Waikato FC fans left wondering

Waikato FC continue to make their fans shake their heads. Yesterday's 2-2 draw with Otago United in Dunedin sums up their New Zealand Football Championship season pretty well.

Waikato FC started abysmally, fought their way back into the game then missed a chance to move ahead. After 17 minutes, when Nathan Knox scored Otago's second goal, a routing looked on the cards.

Otago's first score was from a long shot that took a deflection in the fifth minute, before poor marking left Knox open to double the hosts' lead at Carisbrook.

"I don't know what happened," Waikato captain Shaun van Rooyen said.

"We were still on the plane, I guess."

But, just like their season, they found their feet, albeit far later than they should have.

Striker Michael Gwyther scored twice for Waikato in the 31st and 38th minutes, both from crosses and both into the same top corner of James Waggett's net.

Once back on level terms, Waikato were able to dominate for spells and had the chance to go ahead, but blew it.

Player-coach Che Bunce played up front and was brought down in the box by Otago defender Mike Abbott. It was a thoughtless tackle as Bunce was not in a position of danger, but was in the box.

Referee Dave Langley awarded the penalty, but former Otago player Joey Simpkins' shot was stopped by Waggett.

Simpkins' penalties aren't so much about placement as power and he struck yesterday's one impressively, but Waggett guessed the right way and the ball was cleared.

"Considering that we were 2-0 down it's a good result," van Rooyen said.

But the slow start hurt Waikato, he added.

"We're shooting ourselves in the foot. We gave ourselves a handicap we didn't need to."

After the game Bunce conceded his side needed all three points, but van Rooyen was trying to find the silver lining in the draw.

"We're disappointed to get just one point, but if you'd offered us that at the start of the day we probably would have taken it."

Waikato still have the slimmest of chances at making the competition's playoffs, but van Rooyen had more realistic goals for his side.

"To get off the bottom of the table is our first priority," he said.

The other results of the weekend didn't help Waikato's cause. Auckland City drew 1-1 with Canterbury United in Auckland, while Waikato's closest rivals Hawke's Bay United and YoungHeart Manawatu drew 2-2 with former Melville United player Matt Hastings scoring for Hawke's Bay in Napier.

- © Fairfax NZ News