The New Zealand Knights signed off their 2006-7 - and last? - Hyundai A-League campaign on a winning note at North Harbour Stadium on January 21, comfortably downing Perth Glory 2-0 to finish just a point behind the seventh place-getters. How fitting that the Kiwi combination, for so long bound by the straitjacket of their initial financially challenged owners, should conclude the season with a run of free-wheeling form fully reflecting their new-found freedom. With the shackles off, three wins and three draws from their last seven games were quickly accumulated, form which would have seen them finish in a far more competitive position had they not effectively been operating with one hand tied behind their back for the bulk of the past two campaigns. Whether new owners can come to the rescue with the financial wherewithal necessary for the Knights to begin a new campaign on the starting grid, rather than from pit lane, will be determined before the end of the month, but for the club as we've known it over the last two seasons, this was a memorable way for them to conclude what has effectively been two campaigns of unfulfilled potential. Perth were never going to win this match in the circumstances, and they rarely looked like threatening to do so after referee Kevin Docherty blew the whistle for the first time in a match the visitors had travelled over 5300 kilometres to play. This situation well suited the 4936 who gathered to celebrate the Knights finale in the club's current form, the party-like atmosphere ultimately proving infectious for those charged with wearing the predominantly black kit for the final time this season. Defences dominated the opening fifteen minutes, but in that time, the home team engineered two openings of note, the first coming in the seventh minute. Dean Gordon played the ball down the left for Neil Emblen, who held the ball up neatly while awaiting the arrival of Leilei Gao. The Chinese international duly materialised, and swept past an opponent into the penalty area before shooting straight at Tommi Tomich. Gao was next in action seven minutes later, delivering a corner beyond the far post which the head of Steven O'Dor was unable to direct goalwards. Gao began the match in lively fashion, and should have been rewarded for his efforts by a goal in the sixteenth minute. Inexplicably, the offside flag was raised, despite the fact that Gao was level with his marker, and had another opponent standing a yard nearer Perth's goal than himself when receiving the opportunity created by Che Bunce and Noah Hickey. This spurred the Knights on, and after Tomich had raced out of his penalty area to prevent Emblen from capitalising on Hickey's through ball, Richard Johnson and Emblen lined up to present Malik Buari - in for Alen Marcina, who was on international duty for Canada - with a shooting chance. He pulled this effort just past the far post, then unleashed a tame attempt to break the deadlock on receipt of another Emblen pass in the 26th minute. The breakthrough had to come, and duly did, six minutes later. Darren Bazeley sent Hickey buccaneering down the right, and from the by-line he pulled the ball back into Buari's path. The striker let fly, only for Tomich to parry his effort. Emblen was following in, however - 1-0 Knights, a goal which had been coming. Perth hadn't mustered a single effort of note to this

point, but straight from the kick-off, Jeremy Christie and David Micevski linked for the benefit of Simon Colosimo, whose through ball sent Jamie Harnwell racing into the penalty area. Knights hitherto inactive goalkeeper, Mark Paston, saved at the makeshift striker's feet, his only action of consequence for the half. Tomich had been a wee bit busier, and he had one more act to fulfil before the half-time whistle - fish the ball out of his net for a second time, in the 39th minute. Johnson whipped in a deep corner for Bunce, lurking beyond the far post. His header inside wasn't cleared, and Buari swooped to conquer before Tomich could avert the danger - 2-0, and the visitors on course for an inglorious finish to their campaign. A far more physical start to the second half than had been witnessed in the entire first forty-five minutes saw three players booked before ten minutes of action had elapsed. This spell also saw Colosimo heading a Buari free-kick over his own crossbar, with Gordon heading Gao's resulting corner wide of the mark as the Knights continued their attack-oriented approach. Perth responded with their best move of the match thus far - hardly surprising, given you could count them on the fingers of one hand! - on the hour. Christie and Leo Bertos teamed up on the left, the latter evading a challenge before picking out Harnwell with his cross. The striker sent his header bulleting past the near post. After Buari had left Tomich beaten all ends up with a neat turn and run before letting fly past two startled opponents - the ball careered across the face of goal and just past the far post, the African came closer still in the 64th minute, volleying a shot on the turn narrowly wide of the mark after Johnson and Hickey had combined. Three minutes later, a wayward Jamie Coyne back-pass put Tomich under pressure, with Buari prowling with intent. The goalkeeper cleared the ball against the striker, who pounced on the rebound before setting up Emblen for a pot-shot under pressure, one which he drifting across the face of an open goal. Some fine off-the-ball running by Buari in the 76th minute was rewarded when Gao's precise pass on the edge of the penalty area arrived at his feet. But for the vital block of Ante Kovacevic - the pick of Perth's plethora on a day when they largely gave the impression Auckland on the last day of the season wasn't their cup of tea - this would surely have found the net, giving a scoreline more accurately reflecting the Knights' dominance of the contest. The final fifteen minutes saw some cavalier play evolve, as both teams relished their final moments of a season which began in October. With the crowd spurring them on, neither side let up, even though their respective final goalscoring opportunities of the campaign had already been fired. Eventually, referee Docherty put an end to the affair, a 2-0 scoreline which flattered Perth and gave the Knights' players and fans something positive on which to hang their hats for the close-season, however long that may be in the life of New Zealand's only professional football club. Knights:     Paston; Bazeley, Bunce, O'Dor, Gordon; Hickey, Salley (booked, 52), Johnson (booked, 88), Gao (Richter, 68); Buari (Li, 81), Emblen Perth:          Tomich; Coyne, Kovacevic, Tarka (booked, 53); Edwards, Christie, Micevski, Magdic; Marshall, Coyne, Bulgria Referee:     Kevin Docherty