NZ Soccer Scoreboard | home
Latest Auckland FC match report | Latest Wellington Phoenix match report | Sundry Fixtures
Latest Auckland FC match report
Campeone! Campeone! Ole, Ole, Ole!
by Jeremy Ruane
For previous 2024-25 match reports, go here and click on the date
They knew they were the Isuzu Ute A-League Premiers' Plate winners before the kick-off - Melbourne City's draw the night before meant Auckland FC's lead was unassailable. So GoMedia Mt. Smart Stadium was in celebration mode on April 27, with 24,221 fans piling in to witness history as their heroes became the first New Zealand team to conclude the campaign on top of the table, doing so with two games to spare.
The post-match celebrations were raucous, and rightly, but Auckland had hoped to mark the occasion with a win worthy of champions as bottom-placed Perth Glory, who themselves had to win to have any chance of avoiding the wooden spoon for the second successive season, and third time in four campaigns.
On another day, the home team would have won by a cricket score - they carved out so many chances, it wasn't funny! In the end, however, they had to settle for a 1-0 win, and when the goal came it was met with a great deal of relief by all present, given Auckland had pounded away in vain until the magic moment arrived just after the hour mark.
The first half was one-way traffic, with Oli Sail's goal very much the centre of attention. Just three minutes into the contest, Max Mata brought Hiroki Sakai into play on the right. The rampaging fullback's cross was punched out by the All Whites' goalkeeper to Mata, who controlled the ball before drilling it inches past the post.
Two minutes later, Marlee Francois scooted clear down the left before delivering a low cross which Logan Rogerson sent flying over the crossbar from eight yards, a feat he repeated five minutes later on receipt of a cross from Francis de Vries.
Two minutes prior, the fullback had delivered a free-kick which Mata headed inside to Nando Pijnaker, who saw his shot blocked by Tomislav Mrcela, the first of numerous interventions which the robust central defender would make to keep his team in contention.
Perth hadn't headed east just to make up the numbers, proving the point by firing a warning shot across Auckland's bows in front of "The Port" in the twelfth minute. Luke Amos powered through midfield before slipping a pass into the stride of Adam Taggart, who was thwarted by Alex Paulsen at close quarters.
Warning heeded, Auckland regrouped and went again, Guillermo May being denied by Mrcela's timely tackle halfway through the first half after working a one-two with Jake Brimmer.
Seconds later, the Uruguayan turned Yuto Misao upon receipt of a pass from Sakai. May then delivered a measured cross which was met by Mata, whose header flashed narrowly past Sail's left-hand post.
Louis Verstraete was next to threaten following a de Vries free-kick, awarded for Kaelan Majekodunmi hauling down Mata just outside the penalty area. Perth's rearguard stood firm, however, as they did in the 26th minute when May and the overlapping Rogerson combined on the right, the latter's low cross for Mata seeing the striker's shot blocked by Mrcela, with Amos stepping in to prevent May from firing home the rebound.
After Francois had dragged a shot wide of the post, a stray Verstraete pass was pounced on by Taggart, whose progress was thwarted by Dan Hall's timely challenge. Danger averted, it was back up the other end, Sakai delivering a delicious cross just beyond Mata and which Francois failed to capitalise upon in the 38th minute.
Four minutes later, de Vries delivered a cross to Francois, who evaded two challenges before picking out Mata at the near post. His fierce drive was superbly turned over the bar by Sail, the first time Perth's goalkeeper had been called upon to prevent
|
his hometown club from taking the lead.
De Vries' resulting corner was cleared to the far post, where Mata rose to head the ball goalwards once more. Sail pawed the ball out as far as Brimmer, who saw his shot blocked by Mrcela.
Moments later, the half - which was played in steady rain - concluded with another measured cross from de Vries, Mata once more the beneficiary. His header beat Sail all ends up, only to creep inches past the far post, much to the striker's undisguised dismay, which was punctuated by the groan from the crowd.
Perth emerged for the second half a much better organised combination, and enjoyed a far greater share of possession than had been the case in the first spell, which Auckland dominated to the tune of around 70%. Yet they had nothing to show for that dominance …
Throughout the half, the visitors repeatedly asked questions of Auckland's defence, but was repeatedly rebuffed, so much so that Paulsen didn't have to make a save. Indeed, they managed to penetrate Auckland's rearguard just twice, with Taggart rattling the side-netting six minutes from time, while impressively performed substitute Khoa Ngo sent a twenty-yarder narrowly past the post in stoppage time.
These efforts apart, it was the champions who continued to ask the question in their pursuit of a goal. Sail produced a super save low to his left to deny Francois in the 59th minute, following Rogerson's break down the right, while Majekodunmi headed the ball off Mata's head on the hour as he looked to nod a cross from May into the net.
The breakthrough Auckland had long sought finally materialised in the 63rd minute from an unlikely source. Francois had yet to score for the club, so what better way to right that wrong by scoring an "Olimpico", in off the far post direct from a corner - 1-0 to the champions, to the uncontained delight of "The Port".
Five minutes later, Mata was denied again, this time by the combined efforts of Majekodunmi and Sail. Cue a spell when Perth's pursuit of an equaliser encountered an Auckland rearguard intent on maintaining a clean sheet, after which the home team went all out for a second goal in the final ten minutes.
Liam Gillion sent a header flying past the post from an 83rd minute corner taken by fellow substitute Neyder Moreno, who sent a twenty-five yard screamer flying narrowly past Sail's left-hand upright two minutes later - how "The Port" would love to have seen that one fly into the net!
May and Moreno teamed up soon after for the benefit of Jesse Randall, whose shot was blocked by Sail, while with the last kick of the game, a twenty-five yard missile from May careered inches past the post, bringing to an end a match which saw the newly crowned champions claim their crown, albeit not quite in the style they had hoped.
The trophy presentation afterwards was epic, however, with numerous Auckland players savouring the first trophy triumph of their respective careers, meaning this success will live long in the memory - it's already part of New Zealand football folklore, which makes it very special indeed
Auckland: Paulsen; Sakai, Hall, Pijnaker, de Vries (Elliot, 83); Rogerson (Gillion, 77), Verstraete (booked, 51 (Howieson, 69)), Brimmer, Francois (Randall, 69); Mata (Moreno, 69), May
Perth: Sail; Risdon (Ngo, 73), Mrcela, Majekodunmi (booked, 24), Misao; Mileusnic (Okamoto, 73), Amos (booked, 56 (O'Neill, 62)), Freney (Bugarija, 62), Ostler; Pearman, Taggart
Referee: Adam Kersey
|