Waitakere United

Auckland City

1

3

Ross McKenzie 42'

Own goal (McKenzie) 18'
Danko Koprivcic  33'
David Mulligan 57

by Bob Pearce at Fred Taylor Park
asbpremiership.co.nz

WHENUAPAI - Auckland City surged three points clear at the top of the ASB Premiership table with a 3-1 victory over champions Waitakere United at Fred Taylor Park yesterday.

It was the kind of result that builds confidence for the  Aucklanders  in their build-up to the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan next month.
 
But for the first 20 minutes Waitakere looked by far the more likely to score. They pressed forward, earned a string of corners and left Auckland defending desperately and rarely breaking free from the barrage.
 
The turnaround came in bizarre fashion. In the 19th minute a rare Auckland foray provided Manel Exposito with a shooting chance after he had copped a clearance in the face. The ball fell kindly for the Spaniard and in a desperate attempt to clear Ross McKenzie had the bad luck to help the ball into the net.
 
The tempo of the game changed but Waitakere were still more than holding their own until the 33rd minute when Danko Koprivcic’s shot found the net off defender Tim Myers.
 
The home team had continued to earn corners – five in a row at one stage – and finally in the 42nd minute McKenzie made amends for his earlier mishap with a curling delivery from the right which goalkeeper Jacob Spoonley could only scoop away after it had crossed the line.
 
Halftime at 2-1 promised a fierce second-half contest.

There were a few yellow cards and some rash tackles but Auckland had regained their possession game and the Waitakere attack lacked its earlier bite.
 
The clinching goal came in the 56th minute when an illegal passback to goalie Robinson earned him a yellow for kicking the ball away and the added dismay of an exquisite freekick conversion from David Mulligan which found the net over his despairing dive.
 
Auckland had regained their mojo and came close on a couple of occasions as Waitakere tried desperately to reduce the deficit.
 
“Winning here is not easy and it was tough right to the end,” said Auckland coach Ramon Tribulietx. “The players put in a great effort and I think everyone gave 100 per cent.
 
“We faced a lot of corners but we defended them well. I thought Albert Riera played especially well when he moved to full back after Chad Coombes twisted his knee.
 
“In the second half I think we could have had two or three more goals if we had a bit more patience when we had one on one with the goalkeeper.”
 
Waitakere coach Neil Emblen was disappointed not to have made more of the opening quarter when Waitakere were dominant.
 
“After the way we started in the first 25 minutes I thought we would be the team of the day. But we made calamitous mistakes for all three goals and you can’t give a good team three goals. You’ve got to score goals when you have that much dominance.”
 
Both teams now take a break from the ASB Premiership to fulfil O-League commitments. Auckland will play Hekari at Kiwitea St on Saturday and Waitakere play Ba at the Fred on Sunday.
 
 

Waitakere United

V

Auckland City

1 Danny Robinson (GK)

1 Jacob Spoonley (GK)

2 Jason Rowley (Lovemore 65') 

3 Ian Hogg

4 Tim Myers

5 Angel Berlanga

7 Martin Bullock

6 Chad Coombes (Corrales 23')

8 Chris Bale

8 David Mulligan

10 Allan Pearce

9 Manel Exposito

11 Ross McKenzie

11 Daniel Koprivcic

12 Roy Krishna

13 Alex Feneridis (McGeorge 52')

17 Jake Butler (c)

14 Adam Dickinson (Tade 80')

20 Ryan de Vries (Feni 84')

15 Ivan Vicelich (c)

24 Luke Adams (Scott 76')

16 Albert Riera

Substitutes

Substitutes

3 Aaron Scott (on 76')

10 Luis Corrales (on 23')

15 Gegame Feni (on 84')

17 Adam McGeorge (on 52')

22 Matthew Upton (RGK)

20 Emiliano Tade (on 80')

25 Sean Lovemore (on 65')

23 Joseph Tyrell

26 Bill Tuiloma

26 Liam Anderson (RGK)

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

0 mins

sunny with a brisk breeze at the Fred. Two camera crews and a German media man on hand!

0 mins

Aaron Scott now proud father but stat on bench

0 more mins

Ian Hogg, Koprivcic and Feneridis start for Auckland, Tade on bench, Andreu and Milne out of squad.

1 min

Quick break by Waitakere but Pearce blasts well wide

2 mins

De Vries earns corner on left

3 mins

Spoonley palms corner over for another corner

4 mins

Corner cleared easily but Waitakere keep pressure on. The mean business.

7 mins

Another Waitakere corner, cleared fo second try an a third, and a fourth.Fifth one sails behind for goalkick

9 mins

Risky backpasses are giving Waitakere regular half chaces

12 mins

It's been all Waitaker as they press forward an takes but freekick to Waitakered bustle Auckland off their game

18 mins

Another Waitaker corner, McKenzie

19 mins

GOAL! Exposito cops clearance in he face but ball falls kindly and defender McKenzie glances it into his own net.

23 mins

Corrales on for injured Coombes

27 mins

Corrales makes presence felt with run on right but shoots over bar

29 mins

Underhit back pass puts Feneridis in shooting position but he slices shot.

30 mins

Krishna injured in tackle freekick to Waitakere edge of area.

31 mins

Freekick blocked

 33 mins

GOAL! Another own goal. Shot by Koprivcic 2-1 glances off Myers leaving goalie stranded.

37 mins

Eighth corner deflected wide, another chance for Waitakere but they clear.

42 mins

GOAL! Tenth corner for Waitakere and it finally pays off for McKenzie as he curls it in over Spoonley.

45 mins

Two minutes to be added.

45 plus two

Halftime 2-1 to Auckland and everything to play for

We're off again, no chages

47 mins

Hogg felled by Adams, freekick to Waitakere, but cleared.

48 mins

First corner of game fo Auckland , Vicelich header caught by goaie.

51 m9ins

Another Waitakere corner, sub McGeorge for Feneridis. Goalie catches corner.

54 mins

Corrales misses from close range after perfect cross.

56 mins

Backpass to Robinson, freekick and yellow

57 mins

GOAL! Indirect freekick touched to Mulligan and he curls it into top corner

60 mins

Dickinson in clear but hits post

62 mins

Peace beats Vicelich but his cross is just nodded clear.

64 mins

De Vries fies just wide from edge of area with golie grasping air.

65 mins

Lovemore on fo Rowley

75 mins

Corrales gets chat from ref for dispute

76 mins

Yellow card for Berlanga for felling Krishna, freekick cleared.

76 mins

Scott on for Adams.

80 mins

Tade for Dickinson

83 mins

Scott yellow for foul on Exposito

84 mins

Feni on for de Vries

90 mins

Three mins to be added.

91 mins

Freekick to Waitakere cleared, they're running out of time.

93 mins

Fulltime whistle. Aucklandtake te points and go three points clear a thetop of te table