WaiBOP United threw a spanner in the works of Hawke's Bay United's playoff push with a dramatic late winner providing a 1-0 victory at Bluewater Stadium in Napier.

With a playoff berth just minutes away for the home side, Federico Marquez fired beyond Hawke's Bay goalkeeper Josh Hill in the 90th minute to force the home side into a three-way battle for the playoffs next weekend.

WaiBOP forward Federico Marquez scored a late winner against Hawke's Bay United on Sunday. Photo: File.

Hawke's Bay will secure their playoff spot with a point in next Sunday's home match with Canterbury United, but defeat could see Waitakere United and the Wellington Phoenix leap-frog the side currently in third place.

On Sunday, the hosts created enough chances to cement their playoff place, but an early miss by leading scorer Sean Lovemore after a Billy Scott cut-back set the tone for what was to follow.

The visitors had their chances as well in the opening half, with Dylan Stansfield's header from inside the six yard area dropping wide on the 20-minute mark.

Soon after, Lovemore rounded WaiBOP goalkeeper Danyon Drake but the stopper recovered well to block a pass to Saul Halpin in front of the unguarded net.

The second-half saw the home side produce several chances. Halpin's 65th minute effort was blazed over the bar while Drake again stood tall in the final 10 minutes – stopping goal bound efforts from Ryan Tinsley and Lovemore.

Drake's contributions proved crucial as Marquez pounced on the loose ball and fired in from the edge of the area as the game entered stoppage time, to at least delay Hawke's Bay confirmation in the semi-finals.

Hawke's Bay coach Brett Angell called the game ‘frustrating' after his side squandered a host opportunities and were thwarted time and again by WaiBOP stopper Drake.

'Their goalkeeper was rightly made man-of-the-match,” says Brett.

'But I didn't feel we were as consistent with our passing and our movement as we have been previously. I don't know whether that was the worry about the playoffs or what have you.

'We didn't deserve to lose but that happens and their only shot goes in. Sometimes it's a cruel game and today it was cruel for us.”

Looking ahead to their final round clash with Canterbury, however, Angell insists his side still sit in the box seat.

'At the end of the day, with the results as they've panned out, we're still in control of our own destiny and that's what we've got to do,” he adds.

'Because we play Sunday and the others play on Saturday, we're going to know a little bit more about what we need to do. If we win the game, we finish third and nobody else can go above us.”

WaiBop face bottom placed Southern United at home this Saturday in the final round.

WaiBOP are currently in sixth on 19 points, four points adrift of fourth place Waitakere United, and will be hoping to finish the season on a high.