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Western Bring Auckland Back Down To Earth
by Jeremy Ruane
Western United put four goals past newly crowned Isuzu Ute A-League champions Auckland FC for the second time this season on May 3, prevailing 4-2 at Ironbark Fields in the final round-robin clash of the campaign to secure a third-placed finish and home advantage in their quarter-final against Adelaide United next weekend.
Given they had more to play for - had results elsewhere gone their way, Western could have finished second, and earned the AFC Champions League qualification spot to which Auckland is not entitled due to their being based in the Oceania Football Confederation's foremost footballing nation - United were on the front foot from the outset, and capitalised on an error by the visitors to open the scoring in the eighteenth minute.
Nando Pijnaker played the ball forward to Marlee Francois, whose return pass under pressure was horrible. Noah Botic pounced on it in an instant and set up Michael Ruhs, who rifled home into the far corner of the net from ten yards.
After Alex Paulsen had produced a super save at full stretch to keep out Matt Grimaldi's twenty-five yard piledriver, the resulting Ben Garuccio corner brought about Western's second goal. Botic claimed it, but his near post header took a couple of ricochets before finally crossing the line via the far post - 2-0 after 23 minutes.
Auckland hadn't been at the races to this point in the match, and having never recovered after falling behind in a game, their third loss of the season was already in the offing. Western continued to probe in search of more goals, too, with Riku Danzaki shooting straight at Paulsen in the 36th minute.
It was after this that the visitors finally mustered a shot on target, Logan Rogerson drawing a flying save from Matt Sutton after being picked out by Francis de Vries' deep cross in the 38th minute, the goalkeeper instantly launching a counter-attack which resulted in a hurried clearance from Paulsen, Ruhs having forced Hiroki Sakai into an under-hit back-pass, the striker then continuing his run in pursuit of the ball.
Auckland made changes at the interval in a bid to stem the tide, and Guillermo May, anonymous in the first half because his supply lines had been cut off by Western's pressure, was instantly involved in proceedings, unleashing a twenty-five yard missile which screamed mere inches past the top left-hand corner of Sutton's net - it was a ferocious shot.
United responded by increasing their lead in the 49th minute. Ruhs fed Danzaki, whose lofted pass over the defence saw Louis Verstraete's attempted clearance direct the ball straight to Angus Thurgate, who crowned a dominant midfield display with an unerring finish under Paulsen's dive - 3-0.
And still they pressed, Danzaki again shooting straight at Paulsen before Grimaldi escaped a yellow card for a clear case of simulation as he went down
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under Jake Brimmer's challenge in the penalty area - with falls like this, he could get a job as a Hollywood stuntman!
Auckland started coming back into the contest, May beating three before firing narrowly over the bar from the edge of the penalty area in the 58th minute. Three minutes later, a Callan Elliot throw-in was cleared to Brimmer, who belted the ball back into the danger zone.
Max Mata controlled it but was unable to execute a volley, Western hurriedly clearing their lines at the expense of a corner. Neyder Moreno's delivery was cleared back to him, but his reply, a vicious low drive struck with the outside of his right foot, beat Sutton all ends up at his near post to give Auckland a 62nd minute lifeline - 3-1.
The Colombian went desperately close to reducing the deficit still further seven minutes later, his twenty-five yard curling effort careering inches past the far post. But Western arrested Auckland's bid to recover the three-goal deficit, and threatened to restore it on three occasions in the final quarter of the contest.
Only a superbly timed tackle by Sakai stopped Grimaldi in his tracks in the penalty area after he'd been played in by Botic in the 75th minute, while Dan Hall's timely block diverted Abel Walatee's shot to safety, the resulting corner seeing Botic go close with a bicycle kick.
Back came Auckland, May lobbing the ball over the top for substitute Jesse Randall to pursue. He raced onto it and rounded the advancing figure of Sutton before smashing the ball home into an empty net - 3-2 in stoppage time.
Western weren't to be denied, however, and with the last kick of the game confirmed the final 4-2 scoreline. Garuccio's deep cross picked out substitute Ramy Najjarine, who worked a one-two with fellow substitute Oliver Lavale before whipping in a low cross which Lavale touched home at the near post to wrap up United's victory, the second time this season they've hit Auckland for four.
The Premiers' Plate winners now have a fortnight to contemplate this defeat before contesting the first leg of a semi-final, the second leg of which will take place at GoMedia Mt Smart Stadium. Whom they will face is currently unknown, but one thing is certain - it won't be Western United!
Western: Sutton; Imai, Donachie, Leonard, Garuccio; Danzaki (Walatee, 72 (booked, 78)), Bozinovski (Lauton, 46), Thurgate (booked, 74 (Shamoon, 83)), Grimaldi (Najjarine, 85); Ruhs (booked, 56 (Lavale, 72)), Botic
Auckland: Paulsen; Sakai, Hall, Pijnaker (Smith, 81), de Vries (booked, 30 (Elliot, 46)); Rogerson, Verstraete, Gallegos (Brimmer, 46), Francois (Moreno, 46); Mata (Randall, 70), May
Referee: Daniel Elder
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