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Auckland Puts Wellington Firmly In Their Place
by Jeremy Ruane
Auckland FC's fairytale start to the Isuzu Ute A-League continue unabated at a sun-drenched Sky Stadium on November 2, as the league leaders put Wellington Phoenix firmly in their place in front of 26,252 fans, who saw the northerners prevail 2-0 in the first A-League Kiwi derby.
There had been plenty of action off the park in the lead-up to this maiden encounter between New Zealand's A-League entries, with Wellington's fans fearful of being upstaged by the new kids on the block now that they are no longer the country's lone professional football club.
Those fears were well-founded, with Auckland emerging as the superior side over ninety minutes to not only claim bragging rights but reaffirm the city's standing as New Zealand's home of football, contrary to what Wellingtonians would have you believe.
The first five minutes of this encounter - which was brilliantly handled by referee Adam Kersey - saw some rugged challenges flying in, with Louis Verstraete and Alex Rufer both leaving their calling cards on Hideki Ishige and Logan Rogerson respectively.
But Auckland settled quicker, and soon fired the first shot in anger, an eighth minute effort from captain Hiroki Sakai which ricocheted off Isaac Hughes onto the roof of Wellington's net, prompting a corner which Francis de Vries delivered to the far post. Sakai headed the ball back across goal, bisecting his Auckland team-mates - a let-off for the home team.
Further Auckland pressure followed, as they looked to exploit Wellington's penchant for trying to pass the ball out of their defensive third, particularly from goal kicks. Liam Gillion was the beneficiary of a twelfth minute turnover deep in Wellington's half, picking out Rogerson with a cross which he met with a looping header, an attempt which troubled Josh Oluwayemi little.
Wellington mustered their first noteworthy attack in the eighteenth minute, Costa Barbarouses leading the charge before linking with Tim Payne to present Rufer with a twelve yard volley which he directed straight at Alex Paulsen, who endured plenty of boos from the same fans who, just last season, were singing his praises to the rafters - the price of a transfer and subsequent loan move to your arch-rival is decidedly high in these parts.
Back came the visitors, Luis Gallegos lashing a twenty-yard snapshot over the bar in a match which saw no quarter given and none taken - there was nothing between the teams, save for when Auckland put Wellington under all sorts of pressure in their defensive third, a press with which the home team had real issues throughout proceedings.
Nine minutes before half-time, Auckland went desperately close to breaking the deadlock. Cameron Howieson - he had a terrific game - lobbed a ball out wide to reward Sakai's supporting run down the flank.
The fullback slipped it inside to Gillion, whose rising drive was parried by Oluwayemi. Guillermo May latched onto the rebound, only to direct his header straight at the recovering goalkeeper - a real let-off for Wellington.
In between Gillion firing a thirty yard free-kick wide of Oluwayemi's right-hand post, and Rogerson blazing over on the volley from fifteen yards having been picked out by Gallegos, Matt Sheridan played a ball forward for Barbarouses which instantly prompted Payne to power forward in support. The marauding fullback was duly picked out by his fellow All White, only for Payne's first touch to desert him at his greatest hour of need.
Wellington were arguing amongst themselves in the aftermath of a 43rd minute raid by Auckland prompted by their high press. Sakai secured possession following the home team's latest dice with danger, and picked out Gillion beyond the last defender. His volley was of the high, wide and not so handsome variety - had they taken their chances from their successes with their high press, the visitors could have been out of sight come the half-time whistle.
As it was, they were on level terms, and Wellington had Oluwayemi to thank for that, the goalkeeper blocking a fierce drive from Gillion after Verstraete and Howieson had prised open the home team's rearguard on the stroke of the interval.
Both teams enjoyed spells on attack during the second half, but Auckland just seemed to have that little bit more to call upon. Five minutes after the resumption of play, Gillion and May worked a one-two which resulted in the Uruguayan dashing forward as the winger raced down the left, with Howieson steaming up in support outside him.
Cue a pass into the former Auckland City captain's stride, and a measured cross for May. The striker's
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bid to head home saw him clash heads with Scott Wootton, an incident which left both men prone on the deck, blood pouring from a nasty gash over May's right eye. Both were eventually able to carry on, the striker sporting a natty head bandage as well as a fresh playing jersey.
