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180125
Auckland Thrash Melbourne Via Fifteen-Minute Goal-Fest
by Jeremy Ruane
Auckland FC overpowered Isuzu Ute A-League leaders Melbourne City 3-0 in front of 14,131 fans at GoMedia Mt. Smart Stadium on January 18, scoring three goals in a fifteen-minute spell before half-time to leapfrog the incumbents on the table and earn themselves a temporary return to the top of the standings.
City headed east with a big target on their backs, but they dominated the early exchanges possession-wise, although they did little with it to threaten the Auckland goal, the only threat they mustered in the first half-hour being a ninth minute attack.
Nathaniel Atkinson picked the pocket of Francis de Vries before inviting Callum Talbot to cut in and cross to the far post, where Harry Politidis was arriving on cue. His header was well wide of the target, however.
Not so Auckland's first attempt to score, a twentieth minute strike from Jesse Randall which drew a save from Patrick Beach, the opportunity arising after Louis Verstraete won the ball in midfield and instantly linked with Guillermo May on the left.
Their next attack, however, saw the scoreline change in the 32nd minute - and how! Verstraete again won the ball in midfield - he was a monster in this match - and this time he linked up with Logan Rogerson.
He rolled the ball across to May, who took it on for a few strides before unleashing an absolute rocket of a shot from twenty-five yards which screamed past the diving figure of Beach into the top corner of the net - unstoppable!
And so nearly 2-0 soon after. Nando Pijnaker's ball forward wasn't cleared, and onto the opening swooped Randall. He linked with Max Mata, whose low cross for May was cut out by Samuel Souprayen's back-heeled clearance.
City were rattled, Beach's poor clearance five minutes before half-time more than ample evidence of the fact. Rogerson was onto it in a flash, and picked out Mata with a cross which the striker met with a header from twelve yards. Beach made amends for his error with a fine save, turning the ball round the post.
A minute later, the visitors were facing the proverbial mountain-climbing expedition, as Auckland doubled their lead. De Vries' corner was headed out to Felipe Gallegos, whose fifteen yard drive was blocked by the legs of Beach. The ball broke kindly for Pijnaker, who pummelled it into the roof of the net to the delight of the vocal locals.
The goalscorer was soon called upon to fulfil his usual goal-saving role, Pijnaker stepping in to avert the danger after Aziz Behich delivered a low cross from the left which sped past Alex Paulsen and two defenders towards Ben Mazzeo.
Back came Auckland, de Vries breaking down the left before picking out Mata, whose header was destined for the far corner of the net until Beach pulled off a brilliant fingertip save at full stretch to turn the ball around the post.
It was only delaying the inevitable, however, as the resulting corner from de Vries wasn't cleared, allowing Mata to stab the ball home from close range with virtually the last kick of the first half - 3-0 Auckland, a scoreline few would have predicted at full-time, never mind at the interval.
Melbourne emerged for the second half knowing that they had to score next, and went about their business with far more purpose than was evident in the first half, when they dominated possession without creating anything of note.
Within three minutes of the resumption of play, Callan Elliot's vital headed clearance prevented
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Mazzeo from getting on the end of a Talbot cross, while three minutes later, Elliot found himself being turned by Politidis, who was shaping to cross when the fullback came back at him and produced a super tackle to thwart that attack.
City almost conceded a fourth goal on the hour, Kai Trewin stepping in to block Verstraete's shot after Beach had directed a goal kick straight to the midfielder, whose performance merited a goal.
Back came the visitors, mustering a rare shot in the 69th minute, substitute Lawrence Wong lashing a low twenty-five yard drive past the post. That Paulsen hadn't had to make a save in this clash between two of the top three teams to this point in the contest speaks volumes for Auckland's defensive solidity and Melbourne's one-dimensional, unimaginative play - it was passing for passing's sake, to be perfectly blunt.
The final fifteen minutes saw chances aplenty at both ends of the park. Paulsen made his first save when Atkinson fired a twenty-yarder at him after Matt Leckie had won the ball in midfield in the 77th minute.
Auckland instantly counter-attacked, Cameron Howieson and Luis Toomey combining to send May racing forward in pursuit of the ball. Coming from the opposite direction was Beach, who hurtled out of his penalty area to clear the sphere off the striker's toes.
Eight minutes from time, Howieson pounced on a stray pass halfway inside his own half, and spotted Beach well off his line. Without hesitation, he let fly from just outside the centre circle, a 65-yard guided missile which was destined for the back of the net until the back-pedalling Beach just managed to haul it in before embarrassment overcame him.
Auckland piled on the pressure in response, Neyder Moreno racing through three minutes later, with Liam Gillion and new signing Marlee Francois in support. The Colombian looked to set up the newcomer for a goal on debut, but his low drive was smothered by Beach.
Five minutes later, Moreno powered down the right to the by-line, from where he whipped in a low cross to Gillion. He held the ball up well before inviting the fast-arriving Howieson to let fly, only for Beach to turn his twenty yard rocket round the post.
Melbourne retorted, well aware that any goal they scored now would be of consolation value only, as the game was in stoppage time. Kavian Rahmani's cross on the run, intended for Mazzeo, was cut out by Tommy Smith, with Wong's resulting corner seeing Leckie's header blocked on the line by Toomey, with Howieson completing the clearance.
Rahmani drew a solid save from Paulsen before the final whistle, but not before Gillion got greedy when Moreno was far better placed to fire home. The latter was ropeable come the final whistle, Gillion, upon receiving Howieson's through ball, having shot straight at Beach when Moreno had an open goal yawning invitingly in front of him.
Doubtless words were said long after the Auckland players had concluded celebrating this well-earned 3-0 win with their fans on "The Port". "Auckland - top of the league!" they chanted come the final whistle. Until Adelaide United, their next opponents, won later in the evening, they were.
Auckland: Paulsen; Elliot, Smith, Pijnaker, de Vries; Rogerson, Verstraete (Toomey, 74), Gallegos (Howieson, 74 (booked, 78)), Randall (booked, 50 (Gillion, 58)); May (Francois, 83), Mata (booked, 12 (Moreno, 58))
Melbourne: Beach; Talbot (Leckie, 76), Trewin, Souprayen, Behich; Atkinson (Ferreyra, 82), Ugarkovic, Schreiber (Wong, 62), Politidis (Rahmani, 62); Mazzeo, Memeti (Ghossaini, 62)
Referee: Ben Abraham
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