Highlights | Preview | Wrap
AC News WU News WF News HB News YHM News TW News CU News OU News
| Auckland City | Hawke's Bay United |
|
3 | NZFC - Round 5, Kiwitea Street, Sunday December 7, 2008 | 1 | |
Chad Coombes 50 | Leon Birnie 15 | ||
| |||
Halftime: 0-1 Referee: Matthew Conger Crowd: 330
by Bob Pearce at Kiwitea Street
Auckland City gave their departing coach Colin Tuaa a winning send-off when they beat Hawke’s Bay United 3-1 at Kiwitea St. Before kick-off Tuaa tendered his resignation midway through his second year as coach and on the back of two losses in a row. He had criticised the lack of urgency in his team earlier in the week but they stormed on to the attack from the start and only a stunning double save by goalkeeper Mitch O'Brien denied Paul Urlovic a goal in the first couple of minutes. But, as has happened so often this season, the momentum stalled and hesitancy between goalie Ross Nicholson and defender Ivan Vicelich allowed Leon Birnie a chance in the 15th minute and he capitalised with a deft chip over Nicholson. It wasn't until the 50th minute that Auckland were back on terms. A goalmouth scramble saw Grant Young slip the ball to Chad Coombes as he fell and Coombes scored from close range.
In the 80th minute Urlovic sealed the deal for Auckland with some nifty footwork to slip home a cross from Matt Williams. The win moves Auckland City to the top of the table on goal difference from Waikato and Manawatu and avoided an unprecedented three losses on the trot. Their next commitment is an O-League fixture against Port Vila in Vanuatu next weekend. Auckland chairman Ivan Vuksich said Tuaa had personal reasons for his resignation but he was also under pressure. The club had not been impressed that Ivan Vicelich had played 90 minutes for the Oceania All Stars on Saturday when the understanding was that he would play only 45. Tuaa said he had resigned with mixed emotions and he was not prepared to use some of the personal challenges he has as an excuse. "I think we were looking at different things," he said, "and maybe it was best for both sides." He acknowledged that his team had shown more urgency but had also missed two early chances from five yards. "I thought they showed a lot of spirit and I thought Jonathon Raj on his debut showed he is a player of the future." Coach Gould was measured in his response to what he believed was a poor refereeing display, but said he didn't want to take anything away from the game. "We rode our luck early on and got a great breakaway goal. We lost our shape for a while but we came back strongly in the last 15 minutes. "I was upset that Andrew Abba got booked for diving because that says he's a cheat and he's not." Photos Shane Wenzlick www.phototek.co.nz |
Auckland City | V | Hawke's Bay United |
1 Ross Nicholson (GK) | 1 Mitch O'Brien (GK) | |
3 Matt Friel | 2 Chris Davies (Geary 89) | |
5 Matt Williams | 4 Greig Henslee (Kim 63) | |
6 Ki-Hyung Lee | 5 Campbell Parkin | |
8 Chad Coombes (Kumar 56) | 6 Che Bunce | |
9 Paul Urlovic | 8 Chris McIvor | |
10 Grant Young (Nikolic 71) | 9 Daniel Kirkup | |
15 Ivan Vicelich (Suri 85) | 11 Graham Fyfe | |
20 Greg Uhlmann | 12 James Oxtoby | |
23 Liam Mulrooney | 13 Leon Birnie (Soromon 71) | |
26 Jonathon Raj | 19 Andrew Abba | |
Substitutes | Substitutes | |
4 Sam Campbell | 3 Alex Barlow | |
12 Jacob Spoonley (RGK) | 10 Seule Soromon | |
16 George Suri | 17 David Geary | |
19 Salesh Kumar | 21 Woo Jae Kim | |
24 Milos Nikolic | 23 Shaun Peta (RGK) | |
c
|
|
|
|
0 mins | Sensation before kickoff. Auckland coach Colin Tuaa has tendered his resignation. |
0 mins | Brilliant sunshine. Auckland playing with the breeze |
3 mins | Brilliant save by O'Brien as Urlovic fsatens on to cross. |
5 mins | One-two between Lee and Young foiled by goalie |
6 mins | Yellow card Wiliams for rash tackle |
12 mins | Strong run by Chris Davies but shot weak |
15 mins | GOAL! Leon Birnie capitalises on hesitancy between Nicholson and Vicelich and lobs into net over goalie. |
18 mins | Cross by Mulrooney centimetres off Urlovic's boot. |
29 mins | Yellow card Coombes for kicking ball away. |
39 mins | Lee freekick hits upright |
42 mins | Birnie corner finds Fyfe but drifts wide |
45 mins | Hawkes Bay a goal ahead at the break |
46 mins | Young floored in penalty area but Mulrooney blasts over top with goal at his mercy |
50 mins | GOAL! Coombes finishes goalmouth scramble after Young supplies telling pass. |
55 mins | Young fouled by Fyfe. Penalty. Yellow card Fyfe. GOAL! Urlovic converts penalty |
57 mins | Substitution Kumar for Coombes |
57 mins | Hawkes Bay coach red carded for protests. |
65 mins | Young just wide |
70 mins | Yellow card Parkin. Substitution Nikolic on for Young, Soromon on for Birnie |
71 mins | Yellow for Kumar. |
80 mins | GOAL! Urlovic backheels cross from Williams. 3-1 |
85 mins | Sub Suri on for Vicelich |
90 mins plus | Hawkes Bay force two corners but no reward. Final whistle 3-1. |
Five minutes later Auckland were ahead in controversial circumstances. Young was judged to have been fouled by Graham Fyfe and Urlovic converted the penalty. Fyfe received a yellow card and Bay coach Jonathan Gould was banished for his protests.
=2 yellow cards
= red card