Highs lows

4th minute: Hawke's Bay United midfielder Sam Maggerts' curls a cross from the right corner to beat Canterbury United goalkeeper Adam Hughfield only for the ball to clip the crossbar and ricochet into play.

5th: Canterbury midfielder Darren White latches on to a Shaun Peta fumble in the 5m box but a scrambling Bay defence clear.

11th: White again volleys from 22m out but the ball sprays wide of the left upright.

15th: Keeper Hughfield puts a casual tap inside the box to his defender but Bay fail to apply pressure to force a mistake.

16th: Margetts puts a ball through from about 30m out off an oblique angle on the right flank above an advancing Hughfield but it agonisingly misses the far upright.

20th: White collects a yellow card for a foul on left winger Conor Tinnion.

27th: Rudi Bauerfeind replaces Stephen Hindmarch in the engine room.

29th: Margetts tries another chip after a Canterbury defensive blunder but still no cigar.

32nd: White takes a free kick 2m from the left corner flag but defender Tom Schwarz's running header is wide of front upright.

33rd: Bay striker Hamish Watson drives a worm burner from the edge of the 18m box but it fades away from the upright.

35th: Midfielder Adam Cowan scavenges a ball in the 18m box but the ensuing shot has the fans up on their feet as it misses the far upright.

38th: Watson draws a foul from about 33m out but Matt Hastings' free kick clips the wall.

44th: GOAL! Watson, lurking inside the 18m box, latches on to a defensive error to crisply push the ball past a stranded Hughfield in goal. Bay lead 1-0.

45th: GOAL! Bay skipper Bill Robertson nods a Hastings corner into the net, 2-0. That means goal supporter Chris McCarrey pays $50 + $2 a goal for the match.

HALFTIME:

48th: White is lucky to escape with a caution from referee Mike Hester after bringing down roving defender Fergus Neil on the left edge of the 18m box.

51st: Robertson makes a line save after a header from Canterbury's Matt Thomas.

60th: After end-to-end stuff the ref pings Canterbury striker George Slefendorfas for an aerial hit on Robertson as the pair's ongoing argy-bargy seems to hit a crescendo. Neil and midfielder Aaron Clapham, lip bloodied, are also having their little tussles.

61st: GOAL! Margetts makes it 3-0 after an advancing keeper Hughfield fails to thwart an attack and the Bay midfielder, in his debut season, casually pushes the ball into an empty goal.

64th: Goalmouth melee as the keeper recovers to deny Watson another goal.

67th: Josh Smith comes off and Francis De Vries goes into the left back position for the Cantabs.

68th: Bay keeper Shaun Peta's stress-free spell is up as he makes a great save from a Thomas drive from just inside the 18m box before following it up with another save from the ensuing corner kick.

71st: Cowan collects a yellow card for a retaliatory tackle after venting his spleen at the ref for not pinging his counterpart seconds earlier.

72nd: Margetts header from 5m in front of the near upright looks like a done deal but the fans' celebration proves to be premature as defender Mark Johnston hooks the ball away.

75th: Clapham clips the upright after a free kick from an Adam Chandler foul on him about 25m out.

78th: Hastings off, Alex Barlow on for the Bay.

79th: Slefendorfas and White off, Andrew Barton and Ken Yamamoto on for Canterbury.

81st: Barton picks up a yellow card for a foul on Barlow.

82nd: Peta makes another great save after Thomas drives a shot from inside the 18m box.

83rd: Josh Margetts in for Watson, who receives a standing ovation.

87th: Barlow bursts into a one-on-one with Hughfield but the keeper wins that battle.

92nd: The ref puts the visitors out of their misery as the rain that created havoc in Hastings failed to arrive at Park Island.