A crucial moment in the race for the ISPS Handa Premiership minor title will take place on Wednesday evening as local rivals Eastern Suburbs and Auckland City FC go head-to-head in a top-of-the-table clash at William Green Domain.

Suburbs are currently sharing the lead with defending champions Team Wellington while Auckland City are only two points off the pace and both sides have a game in hand on the men from the capital.

The Navy Blues registered their first win of the year when they downed play-off contenders Canterbury United 2-0 in Christchurch on Sunday but face a crucial run of matches starting with the Lilywhites in mid-week.

Suburbs have put together an impressive run of form in recent weeks with an unbeaten stint that features four wins and two draws. Their last defeat came in mid-November in a 3-2 reversal at Canterbury.

Auckland coach Ramon Tribulietx downplayed talk of derby day pressure but acknowledged the threat the Lilywhites present and just what his team will have to do to get a positive result.

“It is an important game for both teams but there will be other important games coming up too,” he said.

“We want to take these games step-by-step and this game is not anything definitive. Our objective is to compete well as we would in any other match. Suburbs are a very fit team, very strong on the counter attack, and they have very good players throughout the squad, experienced ones well mixed with young ones,” he added.

“They will propose a very difficult test for us, especially as we’re coming into it from a difficult away trip to Christchurch.”

While the return of Emiliano Tade yielded instant success in the shape of two goals in the win over Canterbury United, another Navy Blues star made a solid return to action in Christchurch.

Mario Bilen entered his fifth year at Auckland City as an important figure with the club searching for its seventh ISPS Handa Premiership title win and an eighth consecutive OFC Champions League victory. Bilen was injured at the start of the season and missed the FIFA Club World Cup but looks like he has returned to action at just the right time.

“Mario has been a very important player since we got him back in 2013. He is very versatile and has a good mix of strength and technique that makes him a very competitive player,” Tribulietx said.

“He gives us huge experience coming into the decisive part of the season and it's great to have him back.”

The Navy Blues will not be at full-strength though as Dan Morgan and Owen Parker-Price have both been ruled out.

Eastern Suburbs v Auckland City FC
William Green Domain, Auckland
Wednesday 24 January, 6pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #ESvAC

Referee: CK Waugh
Assistant Referees: G Lochrie, T Chang
Fourth Official: A Wilson

Eastern Suburbs: 1. Lewis Caunter (GK), 3. Ryan Elder, 6. Jordan Vale, 7. Tim Payne, 8. Moses Dyer, 9. Max Mata, 10. Andre de Jong, 11. Ben Thomas, 14. Leon van den Hoven, 17. Michael Built, 18. Tristan Prattley, 20. Derek Tieku, 22. Hayden Johns, 29. Matt Palmer, 33. James Dunn, 36. Kelvin Kalua
Coach: Danny Hay

Auckland City: 1. Enaut Zubikarai (GK), 3. Takuya Iwata, 4. Mario Bilen, 5. Angel Berlanga, 6. Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi, 7. Cameron Howieson, 8. Albert Riera, 9. Darren White, 11. Fabrizio Tavano, 13. Alfie Rogers, 17. Reid Drake, 19. Micah Lea’alafa, 20. Emiliano Tade, 21. Harrison Moss-Edge, 24. Conor Tracey (GK), 26. Callum McCowatt
Coach: Ramon Tribulietx