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.
Defending champions Auckland - with two games in hand on Waitakere - grabbed a come from behind 2-1 victory over Waikato FC at Ngaruawahia putting them on 23 points, and stretches their unbeaten run in the NZFC to nine matches.
Second placed Waitakere United kept pace with their rivals with an emphatic 4-nil victory over Otago United at Fred Taylor Park, while Canterbury United thumped Manawatu 6-nil in Christchurch, a result that gives the Cantabrians 14 points, just two points adrift of their third placed arch rivals Otago but with two games in hand.
Meanwhile, Wellington slip to fifth, two points outside the semi-final spots and just one point ahead of Hawke's Bay United, whose 1-nil win over the Capital side in Newtown helped put themselves back in the playoff mix after a week spent in eighth place.
Next weekend sees just one NZFC match take place due to O-League action when Wellington hosts Waitakere.
Auckland City continues their 2010 O-League campaign with a tricky visit to Tahitian champions AS Manu Ura on February the 12th.
