Auckland City

Team Wellington

2

0

Manel Exposito 44'
Luis Corrales 67'

by Bob Pearce at Kiwitea Street
asbpremiership.co.nz

AUCKLAND - Auckland City kept the pressure on Waitakere United for the ASB Minor Premiership when they beat Team Wellington 2-0 at Kiwitea St on Sunday.

With two rounds to play, Auckland have 27 points -- three behind their West Auckland rivals. Wellington remain third with 22 and can't be overtaken.
 
It's going to be a tough run-in for the Auckland team. They are tentatively down to play a rescheduled O-League game against Magenta in Noumea on Monday February 22 followed by a home O-League tie against Waitakere on Sunday February 27.

Their ASB Premiership season would finish with an away game against YoungHeart Manawatu on Wednesday March 2 and a final Premiership clash at Kiwitea four days later.
 
Against Wellington they struck an opponent ready to play football and settle for nothing less than a win, which despite the number of yellow cards, was played in the best of spirits.

It seemed likely to be scoreless at halftime, thanks to some poor finishing by both teams and a couple of excellent saves by Phil Imray in the Wellington goal.

But in the 44th minute Ivan Vicelich swept a crossfield pass 50m to find an unmarked Manel Exposito on the left and the Spanish striker cleverly lobbed goalkeeper Imray to open the scoring.
 
Auckland enjoyed a period of dominance after the break and after wasting a golden opportunity by failing to pass when the goal loomed open, Luis Corrales received a perfect pass from substitute Adam Dickinson to make it 2-0.
 
Both teams created but couldn't convert a host of other opportunities with substitutes Andrew Abba and Emiliano Tade going close for the visitors. David Mulligan's dead ball skills from freekicks were a constant threat but the post and Imray kept him off the scoresheet.
 
"We were playing for a potential O-League spot with two good sides who want to play football," said Wellington coach Stu Jacobs. "It was a pity the game wasn't allowed to flow in the early stages.
 
"We came here to win and we set our stalls out well defensively in the first half. We had three or four chances but the final ball was a bit too hard. When we brought on our impact players in the second half, they were a bit quiet. We'll now prepare for the semifinals."
 
Auckland co-coach Ramon Tribulietx said Auckland had never underestimated the challenge Wellington posed.
 
"They're a very good team and they play a good game. We knew they would be hard to beat. We scored two good goals but we maybe could have had more with the right decisions."
 
Auckland celebrated a number of milestones. It was defender James Pritchett's 100th league game, chairman Ivan Vuksich's birthday and City's seventh win in a row. Pritchett was named man of the match by co-coach Aaron McFarland.
 
The odds are that Auckland and Wellington will renew their rivalry in the semifinals next month.
 
  

Auckland City

V

Team Wellington

1 Jacob Spoonley (GK)

1 Phil Imray (GK)

3 Ian Hogg

2 Scott Robson

4 Sam Campbell (Dickinson 60')

3 Jamie Duncan

7 James Pritchett

4 Michael Eagar

8 David Mulligan

7 Wiremu Patrick (Halstead 68')

9 Manel Exposito

10 Michael Fifi (Abba 46')

10 Luis Corrales

13 Karl Whalen

11 Daniel Koprivcic (Thomas 74')

14 Hitcham Kamri

13 Alex Feneridis (Berlanga 52')

18 Darren Cheriton

15 Ivan Vicelich

19 George Barbarouses

6 Stu Kelly

22 Justin Gulley (Tade 55')

Substitutes

Substitutes

2 Angel Berlanga (in 52')

25 Lance Ramaekers (RGK)

12 Liam Little (RGK)

20 Peter Halstead (in 68')

14 Adam Dickinson (in 60')

12 Emiliano Tade (in 55')

22 Andrew Milne

23 Ryan Cain

23 Adam Thomas (in 74')

11 Andrew Abba (in 46')

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

0'-

Welcome to Kiwitea Street, Sandringham, home of Auckland City FC and venue for today's showdown between title hopefuls Auckland City FC and their capital rivals Team Wellington. Both teams have qualified for the playoffs already but there will be much interest in how these two teams shape up with knock out football only weeks away.

0 also

Hot and humid with only a slight breeze. Angel Berlanga on bench with Ian Hogg a starter for Auckland.

0 again

Auckland playing towards Mt Roskill. Wellington playing in white

We're off

2 mins

 Auckland on attack but wasting balls across goal.

3 mins

freekick Wellington on halfway but Auckland snaffle ball and break

5 mins

Ref twice stops quick freekicks, rubbish.

6 mins

Kamri gets yellow for falling spectacularly in area.

9 mins

Imray gets yellow for time wasting. This is ridiculous.

10 mins

Freekick flies wide.

13 mins

Mulligan gets yellow card, unknown reason. Is this a bid for the Fox record.

19 mins

Koprivcic snap shot well saved by Imray.

21 mins

Yellow for Corrales for encroachment at freekick

22 mins

Robson cross headed just wide by Fifi.

26 mins

Freekick on edge of area for Auckland, Mulligan hammers, good save Imray

36 mins

Great cross ball by Pritchett, but Exposito fails to convert.

37 mins

Fifi breaks but Spoonley saves easily.

39 mins

Freekick to Auckland wasted.

41 mins

Shot by Exposito flies just wide after good buildup.

44 mins

GOAL! Long looping ball over defender finds Exposito and he lobs over Imray.

45 mins

Two mins extra

45 plus two

Long range shot by Feneridis hits post with Imray grasping air

Controversy in the media box about Halberg awards but unanimous opinion : We should have won more!!

Wellington halftime sub, Abba on for Fifi

46 mins

We're off again. Auckland on attack but Whalen foils attack.

48 mins

Too complicated by Auckland when they split the defence, Mulligan the culprit.

50 mins

Corrales fouled on edge of area. Feneridis subbed by Berlanga.

53 mins

Abba feeds Kamri and he forces good save from Spoonley

55 mins

Gulley replaced by Tadi for Wellington

60 mins

Campbell off, Dickinson on for Aucckland

64 mins

Optimistic strike by Mulligan sails over the bar.

66 mins

Screamer from Mulligan after part cleared corner hits post with goalie beaten.

67 mins

GOAL! Dickinson makes run on left, perfect cross hit home by Corrales.

68 mins

Halstead on for Patrick

70 mins

Yellow for Berlanga, but Auckland get freekick

74 mins

Auckland replace Koprivcic with Thomas

79 mins

freekick to Wellington, Tade takes and fires just wide.

82 mins

Yellow for Hogg for wasting time with throw.

84 mins

Yellow for Whalen, eighth of game.

85 mins

Exposito takes freekick just wide

87 mins

Kamri shot cleared and then Tade blocked by Spoonley. Wellington threatening to score.

89 mins

Halstead shot turned over bar by Spoonley

90 mins

Three minutes to be added

90 plus two

Barbarouses shoots over top. Everybody's stuffed, time for final whistle.

90 plus three

Full time and Aucckland win 2-0