It's been a season of 'what might have been” for WaiBOP United coach Peter Smith after his side went down 2-0 to Auckland City over the weekend.

Smith's men have lost two matches in the dying minutes of the game and, according to Peter, with the right 'rub of the green”, yesterday's game could have been a very different story.

WaiBOP United player Mark Jones. Photo: YouTube.

Auckland have finished 2015 top of the ASB Premiership after their away win over WaiBOP at FMG Stadium, Waikato.

But Peter says it was a disappointing loss for his team.

'At the end of the day, Auckland deserved to win,” admits Peter.

'It's a wee bit frustrating – if we'd got rub of the green, it may have been a different day.

'We created a few chances and the lads stuck to the game plan on the whole. But that's football for you. You stick to your plan, but you need that wee bit of luck as well.”

Daewook Kim's first goal for Auckland City – a tap-in in the 18th minute – and Emiliano Tade's clinical finish five minutes after the break secured the points for the champions in an entertaining sixth round ASB Premiership encounter.

The first-half saw both sides hit the woodwork and have a goal apiece ruled out for off-=side. WaiBOP United's keeper, Zac Speedy, also saved an Emiliano Tade spot kick just prior to Kim's goal.

Auckland made four changes to their starting line-up, with work commitments forcing Jacob Spoonley out of the selection picture while ever-presents Marko Dordevic, Takuya Iwata and Joao Moreira were also missing.

It allowed coach Ramon Tribulietx to hand first domestic appearances to three players with strong ties to the Waikato, with goalkeeper Danyon Drake and defenders Jesse Edge and Alfie Rogers stepping up.

The visitors had the edge in a cagey first-half, with Mario Bilen hitting the post after just nine minutes and Ryan De Vries forcing Zac Speedy into an early save.

Speedy was in the spotlight again on 18 minutes when the former New Zealand age group goalkeeper saved a casually taken penalty from Tade.

But elation turned to despair within seconds for WaiBOP when the Navy Blues worked a short corner that allowed Kim to score from close range after Ryan De Vries had supplied the ammo from a deflected Bilen shot.

WaiBOP now sit equal fifth with Waitakere United (6 points) behind Auckland (13 points), Team Wellington and Canterbury United (12 points) and Hawke's Bay (11 points).