Auckland City and Waitakere United have surged ahead in the New Zealand Football Championship race after wins over Waikato FC and Otago United helped open up a seven point gap between the top two and the chasing pack this weekend.

Defending champions Auckland City – with two games in hand on Waitakere - grabbed a come from behind 2-1 victory over Waikato FC at Ngaruawahia that gives them 23 points and stretched their unbeaten run in the NZFC to nine matches.

Second placed Waitakere United kept pace with their rivals with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Otago United at Fred Taylor Park, while Canterbury United hit YoungHeart Manawatu for six in Christchurch, a result that gives Canterbury 14 points and sees them sit just two points adrift of their third placed arch rivals Otago but with two games in hand.

Meanwhile, Team Wellington slip to fifth, two points outside the semi-final spots and just one point ahead of Hawke’s Bay United, whose 1-0 win over Wellington in the capital helped put themselves back in the playoff mixer after a week spent in eighth place.

At Fred Taylor Park, Waitakere proved too good for the visitors as they swept-aside NZFC surprise packets Otago United. Skipper Jake Butler headed past James Waggett from a corner on eight minutes but the home side had to wait until the second half before they could further demonstrate their superiority. 

Fiji international Roy Krishna made it 2-0 up when he finished off a move that involved Benjamin Totori and Brent Fisher on 58 minutes. Tim Myers set up Totori for the third with nine minutes left and player-coach Neil Emblen rounded off the win with a header just two minutes later.

Waikato FC looked on course for a spectacular upset when youngster Mark Jones gave his team a 52nd minute lead against Auckland City at Centennial Park. But a goal from a Ki-Hyung Lee free-kick on the hour mark began a comeback from the visitors that culminated with Grant Young giving the visitors an 81st minute lead they would not relinquish.

In Christchurch, Aaron Clapham scored twice as Canterbury United thrashed ten-man YoungHeart Manawatu 6-0. The home side created history with the result their biggest ever win in the NZFC and also the first time they have beaten Manawatu in the NZFC on their home ground.

Goals for Tom Lancaster – his fourth of the season – Matt Boyd, Darren Overton and former YoungHeart striker Paul Dirou, gave Canterbury a memorable afternoon and condemned Manawatu to its fifth straight NZFC defeat, a result that leaves them hovering just 1 point above eighth placed Waikato FC.

A second-half red card for Manawatu midfielder Cory Chettleburgh completed a miserable day for the visitors.

Elsewhere, Hawke’s Bay United kept its semi-final hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Team Wellington in the capital. Hawke’s Bay and Wellington Olympic midfielder George Barbarouses celebrated his return home when his goal-bound shot took a deflection past Wellington goalkeeper Jim Bannatyne on 49 minutes to give his side the lead.

Hawke’s Bay goalkeeper Richard Gillespie kept his team in the game when he saved from Greg Draper on 63 minutes as the visitors clung on for the win. Victory keeps Hawke’s Bay within three points of fourth place.

Meanwhile, Waitakere United’s academy remained atop the Lion Foundation National Men’s Youth League standings with a resounding 7-1 win over Waikato FC at Fred Taylor Park on Saturday, and defending champions Auckland City defeated Hawke's Bay United 3-0 at Kiwitea Street on Sunday to notch their first points of the season.

Next weekend sees just one NZFC match take place due to O-League action when Team Wellington hosts Waitakere United. Auckland City continues their 2010 O-League campaign with a tricky visit to Tahitian champions AS Manu Ura on February 12.

RESULTS

Sunday

Team Wellington 0
Hawke’s Bay United 1 (George Barbarouses 49’)
Halftime: 0-0

Waitakere United 4 (Jake Butler 8’, Roy Krishna 58’, Benjamin Totori 81’, Neil Emblen 83’)
Otago United 0
Halftime: 1-0

Waikato FC 1 (Mark Jones 52’)
Auckland City 2 (Ki-Hyung Lee 60’, Grant Young 81’)
Halftime: 0-0

Canterbury United 6 (Paul Dirou 21’, Darren Overton 32’, Matt Boyd 42’, Tom Lancaster 61’, Aaron Clapham 64’, 67’)
YoungHeart Manawatu 0
Halftime: 3-0

STANDINGS

Golden Boot

8- Seule SOROMON (YoungHeart Manawatu)

6- Leon BIRNIE (Hawke’s Bay United)

6- Greg DRAPER (Team Wellington)
6- Grant YOUNG (Auckland City)

5- Brent FISHER (Waitakere United)

4- Tom LANCASTER (Canterbury United)

3- Andrew ABBA (Hawke’s Bay United)

3- Dan PEAT (Waikato FC)

3- Dan EDE (Otago United)       

3- Matt WILLIAMS (Auckland City)

3- Russell KAMO (Canterbury United)

3- Dave DUGDALE (Otago United)        

3- Roy KRISHNA (Waitakere United)

3- Benjamin TOTORI (Waitakere United)

3- Ki-Hyung LEE (Auckland City)

3- Aaron CLAPHAM (Canterbury United)

Visit www.nzfc.co.nz for full previews, reviews and live in-game updates from all NZFC matches.

Lion Foundation Youth League

Round 3 – Results
Auckland
February 7, 2010

Northern Conference

Saturday

Waitakere United 7 (Arash Sadeghi 1, Ryan De Vries 29, Zane Sole 38, Jade Mesias 41, Kelly Martin 45, Dakota Lucas 57, 68)
Waikato FC 1 (Tewi Te Pou 82)
Halftime: 5-0

Sunday

Auckland City 3 (Jacob Hall 7, Haider Jabir 12,  Rory Kelly 56)
Hawke's Bay United 0
Halftime:

Northern Conference Standings

Next Week

Northern Conference

Saturday

Auckland-Manukau v Waitakere United
Riverhills, Pakuranga
2pm  

Sunday

Waikato FC v Auckland City
Centennial Park, Ngaruawahia
2pm

Note: Southern Conference begins February 21