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| Auckland City | Team Wellington |
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5 | ASB Premiership - Semi-final 2nd leg Kiwitea Street, Sandringham Sunday 27 March, 2011 Auckland win 7-1 on aggregate | 1 | |
Daniel Koprivcic 1' 53 | Hicham Kamri 16' | ||
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Halftime:2-1 Referee: Peter O'Leary Crowd:637
by Bob Pearce at Kiwitea Street
Wellington coach Stu Jacobs was disappointed that his team had failed to make the Grand Final but he paid a heartfelt tribute to Auckland. "I haven't seen a better brand of football in the national league," said the experienced coach. "All credit to the Spanish influence and the discipline of the players." From the winning team co-coach Ramon Tribulietx in return gave credit to the visitors. "It was one of our best performances against one of the best teams in New Zealand. That tells you a lot." The second leg was hardly under way before Auckland had added to their 2-0 away tally with a goal in the 40th second when the Wellington defence allowed Danko Koprivcic to dance across the penalty area past half a dozen tentative tacklers before firing the ball into the corner of the net. To their credit Wellington kept up their attacking policy and in the 16th minute they were rewarded when Emiliano Tade weaved through the defence on the left and fired a shot/centre that Hicham Kamri volleyed into the net. It took a clever one-two between Manel Exposito and Adam Dickinson for Dickinson to restore Auckland's lead in the 30th minute, his first goal of the season at a timely moment. Wellington were chasing the game in the second spell and the gaps opened up in their defence. Koprivcic made it 3-1 from a Stu Hogg cross in the 53rd minute, Luis Corrales scored his usual goal against his former club in the 64th and Exposito, after being foiled by goalie Phil Imray on three occasions, finally beat the keeper in the 85th. "That early score gave us confidence," said Tribulietx. "They had to go for it. We had a lot of space and we made good use of it. "We have humidity in southern Spain but nothing like Auckland today. We know we're going to have the same when we go to Vanuatu for the O-League final next Saturday. We will have to play at our best again because they've got some quality players." Jacobs knew the task of making up a 2-0 deficit was going to be tough and he was pleased at the way his players responded. "They kept playing to the end and that was a credit to the boys. We were in it when we scored but that second goal was a killer. Phil Imray played a blinder or it could have been more." Auckland's three All Whites arrived back from China at 1 pm, but only goalie Jacob Spoonley played. They have a busy schedule with the O-League first leg against Amicale of Vanuatu in Port Vila next Saturday. The Grand Final of the ASB Premiership is on the following Sunday and the home leg of the O-League final on April 17. Photos: www.photosport.co.nz |
Auckland City | V | Team Wellington |
1 Jacob Spoonley (GK) | 1 Phil Imray (GK) | |
2 Angel Berlanga | 2 Scott Robson | |
3 Ian Hogg | 3 Jamie Duncan | |
4 Sam Campbell | 5 Jamie O'Connor | |
6 Stuart Kelly | 12 Emiliano Tade | |
7 James Pritchett (Thomas 61) | 13 Karl Whalen | |
9 Manel Exposito | 14 Hicham Kamri | |
11 Daniel Koprivcic | 18 Darren Cheriton | |
13 Alex Feneridis | 19 George Barbarouses | |
14 Adam Dickinson | 23 Ryan Cain | |
16 Albert Riera (Corrales 50) | 24 Tyler Lissette (Abba 49) | |
Substitutes | Substitutes | |
10 Luis Corrales | 25 Lance Ramaekers (RGK) | |
12 Liam Little (RGK) | 7 Wiremu Patrick | |
20 Riki Van Steeden | 11 Andrew Abba | |
22 Andrew Milne | 22 Justin Gulley | |
23 Adam Thomas | ||
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Play by Play
0 mins | Plane delivered Auckland City All Whites at 1 pm from China via Hongkong. Only goalie Jake Spoonley named in lineup |
also 0 mins | Hot and humid but no rain at the moment. Extra time might be a bit dark! |
We're off. Auckland playing away from clubhouse | |
44s |
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2 mins | Wellington playing three up front but so far it's been all Auckland. |
5 mins | Auckland right wing corner. Headed over the top |
7 mins | Wellington's first shot, easy for Spoonley |
9 mins | Exposito allowed to run and deflected wide. Corner cleared. |
12 mins | Barbarouses again through but shot weak |
14 mins | Wellington corner, Spoonley fumbles, Tade shot just wide. |
16 mins |
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20 mins | Yellow for Barbarouses for tackle on Exposito, freekick wasted |
23 mins | Wellington are well in this, feeding off some loose Auckland passing. |
27 mins | Left wing corner for Wellington |
29 mins | Sweeping Auckland raid leaves Fenerisis free for shot but he blazes over |
30 mins |
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33 mins | Kamry Has half-chance but squanders it. |
34 mins | Imray saves header by Exposito from cross by Hogg. |
37 mins | Fingertip save by Imray from curler from Exposito |
42 mins | Wellington need a goal to upset Auckland's rhythm. |
45 mins | One minute to be added. |
45 plus one | Great save by Imray from shot by Exposito after defence on Wellington's right exposed. |
HALFTIME: Auckland City lead Team Wellington 2-1 (4-1 on aggregate). | |
46 mins | We're off again. Wellington out early raring to go |
47 mins | Robson breaks on right but cross sails wide. |
48 mins | Exposito through but closed down by Whalen and goalie. |
49 mins | Subs Wellington:Abba for Lissette, Patrick for Kamri |
50 mins | Sub Auckland Corrales on for Riera |
53 mins |
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56 mins | Spoonley saves well from Tade |
60 mins | Another stunning save from Exposito close range on Imray. |
61 mins | Thomas on for Pritchett. |
62 mins | Another great save by Imray from Exposito. The Spaniard must wonder what he has to do to get through. |
64 mins |
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65 mins | Abba shot after corner touched over by Spoonley |
68 mins | Milne on for Dickinson |
71 mins | Gulley shoots straight at Spoonley, well held. |
78 mins | freekick to Wellington on edge of area. Tade shoots over top, the game is slipping away. |
80 mins | Quick Wellington break but Tade shoots wide. |
85 mins |
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89 mins | Freekick to Auckland on edge of area, corner. Cleared. |
90 mins | One to be added. |
90 plus one mins | Fulltime: 5-1, Auckland now play either Waitakere or Canterbury in the Grand Final on April 10 in Auckland. |
Compliments were flying in both directions after Auckland City beat Team Wellington 5-1 to seal their ASB Premiership semifinal 7-2 on aggregate at Kiwitea St yesterday.
=2 yellow cards
= red card