But it was Waikato which scored the goals, earning a 3-1 win to overtake Otago on the ASB Premiership table.
Before the game, Otago, Waikato and Manawatu were on six points. Waikato's win moved it up to nine points. Manawatu was leading Auckland 1-0 after a third-minute goal by Tom Mosquera, but Auckland eventually won 4-1, and the wooden spoon went to Manawatu on goal difference.
Otago looked keen and made a positive start, Aajay Cunningham twisting and turning past defenders, Regan Coldicott launching a shot in the box and Victor Da Costa finding space before shooting narrowly off target.
However, Waikato grabbed the first goal after nine minutes when Mark Jones bustled possession on the left, then fed Rory Turner. He unloaded to Gurjeep Singh, who gave Otago keeper Liam Little no chance as he slotted Waikato into a 1-0 lead.
Waikato's Singh is running hot at the moment. Possibly the fastest player on the park, he was first to the ball when Little palmed down a shot by Chilean Alexi Caroama Varela, and Singh guided in an easy goal to make it 2-0 after 23 minutes.
Otago won a healthy amount of possession, and Da Costa hit a near-post shot which was well saved by veteran keeper Neil Mouncher, whose performance belied his age (43).
The keeper needed more than a slice of luck when he mis-read a Cunningham far post cross, and defender Mark Jones' clearance skewed across goal, almost back into Mouncher's arms.
In the second half, an attempted punched clearance by Mouncher landed in front of Coldicott, but the normally reliable striker shot wide at the open goal.
Coldicott was again holding his head in his hands when a booming clearance from Otago centreback Matt Joy put the striker through - but he shot across goal with Mouncher stranded.
In similar style, Singh then spurned his hat trick when he rounded Little but trundled the ball wide in front of an open goal.
The game was all about pressure, and Otago cranked up a full head of steam. With almost half an hour to go, Otago climbed back into the match with a superb goal that had Waikato knees buckling.
The Waikato crossbar was left shaking from a powerful shot by Jude Fitzpatrick. Coldicott hit the rebound, which was blocked, then the cool head of Cunningham shot Otago back into contention, making the score 2-1 after 56 minutes.
End-to-end play created chances for both sides and defenders made more than a few last-ditch tackles.
Varela probably went closest for Waikato with a stinging shot that Little did well to swat away to safety, but almost immediately some good combination play on the left by Turner and Varela created a two-on-one.
Varela then spun clear to drill home a classy goal.
Otago coach Richard Murray cleared his bench, bringing on Taylor McCormack for Seamus Ryder, Cam Atwood for Fitzpatrick, and Andrew Ridden for Sam Mepham.
The reshuffle almost paid off, as McCormack launched a header that skiffed off Waikato's crossbar, Coldicott had a close-range shot blocked and Ridden blasted over the crossbar from a handy position.
But it was Waikato that went nearest at the end when a Jack Hobson-McVeigh free kick deceived Little as the ball scuffed his right upright.
ASB Premiership
The scores
Waikato 3
Gurjeep Singh 2, Alexi Caroama Varela
Otago United 1
Aajay Cunningham
Halftime: Waikato 2-0.
