season.

Auckland's win made it a year to the day since they last lost a competitive match in New Zealand - a 3-1 play-off defeat to Manawatu at Palmerston North.

Their only other competitive defeat since is a 0-3 defeat to Atlante at last year's Club World Cup.

Auckland are still undefeated domestically and could become the first team in the competition's history to go unbeaten in the NZFC regular season.

At Whenuapai, Waitakere led Waikato FC at halftime on the back of goals by Roy Krishna and Allan Pearce and were looking safe when Jack Pelter turned provider for Krishna five minutes after halftime.

Krishna completed his hattrick from the penalty spot on 57 minutes.

A Michael Gwyther penalty and a late Maurie Wasi consolation goal brought Waikato FC some joy for the NZFC wooden-spooners.

Midfielder Chris Bale gave Wellington a nervy 1-0 lead on 69 minutes, but Paul Dirou levelled the score for Canterbury just fives minutes later.

With the match appeared headed for a draw, Michael Fifii popped up to score the winner for Wellington with just five minutes left - the third consecutive match the substitute has scored a dramatic late winner for his team.

There are two outstanding regular season fixtures to be completed.

Canterbury face Auckland City next weekend in their final regular season match where a win will see them leapfrog Wellington into third place and secure an 'easier' semifinal with the minor premiership runners-up.

The final regular season fixture sees Auckland City host Manawatu on April 2.

The top four playoffs are on April 4 and 11 when the minor premiers play fourth place and the runners-up play third.

The fixtures are reversed a week later with the winners over two legs meeting in the April 25 grand final.

- NZPA