Auckland City

Waitakere United

1

2

Matt Williams 89

Allan Pearce 32
Daniel Koprivcic 83 

by Bob Pearce at Kiwitea Street
nzfc.co.nz

Waitakere United gave themselves a great boost ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup campaign when they beat Auckland City 2-1 in an third-round New Zealand Football Championship clash at Kiwitea St on Wednesday evening.

Waitakere were sharper, fitter and more committed than they had been against Wellington Phoenix and Port Vila in their previous two encounters and it paid off against an Auckland side who dominated the first half but couldn't put the ball in the net.

Hero of the first half was goalkeeper Richard Gillespie, who made three great saves including one inadvertent one with the back of his neck. At the other end Allan Pearce capitalised on a freekick after 32 minutes, curling a perfectly placed kick beyond the grasp of Ross Nicholson.

Keryn Jordan had goal-bound shots brilliantly saved in the 16th and 17th minutes but he limped off in the 34th minute with a leg injury. Chad Coombes and Milos Nikolic also had chances that could easily have brought goals but for Gillespie's heroics.

The second half brought a complete reversal of form. Waitakere grew in confidence while Auckland City wilted and it was no real surprise when Daniel Koprivcic, who had replaced Kayne Vincent, beat the last defender with a couple of deft touches and found the net across goalie Nicholson in the 84th minute.

Auckland pressed forward and Matt Williams scored a consolation goal after Waitakere had failed to clear a Ki-Hyung Lee freekick on the edge of the penalty area.

"It sets us up well to go to Japan," said a delighted Waitakere coach Chris Milicich. "In the first half they had a whole bunch of chances and Richard Gillespie kept us in it.

"But we came right in the second spell and there was ball movement, speed and commitment in the tackle."

Auckland's Colin Tuaa described himself as "gutted".

"We killed them in the first half but we just didn't finish. They scored from a soft freekick and suddenly we were a goal down at halftime.

"When you let a team like Waitakere back into the game, they're going to punish you and that's what happened. We've got to get fitter and take our chances."

Tuaa's preparation for Saturday's clash with Wellington in the capital will not be helped by the injuries to Jordan, James Pritchett and Riki Van Steeden that saw him having to make substitutions much earlier than he would have wanted.

Waitakere must keep their concentration for a clash with Canterbury on Saturday. Neil Emblen, back from injury, proved decisive in shutting down Auckland in the second half but so far kingpin Danny Hay has yet to make an appearance.

In his absence Tim Myers and Jonathan Perry have shown out in defence and Roy Krishna has shown the speed and sharp-shooting that punished the All Whites when he was playing for Fiji.

Coombes was all action for Auckland but one or two of their players look short of match fitness.

Photos: Shane Wenzlick www.phototek.co.nz

Auckland City

V

Waitakere United

1 Ross Nicholson (GK)

1 Richard Gillespie (GK)

3 Matt Friel

2 Jonathan Perry

5 Matt Williams

16 Neil Emblen

6 Ki-Hyung Lee

4 Tim Myers

8 Chad Coombes

15 Chris Bale

15 Ivan Vicelich

14 Jeff Campbell

21 Ricky Van Steeden(Uhlmann 51)

8 Paul Seaman(Scott 70)

23 Liam Mulrooney

17 Jake Butler

24 Milos Nikolic

21 Kayne Vincent(Koprivcic 66)

14 Keryn Jordan (Young 35)

12 Roy Krishna (Totori)

7 James Pritchett (Campbell 55)

10 Allan Pearce

Substitutes

Substitutes

4 Sam Campbell

3 Aaron Scott

10 Grant Young

22 Danny Robinson (RGK)

11 Alick Maemae

9 Benjamin Totori

12 Jacob Spoonley (RGK)

13 Daniel Koprivcic

20 Greg Uhlmann

29 Adriano Pimenta

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

0 mins

Beautiful sunshine so the late kickoff should not mean a dark finish

2 mins

Lee freekick headed over top by Friel

4 mins

Cross by Campbell just clear of Seaman's head

7 mins

Good run by Mulrooney but shot straight at keeper.

10mins

Campbell freekick finds Myers but heads wide

15mins

Lee long-range shot easy meat.

16mins

Nikolic through finds Jordan but shot saved by Gillespie's foot.

17mins

Jordan piledriver from corner brilliantly blocked by Gillespie.

24mins

Yellow card.Bale yellow for foul tackle

25mins

Krishna clear but fires wide

27mins

Krishna shot straight at goalie

28mins

Handball by Vincent, freekick by Lee wide.

30mins

Emblen long ball finds Krishna, tees up Pearce, Nicholson saves well.

32mins

GOAL! 0-1 Foul by Van Steeden on Seaman earns yellow card for dissent, Pearce curls freekick from edge of area over Nicholson.

34mins

Coombes shot saved brilliantly by Gillespie.

35mins

Jordan limps off, replaced by Young

38mins

Nikolic shot deflected on to post by defender.

43mins

Nikolic shot after corner blocked by goalie.

45mins

Almost no added time and the whistle blows

46mins

No changes at halftime. Early corner to Waitakere.

49mins

Yellow card Seaman for tackle on Van Steeden

50mins

Vicelich glancing header off Lee freekick just wide

51mins

Van Steeden replaced by Uhlmann

55mins

Substitution Sam Campbell for Pritchett

60mins

Vincent shot after freekick, Nicholson untroubled

62mins

Butler cross, Pearce free header, well wide.

63mins

Young over top from long range.

65mins

Yellow card Perry from trip on Coombes

66mins

Substitution Koprivcic for Vincent.

70mins

Substitution Scott for Seaman

73mins

Koprivcic weaves through three defenders but shot blocked.

78mins

First corner of half for Auckland, no danger

79mins

Mulrooney yellow card for innocuous challenge

82mins

Substition Totori for Krishna

83mins

GOAL! 0-2 Koprivcic unchallenged takes two touches and fires across goalie.

89mins

GOAL! 1-2 Lee freekick from edge off area, Matt Williams finally collects loose ball to score.

90+3

Fulltime 2-1 to Waitakere.