Waikato's playoff hopes grim

BY MATT RICHENS

Waikato FC were endorsed by one of the country's top soccer coaches yesterday but their playoff hopes seem all but gone.

Waikato lost 2-1 in Ngaruawahia to defending champions Auckland City, whose coach Paul Posa then called Waikato one of the top teams in the country.

If only he'd seen them at the start of the season.

Oh wait, he did, when Auckland City beat them 5-0 in Auckland.

But yesterday was a different story.

Waikato were tenacious, tough on the ball and off it, were in the Auckland City players' faces and took only forward steps.

Waikato took the lead through impressive Taupo winger Mark Jones after the hard work of Maurie Wasi had set up the chance. Striker Wasi hounded an Auckland defender into an error, setting up a three against two overlap.

An average ball to Michael Gwyther was turned into a spectacular cross for Jones, in just his fifth NZFC game, to score his first goal from an acute angle.

But two quality finishes from the defending champions kept their unbeaten run alive and kept them on top of the table.

Ki-Hyung Lee dinked a neat free-kick over the wall while evergreen Grant Young charged sideways into the box to meet a powerful cross and smash a volley past Alex Carr.

"They're definitely a top four side," Posa said. "But maybe they've left their run a bit late.

"We're really happy with those three points," he said.

He's right. With three games to go, Waikato need three wins then must rely on other results going their way if they are to make the top four.

And while they may be playing well, Waikato's last three games include two of the toughest away fixtures in the league this year.

After a week off next week Waikato play Otago United at Carisbrook.

They then host the struggling Team Wellington side before playing playoff bound Waitakere United in Auckland.

"They are good side, a very good side," Posa said.

"They had a good game plan and they executed it well."

For Waikato, the fact they came so close to causing the upset of the season came as little consolation with the general consensus among players that they blew the game.

Heads were down; a win yesterday would have boosted not only the team's playoff hopes, but also their credibility.

But to get so close to Auckland is something most teams have struggled with and Jones' goal was only the fifth Auckland keepers have had to pick up out of their net in nine games.

And not enough credit was given to Auckland City when the Waikato players were beating themselves up.

They are the best team in the competition and while they were patchy yesterday, there were too many quality players on the field – and the bench for that matter – to just roll over.

Waikato's efforts were without newly signed talisman Jeff Campbell who was at a wedding.

The good old days of the 21-round competition might have been a factor in Waikato's financial troubles, but the extra games would be more than welcome by the franchise now as they make a late run.

In other games, Canterbury United smashed Youngheart Manawatu – strong wooden spoon chances now – 6-0 in Christchurch.

Waitakere remain on level points with Auckland City (City have two games in hand) with a 4-0 trouncing of Otago in Auckland and Hawke's Bay United jumped off the bottom of the table with a 1-0 win over Team Wellington in the capital.

- © Fairfax NZ News