Auckland City

YoungHeart Manawatu

3

0

Milos Nikolic 56
Paul Urlovic 61
Matt Friel 65

by Bob Pearce at Kiwitea Street
nzfc.co.nz

Auckland City well and truly buried the curse of Kiwitea with a 3-0 win over YoungHeart Manawatu that lifted them into second place on the table.

For half the game it was the same old story: Auckland created chances galore but their finish was missing and there was always a good chance that the visitors could strike back against the run of play.

After a scoreless first half Auckland striker Milos Nikolic had one of the misses of the season when James Pritchett delivered the ball on a plate and the youngster's tap-in hit a post and stayed out.

But he made amends in the 56th minute when he fastened on to a far more difficult bouncing cross and powered the ball past Chris Marsh.

Suddenly the floodgates were open. In the 60th minute Paul Urlovic butchered a chance but, given a second bite, expertly headed in a cross from Chad Coombes.

Five minutes later Matt Friel got his head to a corner from Ki-Hyung Lee and nobody's stopping that one.

The game was out of Manawatu's reach and on a stinking hot Auckland afternoon the players and spectators were glad when the final whistle went.

And it's worth mentioning that referee Chris Kerr had another very good game and he is clearly in tune with the players.

Auckland have picked up six points in three days, promoting some of their younger players and leaving the more experienced Xavi Roca and the injured Keryn Jordan on the sideline.

The team have responded with a couple of spirited displays with captain Ivan Vicelich showing his vast experience in the defence, Friel pushing forward to good effect and Chad Coombes providing the 90-minute effort that keeps the opposition guessing.

Manawatu were without goal scorer Jason Hayne, who has headed east to trial for a team from Brunei, and they lacked punch up front. Raphael de Gregorio was a hard worker and Scott Robson had his moments but they were clearly second best on the day.

Auckland coach Paul Posa was frustrated in the first half by the scoring opportunities that went begging.

"We didn't have enough width," he said. "The front three were playing too narrow. But I still thought the goals were going to come."

"I always thought we had the game if we could score the first goal."

"I don't think we played as well as we did against Hawkes Bay on Friday when we played really well."

Manawatu coach Bob Sova conceded that the better team won and he singled out goalkeeper Marsh as his player of the day.

"They really came at us in the first 10 minutes and we resisted that and then it was probably 50-50.

Just before halftime there was a yellow card when our player was held back. It could've been a red as last defender.

"That could have been a turning point, but in the end Auckland were the better team and the referee, I thought, had a good game."

Towards the end of the game 15-year-old Thomas Spragg took the field for Auckland City becoming the youngest player to play for the club in the NZFC.

Photos by Shane Wenzlick. www.phototek.co.nz

Auckland City

V

YoungHeart Manawatu

1 Ross Nicholson (GK)

1 Chris Marsh (GK)

3 Matt Friel  (Campbell 83)

8 Nathan Cooksley

5 Matt Williams(Carella 62)

4 Jan Weissenfeldt

6 Ki-Hyung Lee

2 Nelson Sale

7 James Pritchett

11 Scott Robson

8 Chad Coombes

16 Raf de Gregorio

9 Paul Urlovic  (Spragg 77)

22 Cory Chettleburgh

13 Alex Feneridis

21 Brooke Tozer (Kennedy 62)

15 Ivan Vicelich

20 Alick Maemae

20 Greg Uhlmann

10 Adam Cowan

24 Milos Nikolic

9 Gustavo Saralegui

Substitutes

Substitutes

4 Sam Campbell (in 83)

3 Pablo Yackson

12 John Fletcher (RGK)

6 Matt Kennedy (in 62)

17 Allan Carella (in 62)

18 Finlay Milne

23 Thomas Spragg (in 77)

17 Isaac Duker

26 Jonathan Raj

19 Matt Boren

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

0 mins

Blisteringly hot with a faint cross breeze

3 mins

freekick to Manawatu on edge of area, well cleared.

5 mins

Shot by Urlovic just wide.

6 mins

Left wing corner for Auckland, cleared off line.

13 mins

Feneridis clear in front of goal failed to control ball

16 mins

Robson drives in low cross but the deflection goes unpunished

20 mins

Wide ranging Auckland attack finally foiled by good grab by goalie Marsh

23 mins

Auckland pepper Manawatu goal but ball won't go in.

23 mins

Good run by Coombes but Nikolic shot slips wide

25 mins

Maemae clear but weak shot goes wide

DRINKS BREAK

30 mins

Urlovic hassles ball off Marsh but Nikolic fires loose ball wide.

32 mins

Urlovic shoots wide from another good chance.

35 mins

Marsh misses cross but Williams squanders yet another chance

37 mins

Marsh blocks shot by Coombes

41 mins

First corner for Manawatu  Powerful header by Weissenfeldt flies over top.

43 mins

yellow card Uhlmann for shirt pull.

45 mins

Second corner for Manawatu. No profit.

Halftime 0-0. Too mnay missed chances from Auckland.

48 mins

Cross from Pritchett finds Nikolic who hits upright when only 2 metres out Unbelievable miss.

55 mins

Nikolic bicycle kick over bar.

56 mins

GOAL! Nikolic finally buries bouncing cross to end Auckland's agony

60 mins

GOAL! Urlovic misses once but given second chance heads home Coombes' cross for 2-0

65 mins

GOAL! Friel heads home corner by Lee 3-0

DRINKS BREAK

77 mins

Series of corners for Auckland but poor combination

78 mins

Substitution Spragg on for Urlovic

82 mins

Friel off injured Campbell on

90 plus one

Yellow card Chettleburgh

90 plus four

FINAL WHISTLE 3-0 and everybody needs a drink