AUCKLAND – A freak goal from goalkeeper James Bannatyne helped Team Wellington take the New Zealand Football Championship playoff race to the wire with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Canterbury United in the capital on Sunday.

With just one match of league play remaining, Wellington moved to 20 points with the victory, jumping from sixth to fourth, two points behind Auckland City and YoungHeart Manawatu who played out a goalless draw on Saturday.

Hawke’s Bay and Waikato FC – who both had a week off – are poised on 19 points but need victory next weekend and losses to rivals elsewhere to creep into the semi-finals.

While five teams are fighting over three remaining spots, runaway leaders Waitakere United are the only side assured of semi-final football, and the Minor Premiers moved 10 points clear at the top of the table with a dramatic 3-2 win over nine-man Otago United in Dunedin.

At Newtown Park, Michael Fifii gave bottom-placed Canterbury a shock lead from a pinpoint Nick Wortleboer cross midway through the first half and it took Wellington until 10 minutes into the second half to draw level.

Andy Barron won a penalty – which Adam Birch converted – before laying on a goal for the league’s leading scorer Luis Corrales with 14 minutes left to play.

But it was former All White goalkeeper James Bannatyne – called into Wellington’s squad midweek as emergency injury cover – who made the game safe with the rarest of goals in the 89th minute.

Bannatyne launched a free-kick into Canterbury’s penalty area from 15 metres inside his own half and the ball narrowly eluded everyone, including his opposite number to wrap up all three points.

Meanwhile, in Dunedin, Waitakere United were given a fright from Otago United who took a 2-1 lead shortly after halftime thanks to Aaron Burgess goals either side of the break.

Roy Krishna had earlier given the visitors the lead with a 10th minute strike but it took the defending champions until the 89th to wrestle the lead back from Otago who lost both Tom Jackson and Andy Coburn to second half red cards.

Allan Pearce scored from the penalty spot to draw level after 71 minutes and Benjamin Totori grabbed a late winner with little more than injury time remaining.

The final round of league action next Sunday is headlined by Team Wellington’s showdown against Waikato while YoungHeart Manawatu could need a point from their match against Waitakere in Palmerston North to secure their position.

Auckland City are at home to Canterbury with the chance to confirm second spot while Hawke’s Bay must break their poor home form to earn their first playoff appearance when Otago United visit Park Island.

Visit www.nzfc.co.nz for the table, full results, match reports and stats.Z

Story and photo courtesy of New Zealand Football Media

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