YoungHeart spoil Otago's chances

YoungHeart Manawatu spoiled Otago United's play-off hopes with a one-all draw at Carisbrook on Saturday but might have lost Scott Robson for the final game of the season.

Otago were the team who started YoungHeart's run of bad form late last year with a 3-0 win at Memorial Park so it was fitting the Manawatu men got one back over the Southerners.

Otago needed a win to push themselves into contention for the top four but were then forced to rely on other results to go their way, which didn't.

Robson broke his right pinky in the first half and will see a specialist this week to find out if he needs surgery.

If he was to go under the knife he would be ruled out for YoungHeart's final match on Good Friday when they take on unbeaten Auckland City.

It's in a cast after it "pretty much snapped in half", Robson said. "It went into like a triangle, piercing the skin," he said yesterday.

"We tried to crack it back into place, but it wouldn't stay there."

Adrenaline must have been running high through Robson's veins because he didn't realise the extent of the injury. "Initially I didn't really know. I ran round a bit and I looked down because it started hurting and I looked down and saw the bone."

After being replaced by Michael Crisford at halftime, Robson was taken to hospital where some running repairs were done and he said the pain had subsided since.

Ryan Faichnie sent Otago ahead in the ninth minute on Saturday after YoungHeart appealed for the offside flag to go up. The visitors levelled the scores in the 40th minute through the hard-working Takayuki Omi after a defensive mix-up saw Otago goalkeeper James Waggett stranded and Omi finished. YoungHeart had the better of the chances in the second spell but couldn't finish. In other action, Team Wellington beat Canterbury 2-1 which meant they will join Waitakere United and Auckland City in the top four because Canterbury will edge Otago on goal difference.

The positions of the finalists will hinge on Canterbury and Auckland's regular season match next weekend and Auckland's final outing against YoungHeart. Waitakere beat Waikato 4-2 and Auckland beat Hawke's Bay 6-1 yesterday.

YoungHeart's youth team lost 2-0 to Canterbury yesterday and have lost four from four this season.

Otago United 1 (Ryan Faichnie) YoungHeart Manawatu 1 (Takayuki Omi) HT 1-1.

- © Fairfax NZ News