Waitakere United

Auckland City

4

2

Neil Emblen 16
Roy Krishna 22
Kayne Vincent 52
Benjamin Totori 73

Matt Friel 46
Keryn Jordan (pen) 78

by Bob Pearce at Douglas Field
nzfc.co.nz

Waitakere United surged to the top of the New Zealand Football Championship with a 4-2 victory over cross-town rivals Auckland City at Douglas Field.
 
In direct contrast to the drab scoreless draw between Waitakere and Hawke's Bay the previous weekend, this was a game full off incident, controversy and goals that were appreciated by a good crowd in perfect conditions.
 
It took only 16 minutes for Waitakere to stun their rivals with a goal to veteran Neil Emblen, whose looping header from a Jeff Campbell corner floated over Ross Nicholson's fingertips.
 
Six minutes later it looked as if Auckland had equalised when Keryn Jordan fastened on to a great pass from Ki-Hyung Lee and found the net. But the linesman's flag was up for offside much to the disgust of the vocal visiting supporters. 
 
Moments later they were even more incensed when Roy Krishna muscled his way past a couple of defenders and scored Waitakere's second. There seemed to be a hefty push involved but referee Jamie Cross was unimpressed with Ivan Vicelich's prolonged protests.
 
There could have been a couple more for Waitakere as Totori butchered a one-on-one with the goalkeeper and Chris Bale headed wide in front of an open goal.
 
Auckland came out firing at the start of the second spell. Two minutes into the half Matt Friel met a Lee corner with a bullet like header and it was 2-1.
 
And it could have been 2-2 minutes later when a fierce freekick from Lee was brilliantly saved by Danny Robinson making a rare appearance in goal in place of the unavailable Richard Gillespie.
 
Waitakere weathered the storm and struck back when Benjamin Totori's shot was parried by Ross Nicholson but only into the path of Kayne Vincent.

In the 72nd minute Totori put the game out of reach with a fierce drive from just outside the penalty area.
 
Auckland's only consolation was a 78th minute penalty by Keryn Jordan after Matt Williams was brought down on the edge of the penalty area. But it was Waitakere's day.
 
"This was a turning point in the season for us and I think we were back to our best," said a delighted Waitakere coach Chris Milicich. "We love to win. The bonuses for the players are in winning titles.
 
"I think we have the upper hand on Auckland now but there's a long way to go. They were best for three seasons and it's a good thing for New Zealand football that the pattern changes."
 
Milicich, who was livid with the way the previous game was handled, was generous in his praise of the officiating, though he did concede that there was an element of doubt about Waitakere's second goal.
 
Auckland coach Paul Posa refused to make an issue of decisions that went against his team.
 
"I was disappointed for the boys because they gave 100 percent and ran themselves into the ground. Waitakere took their chances. End of story.
 
"I've no complaints. We've just got to get better. There's no point in being negative. I think we have a team that is good enough to get a win over Waitakere but we must take our chances."
 
Waitakere will barely have time to enjoy their success before they are back in action on Monday at Douglas Field against Waikato.

Waitakere United

V

Auckland City

22 Danny Robinson

1 Ross Nicholson

3 Aaron Scott

7 James Pritchett

4 Tim Myers

5 Matt Williams

16 Neil Emblen

6 Ki-Hyung Lee

11 Neil Sykes

9 Paul Urlovic (Coombes 46)

14 Jeff Campbell (Zane Sole 81)

14 Keryn Jordan

17 Jake Butler

15 Ivan Vicelich

15 Chris Bale

19 Salesh Kumar

12 Roy Krishna (Mathews 90+2)

21 Riki Van Steeden (Friel 21)

9 Benjamin Totori

22 Xavi Roca (Nikolic 59)

21 Kayne Vincent (Pearce 69)

23 Liam Mulrooney

Substitutes

Substitutes

28 Steffan Marinovic (RGK)

3 Matt Friel (in 21)

18 Zane Sole (in 81)

8 Chad Coombes (in 46)

10 Allan Pearce (in 69)

12 Jacob Spoonley (RGK)

27 Jacob Mathews (in 90+2)

24 Milos Nikolic (in 59)

29 John Chisholm

25 Adam McGeorge

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

Hot and sunny not much wind. Both teams have change of starting goalie.

1 min

Early corner to Waitakere, swings behind for goalkick

3 min

Jordan clear but shoots wide when under no pressure.

7 min

Long freekick almost bounces over Robinson's head into goal

10 min

Call for shorts for Waitakere player!!!

11 mins

Shot by Vincent blocked by Nicholson.

16 mins

GOAL! Left wing corner from Campbell, headed over Nicholson into net.

20 mins

Van Steeden injured and replaced by Friel

21 mins

Bale fires over top after poor clearance

22 mins

Jordan has ball in net from great pass by Lee

23 mins

GOAL! Krishna muscles his way through defence with suspicion of a push Auckland players protest and are lucky not to be booked but goal stands 

30 mins

Totori disposesses Kumar but robbed in one-on-one with goalie.

33 mins

Yellow card Kumar for illegal tackle

41 mins

Right wing corner for Waitakere, Bale heads wide.

42 mins

Bale finds side netting with drive from acute angle

43 mins

Yellow card Butler for tackle from behind.

45 plus one

Halftime 2-0, probably a little hard on Auckland City.

46 mins

Urlovic replaced by Coombes up front for Auckland

47 mins

GOAL! Right wing corner by Lee bullet header from Friel.

49 mins

Lee freekick well saved by Robinson as Auckland pile on pressure.

52 mins

GOAL! Totori shot blocked by Nicholson but Vincent on hand to tap home.

60 mins

Substitution Auckland Roca off Nikolic on

64 mins

Yellow card Coombes

69 mins

Sub Pearce on for Vincent.

70 mins

Mulrooney's clearance from Waitakere attack almost goes into own goal.

73 mins

GOAL! Totori unleashes fierce shot from just outside area.

78 mins

GOAL! Jordan sco0res from penalty after Williams floored.

80 mins

Scramble in Waitakere area but Auckland can't get final touch. Jordan bicycle kick over top. Sub Waitakere Sole on for Campbell.

85 mins

Mulrooney has time for shot but blasts wide.

90 mins

Three minutes of stoppage time.

90 plus two

Mathews on for Krishna

FULLTIME Waitakere 4 Auckland 2.