Auckland City

Waitakere United

2

NZFC - Week 5
Kiwitea Street
Sunday 22 November 2009

1

Ivan Vicelich 40
Grant Young 80

Jason Rowley 33

by Bob Pearce at Kiwitea Street
nzfc.co.nz

A late goal from Grant Young delivered three vital points to Auckland City as they beat 10-man Waitakere United 2-1 at Kiwitea St.

The West Aucklanders played a man short for all but five minutes after referee Peter O'Leary dismissed Martin Bullock for following through with a stray boot after goalkeeper Paul Gothard had made a save.

Waitakere were kept in the game early on by some superb goalkeeping by Paul Robinson whose denial of a curving freekick by Ki-Hyung Lee in the 20 minutes was the best of a series of saves.

Then at the other end Waitakere shocked the home team with the opening goal in the 33rd minute. Jeremy delivered a well-weighted freekick from the edge of the penalty area and Jason Rowley on his knees headed the ball home.

The equaliser came seven minutes later after Waitakere had partially cleared an Auckland freekick. Chad Coombes delivered the ball from the right and captain Ivan Vicelich nodded the goal.

The well-organised Waitakere defence, anchored by Neil Emblen and Aaron Scott, continued to frustrate the Aucklanders, who were becoming increasingly frustrated conceding a number of yellow cards.

On the break Benjamin Totori and Roy Krishna quickly turned defence into attack but couldn't produce the finish their tricky runs deserved.

Coach Paul Posa pulled a masterstroke when he brought on Adam Dickinson and Grant Young as the minutes ticked by. With 10 to go Dickinson made space for himself behind the defence on the left and while another substitute, Ricardo Monardez, couldn't connect with his cross, Young managed to poke the ball home at the far post.

Trying to scramble across to make the save, Robinson injured his knee and was replaced by Liam Little for the closing minutes.

"I thought we were very unlucky not to get something," said Emblen after the game. "I thought we were worth at least a draw. Performance-wise I was happy but, of course, I'm very disappointed in the result.

"The defence played well but you've got to give credit to Benji and Roy who defended from the front and kept them off balance."

Posa was happy to take the points but had some sympathy for Waitakere and gave them credit for the way they played a man short.

"I feel sorry for Waitakere," he said. "But did I think it changed the game. I think we would have still won if they'd had a full team.

"We let having a man advantage make us a bit over-anxious at times. But then they put us under pressure and pinched a lot of ball off us.

"In the end it's a very important three points and hopefully it will take some of the pressure off us later in the season."

The two great rivals will have a rematch at Fred Taylor Park in Whenuapai next Saturday when they contest an O-League fixture. Bullock will be available for that game.

The following Monday Auckland City head for Abu Dhabi and the FIFA World Club Cup. 

Images: Photosport

Auckland City

V

Waitakere United

18 Paul Gothard (GK)

1 Danny Robinson

3 Ian Hogg

2 Jason Rowley

5 Matt Williams

3 Aaron Scott

6 Ki-Hyung Lee

7 Martin Bullock

7 James Pritchett

8 Brent Fisher

8 Chad Coombes

9 Benjamin Totori

11 Daniel Koprivcic

11 Neil Sykes

15 Ivan Vicelich

12 Roy Krishna

16 Jason Hayne

14 Jeremy Christie

17 Adam McGeorge

16 Neil Emblen

20 Greg Uhlmann

17 Jake Butler

Substitutes

Substitutes

1 Jacob Spoonley (RGK)

4 Tim Myers

4 Sam Campbell

10 Allan Pearce

10 Grant Young (Koprivcic 78)

13 Dimas Da Silva

22 Adam Dickinson (Coombes 65)

19 Dakota Lewis

23 Ricardo Monardez (55 Williams)

22 Liam Little (RGK) (Robinson 80)

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

0 mins

Humid, cloudy with drizzle in the air at Kiwitea but pitch in good area and no wind to worry about.

Late boot change for Pritchett as teams line up.

1 min

 Early dab by Waitakere sees Fisher shoot into side netting

2 mins

Lee freekick headed by Williams well saved by Robinson.

4 mins

Sykes corner to Totori's head, Rowley over bar

5 mins

Fisher feeds Bullock who has first chance blocked then follows up on goalie and RED CARD for kicking Gothard.

10 mins

Koprivcic dispossesses Emblen but is foiled by brave Robinson grab

16 mins

Waitakere's 10 men press forward and force another corner, Uhlmann suffers head knock but recovers

20 mins

Lee freekick curling in saved by diving Robinson

22 mins

Yellow card for Lee

23 mins

Another corner for Waitakere cleared to Krishna who shoots over top

24 mins

Vicelich yellow for wild tackle on Krishna

27 mins

Jason Hayne fastens on to cross but guides ball wide

33 mins

GOAL! Christie freekick on edge of penalty area, Rowley down on knees heads it home

39 mins

Lee freekick deflected away

40 mins

GOAL! Equaliser as Coombes crosses from left and Vicelich heads home.

42 mins

Totori hassles in penalty area, touched wide for a corner. Corner too strong

45 mins

Williams shot blocked by  Scott and then goalie at point blank range

45 plus three halftime

Ten-man Waitakere have had more than the share of the play.

Simply the Best on the HT entertainment but so far neither side has established superiority. Fireworks from the bucket man on the sideline

46 min

Early corner for Auckland City cleared

50 min

Yellow card Hayne for tackle on Krishna

55 mins

Monardez makes debut replacing Williams

58 mins

Monardez shot well saved

65 mins

Yellow for Coombes, replaced by Dickinson

68 mins

Totori breaks through and curls shot just wide

76 mins

Young on for Koprivcic

79 mins

Pearce on for Totori, Lucas on for Krishna

80 mins

GOAL! Dickinson pulls ball back, Monardez can't reach it but Young just pokes it home

80 mins

Robinson injured during attempted save, replaced by Little

Four minutes of time added on

Fulltime. Auckland take the points but Waitakere deserve credit for a brave display with a man short.