An early goal was not enough to get Southern United over the line.
The side was condemned to its 13th loss of the season, as Hawke’s Bay United kept its playoff hopes alive with a 2-1 victory at Bluewater Park in Napier on Saturday.
Southern had taken the lead after just eight minutes, as Danny Furlong pounced on an error by Hawke’s Bay goalkeeper Josh Hill. The goal was Furlong’s 100th in competitive games.
It could have become 2-0 five minutes later when a free kick rebounded off the woodwork. The hosts made Southern pay for the miss two minutes later. Saul Halpin buried an equaliser with Hawke’s Bay’s first shot at goal.
The score remained locked at halftime, before Facundo Barbero pounced on a deflection in the 63rd minute to give Hawke’s Bay a lead it never relinquished. It took all three points and left Southern without a win in its last six games.
Southern remains rooted to the bottom of the table with 10 points, unable to make it out of the bottom two. Hawke’s Bay, however, remains a playoff chance. It finds itself in fifth place, just one point outside the top four, but with a game in hand.
That game will be against Hamilton Wanderers in two weeks’ time and a win will advance Hawke’s Bay into the top four.
