Waitakere United

Waikato FC

4

2

Allan Pearce 35
Roy Krishna 34, 49, 57-pen

Michael Gwyther 78-pen
Mauri Wasi 87

by Bob Pearce at Fred Taylor Park
nzfc.co.nz

Roy Krishna scored a hat-trick as Waitakere United finished their regular season with a 4-2 victory over a feisty Waikato team at Fred Taylor Park.

The win keeps the West Aucklanders a point clear of Auckland City at the top of the NZFC and assured of a semi-final place. But Auckland would have to lose their last two games to concede the title to their cross-town rivals.

After something of a goal-scoring famine early in the season, Waitakere strikers have been feasting in recent games.

It took more than half an hour for them to break the deadlock with Waikato, who had the better of the opening quarter and forced a series of corners that could easily have produced goals.

But a double strike within a couple of minutes changed the balance of the game and they were never seriously in contention after that.

First Benjamin Totori floated a perfectly weighted cross from the right across the Waikato goal and Krishna timed his run well to head his first goal in the 34th minute.

Almost immediately on the restart careless defending left Allan Pearce unmarked to capitalise on a loose ball.

A two-nil deficit at the break didn't look insurmountable for the visitors. But four minutes from the restart Jack Pelter lasered a pinpoint pass from deep in defence to provide Krishna with his second.

It was 4-0 in the 55th minute in somewhat controversial circumstances. Referee Matt Conger awarded Waitakere a penalty. Krishna took the spot kick but goalie Scott Robinson dived to his left to make a brilliant save.

Sadly for Robinson, the referee ordered the kick to be retaken for incursion and Krishna made no mistake given a second chance to complete his hat-trick.

Waikato deserved better than a 4-0 defeat and they had late consolation, first from a penalty by Michael Gwyther in the 78th minute and then an 87th minute goal for Maurie Wasi when Liam Little in the Waitakere spilled a ball in the goalmouth and he won the race to get the final touch.

Waitakere player-coach Neil Emblen, who stayed on the bench, was delighted to see his team again rack up four goals.

"Some of our attacking play was really good," he said. "We stepped off the gas a bit when the game became a little bit easy. But you have to excuse that at this stage of the season.

"Every game now is a cup final for us and the players don't want to miss anything by getting injured. Roy really enjoyed himself today but I thought our clear player-of -the-day was Allan Pearce, who played super. He kept it simple and his work-rate was exceptional."

Che Bunce, stretching his weary legs after his first season as player-coach of Waikato had mixed feelings - disappointed to lose but pleased at the way his team never gave up.

"In the first quarter we did really well, forced about 10 corners and had chances. But two individual errors put them 2-0 up. Then there was a dubious penalty. But credit to my boys for coming back.

"In the second half of the season we've come together as a team and several of our losses have been by one goal. We've just made too many errors"

Bunce has not been put off coaching by his tough year in the NZFC. "I'd like to carry on. I got thrown in at the deep end and it's hard to keep fit and coach. There's a lot of work to be done but I'd like to continue."

Waitakere United

V

Waikato FC

22 Liam Little (GK)

26 Scott Robinson (GK)

2 Jason Rowley

2 Che Bunce

3 Aaron Scott

4 Charlie Hoyle

7 Martin Bullock

5 Joe Simpkins (Stewart 72)

8 Brent Fisher (Lucas 73)

6 Jason Chewins

9 Benjamin Totori(Del Monte 81)

7 Tewi Te Pou

10 Allan Pearce

8 David Samson(Wasi 73)

11 Neil Sykes

10 Michael Gwyther

12 Roy Krishna (De Vries 67)

13 Shaun Van Rooyen

18 Zane Sole

19 Jeff Campbell

21 Jack Pelter

23 Alex Barlow

Substitutes

Substitutes

1 Danny Robinson (RGK)

1 Alex Carr (RGK)

14 Luis Del Monte

9 Dan Rattray

16 Neil Emblen

16 Paul Stewart

19 Dakota Lucas

20 Nikolai Molijn

20 Ryan De Vries

24 Maurie Wasi

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

0 mins

Liam Little gets a chance in goal for Waitakere. Coach Emblen is on the bench

 Waitakere City team who won league in 1999 on hand, enjoying reunion. Some look fit enough to take field again.

1 min

Waikato on attack freekick on edge of area

2 min

Campbell freekick sails wide.

3 min

Corner to Waikato, headed back across goal, final shot wide. Chewins and Little clash heads.

7 mins

Chewins flips Pearce freekick, Krishna blazes header over bar.

8 mins

Waikato defending raising goalie's blood pressure

12 mins

Freekick to Waitakere, taken by Sykes, blazed away by Sole

14 mins

Corner to Waikato, Bunce header saved by Little.

15 mins

Yellow card Bunce for tackle on Krishna. Also yellow for Hoyle. freekick cleared with difficulty.

18 mins

Long range shot by Pearce, keeper sights it late but saves.

20 mins

Fisher wriggles through defence but shot hits outside of post.

22 mins

Good run by Totori but cross untouched.

23 mins

Another Waikato corner. Gwyther header just wide.

24 mins

Defence serves up ball on plate for Totori who manages to lose out to goalie with goal yawning in front

26 mins

Gwyther wastes good chance by shooting when pass would have split the defence.

29 mins

Play swinging end to end, quality mixed, excitement level high

30 mins

Another Waikato corner, first cleared by Pelter second caught by Little.

31 mins

Van Rooyen crosses from left ,Samson miskicks in front of goal

32 mins

Campbell pass splits defence, Gwyther shoots straight at goalie.

34 mins

GOAL! Totori delivers perfect cross from right, Krishna leaps high to head home.

35 mins

GOAL! Pearce profits as Waikato defence hesitates.

40 mins

 Chewins yellow, Bullock freekick defects for corner

44 mins

Robinson blocks shots from Krishna and Scott. Waitakere are starting to dominate

45 mins

Bullock piledriver tipped over top by Robinson

45 mins plus one

Three minutes to be added.

45 plus two

 Campbell to Te Pou shot blocked.

45 plus four

Halftime Waitakere 2-0, but Waikato have had plenty of chances to get on the board.

Emblen warming up for second half action

46 mins

Pearce shows pace but shoots over top

49 mins

GOAL! Long pass from Pelter finds Krishna who has great first touch and then buries shot.

51 mins

Little struggles to hold Campbell shot, but defence comes to rescue

55 mins

Barlow fouls Pearce in front of goal. Robinson saves Krishna spot kick diving to left. Ref has it taken again for encroachment.

57 mins

GOAL! Krishna retakes penalty and makes no mistake.

62 mins

Robinson saves from pearce at close range.

64 mins

Gwyther through but outfoxed by goalie

67 mins

Sub De Vries on for Krishna. Three is enough!

69 mins

Bunce brings down Pearce, Fisher freekicjk over bar

71 mins

Robinson saves well from Totori and De Vries.

72 mins

Bunce goal-line clearance from Fisher

Sub Stewart on for Simpkins

73 mins

Sub Lucas on for Fisher, Wasi on for Samson

78 mins

GOAL! Ref decides defender infringed and awards penalty. Gwyther scores.

81 mins

Sub Totori off Del Monte on.

87 mins

GOAL! Cross mishandled by Little. Te Pou gets a touch and Wasi claims the goal.

90 mins

Four minutes extra.

90 plus two

Freekick to Waikato on edge of area.Wall block s kick

90 plus four

Fulltime whistle blows. Both teams have finished regular games. Waikato finished for season Waitakere on to semis after a couple of O-League commitments