Back came Wellington, Barbarouses blazing wide after Hideki Ishige had swooped on a stray pass from Verstraete to Sakai. Another stray pass, this one from Nando Pijnaker, invited Rufer to pounce on the ball before crossing from the by-line for the benefit of Ishige, who couldn't believe his eyes as his downward header from inside the six-yard box bounced up and over the bar - Auckland's turn to ride their good fortune as the hour mark ticked by.
The visitors had strong penalty claims rebuffed by referee Kersey soon afterwards, de Vries' cross striking the outstretched arm of Hughes, but doing so via the defender's thigh - the turn of Wellington fans to breathe a sigh of relief.
Twenty minutes from time, Wootton headed the ball over his own crossbar to prevent May from benefiting from the combined efforts of Gillion and Rogerson, while six minutes later a de Vries corner was spilled then grabbed by Oluwayemi as the visitors' pursuit of a deadlock-breaking goal continued unabated.
Instantly, Wellington counter-attacked, a three-on-two raid from which they should have opened the scoring. But substitute Stefan Colokovski, having been released down the right by fellow replacement Nathan Walker, played the ball behind Ishige - cue a collective groan from the Wellington fans, who were enjoying their own battle of wits, chants and exchanges of banter with their Auckland counterparts as play went on in front of them.
As the game entered its final ten minutes, Barbarouses and Rufer both saw volleys blocked to safety by the imperious Dan Hall after Walker's deliciously weighted lofted cross from the right.
Instantly, Auckland counter-attacked, substitute Jake Brimmer linking with May and Gillion, who slipped at an untimely moment but recovered to take on four opponents in Wellington's penalty area, his shot deflecting off Kazuki Nagasawa for a corner with which the home team dealt in their usual uncompromising fashion.
A scoreless draw was looking increasingly likely, despite the best efforts of both teams to fulfil the pre-match hype. Two minutes from time, Verstraete broke down the right before delivering a cross which May headed over the bar at the near post - cue a goal kick, from which Wellington were the architects of their own demise.
Wellington's penchant for playing the ball short from goal kicks and trying to pass their way up-field is a key aspect of coach Giancarlo Italiano's game plan, rightly or wrongly. But there are times when it's prudent to throw caution to the wind and clear your lines - and when there's a minute to play certainly counts on that score.
Alas for the home team, and their soon-to-be-mortified fans, they didn't, inviting Auckland to once more press high and hard from a short goal-kick. Oluwayemi found himself under pressure inside his six-yard box and promptly cleared the ball straight to Brimmer, who duly picked his spot from eight yards to send "The Port", the massed ranks of Auckland's supporters behind the goal, wild with delight.
Their joy contrasted starkly with the deathly silence which fell over the rest of the stadium, as Wellington's fans found themselves coming to grips with imminent defeat in the first-ever A-League Kiwi derby. And after Auckland substitute Neyder Moreno saw his fifteen yard effort deflected to safety, that defeat was confirmed with virtually the last kick of the game, as the visitors doubled their advantage.
Again, it was Brimmer - who'd have thought an Australian would be the decisive figure in the derby? Fellow substitute Luis Toomey strode away down the left, not to the corner flag but to the by-line, from where he fired a low cross into the goalmouth.
Brimmer was on hand to turn it home to the undisguised delight of "The Port", as well as all those watching the game in the city which is - and always has been - the home of football in New Zealand, a fact Auckland FC's 2-0 win in this inaugural A-League Kiwi derby emphatically underlines.
Wellington: Oluwayemi; Sheridan (Colakovski, 62), Wootton, Hughes; Payne, Roa Conchie (Walker, 55), Rufer, Nagasawa, Sutton (Rojas, 86); Barbarouses, Ishige
Auckland: Paulsen; Sakai, Hall, Pijnaker, de Vries; Gallegos (Brimmer, 71), Verstraete (booked, 56), Howieson; Rogerson (Moreno, 71 (booked, 82)), May (Smith, 90), Gillion (Toomey, 84)
Referee: Adam Kersey
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