Auckland City

Waikato

3

0

Matt Friel 10
Keryn Jordan 84
own goal (Craig Wylie) 90+1

by Bob Pearce at Kiwitea St
nzfc.co.nz  

Auckland City returned to the top of the table with a 3-0 win over Waikato that was not as convincing as the score-line would indicate.

Auckland went ahead 1-0 after 10 minutes when Matt Friel poked home a corner that the defence had failed to clear.

But for 74 minutes there was little in it and, particularly in the second half, Waikato looked likely to grab a point.

Then that old goal-poacher Keryn Jordan took a hand. He had missed a couple of reasonable chances earlier but when the ball came free from a frustrated Waikato attack, he made use of the extra space and buried a powerful drive from just outside the penalty area.

By then Waikato were well out of their 4-5-1 formation and Auckland pressure saw Craig Wylie slice an attempted clearance into his own net.

There were signs throughout the game that coach Paul Posa has his team on the road back to the standards they reached in their championship-winning days. They built well in midfield and when Spaniard Xavi Roca pushes forward he has an experienced eye for the telling pass.

But goals are still not coming as readily as they would like. Grant (note: Neil is still in good form in his 60s)Young has retired and Auckland will be hoping Liverpudlian Adam Dickinson can live up to his reputation when he becomes eligible. Waikato started with a hiss and a roar but then fell off the pace before responding well to a stir-up at halftime from coach Dave Edmondson.

Goalkeeper Greg Walters produced a couple of stunning saves to keep them in the game when they had drifted out.

Posa was happy with the result and the two late goals were something of a bonus and a reward for persistence.

“We’ve been trying to convert more chances and it was good that it finally happened. It’s given us something to build on,” he said.

“Waikato defended well. They had a game plan and they played to it. It was hard to break them down.”

Coach Edmondson was unhappy that Waikato failed to maintain the strong start that was essential.

“We talked about getting the pressure on early. It’s easy to talk but ultimately you’ve got to do it on the field,” he said.

“We’ve got to start from the very first whistle. You’ve got to start on the front foot and stay on the front foot.

“That said we were in the game until the second goal. That just killed it for us.”

Edmondson had a special word for Shaun van Rooyen, who worked tirelessly to try to create something for the visitors.

Auckland’s stay at the top of the table is likely to be brief with Waitakere United due to play Hawke's Bay on Sunday. Next Saturday the likely top two will clash at Douglas Field in Henderson. 

Photos: Shane Wenzlick www.phototek.co.nz

Aucckland City

V

Waikato FC

12 Jacob Spoonley (GK)

19 Greg Walters (GK)

3 Matt Friel

2 Joel Mathews (Mayne 84)

5 Matt Williams

3 Ben Hunt (Robson 66)

6 Ki-Hyung Lee(McGeorge 78)

4 Graham Pearce

8 Chad Coombes (Kumar 85)

7 Joe Simpkins

9 Paul Urlovic (Nicolic 64)

10 Stu Hogg

14 Keryn Jordan

9 Marco Rojas

15 Ivan Vicelich

14 Craig Wylie

21 Riki Van Steeden

13 Shaun van Rooyen

22 Xavi Roca

12 Mike Walters (Holloway 54)

23 Liam Mulrooney

25 Nathan Strom

Substitutes

Substitutes

1 Ross Nicholson (RGK)

1 Jason Mann (RGK)

4 Sam Campbell

11 Steven Holloway

19 Salesh Kumar

24 Michael Mayne

24 Milos Nikolic

18 Nik Robson

25 Adam McGeorge

21 Jon Stables

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

0 mins

Very hot and sticky with slight breeze

2 mins

Freekick to Auckland after foul by Walters, corner headed just wide by Vicelich, second corner cleared

4 mins

Yellow card Van Steeden for foul on Wylie.

6 mins

Stu Hogg shot touched round post by Spoonley

9 mins

Jordan clear but shot saved by goalie

10 mins

GOAL! Right wing corner not cleared Matt Friel stabs ball home.

12 mins

Yellow card Hogg for foul on goalie

21 mins

Mulrooney run from midfield, shoots just wide

32 mins

Yellow card Strom for push

37 mins

Panic in Auckland defence but Rojas shoots wide

40 mins

Bicycle kick shot by Jordan just wide

42 mins

Freekick by Lee, head by Van Steeden but Urlovic can't finish

45 mins

Run by Roca, Coombes shoots on the run, brilliant save by Greg Walters at full stretch.

No changes at halftime

47 mins

Corner by Auckland, shambles in defence, Jordan heads for goal and Mathews heads off line.

51 mins

Yellow card Friel

53 mins

Yellow card Van Rooyen, substitute Holloway for Walters.

65 mins

Auckland sub Nikolic for Urlovic

66 mins

Waikato sub Hunt off, Robson on.

74 mins

Yellow card Lee for two-footed tackle

78 mins

Substitution McGeorge for Lee

81 mins

Double-hit by Nicolic and then Roca foiled by defence.

84 mins

Mathews replaced by Mayne

85 mins

GOAL! Jordan fastens on to freekick outside box and buries a fierce shot.

86 mins

Kumar on for Coombes.

90 plus one

GOAL! Wylie puts ball in own net trying to clear.