Bay chase victory ... and hope | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

It must feel like Houdini trying to wriggle out of a chain wrapped around the torso and padlocked in a tank full of water.

Hawke's Bay United assistant coach Chris McIvor laughs but agrees with the analogy before today's midday kick-off against Canterbury United in Napier.

"When you're going to try to win and rely on the other teams' performances then it's not the best position to be in, is it?"

The sobering evaluation comes as the New Zealand Football Championship competition nears the business end to decide who are the likely contenders for the play-offs.

"We had a chat with the guys and told them they had to look at it as rather having a chance to make the play-offs or not and they did have one," McIvor (pictured) told SportToday.

The Bay are perched on the sixth rung of the eight-team NZFC ladder with Youngheart Manawatu breathing down their necks with equal points but behind on goal difference.

McIvor said the team, hit with a spate of injuries and suspensions in last week's 4-1 away loss to Waitakere United, would be playing for pride and a mathematical chance today.

"Some of the guys will also be playing for their future in the franchise next season too," he said.

With the return of centrebacks Jonathon Taylor and Stu Ferguson, midfielder George Barbarouses and golden boot contender Leon Birnie, he expected a different performance.

He was mindful that Canterbury winger Aaron Clapham was in "red-hot" form so a tight defence was crucial.

No 1 goalkeeper Richard Gillespie is suspended with National Youth League goalkeepers Riley Morris or Lucain McDonald on standby.

Lamenting a broken collarbone of rightback Dan Terris, Canterbury coach Keith Braithwaite said they had a lot of respect for the hosts, considering one team wanted to secure a play-off spot while another still had a chance.

"We saw the cricket match on TV the other day so we don't mind if it's raining," he said after the match was postponed on January 31 to today because of a downpour that caused flash flooding at Bluewater Stadium.