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Auckland Maintain Winning Ways
by Jeremy Ruane
Auckland FC made it four wins from as many Isuzu Ute A-League matches on November 24, easing past an unimaginative Macarthur Bulls combination 1-0 in front of 4826 fans at Allianz Stadium to regain the competition lead after having endured the bye in the previous round.
Louis Verstraete came desperately close to getting Steve Corica's charges off to a flying start when firing narrowly past the post in the third minute, and just two minutes later, Jake Brimmer was prevented from turning home Liam Gillion's cross by Tomislav Uskok's vital clearance.
The natives looked to respond in the ninth minute, but Nando Pijnaker stood his ground well to block Walter Scott's shot after the speedy Ariath Piol - he was a real handful for Auckland's rearguard throughout proceedings - had created the opening on the right.
Logan Rogerson squandered a great chance in the twelfth minute, his poor touch failing to do justice to a pinpoint cross from Francis de Vries, who, with Gillion, attempted to score with shots from outside the penalty area inside the opening quarter hour.
Macarthur responded via Piol, who latched onto Valere Germain's flicked header before letting fly, only for Alex Paulsen to turn his sixteenth minute effort to safety. Eight minutes later, Germain fired wide from eight yards after Marin Jakolis had picked out Piol, who combined with Scott to set up the striker.
In between times, only some brilliant recovery work by Luke Brattan had prevented Auckland from opening the scoring. 'Twas his blunder which created the opportunity, an under-hit pass being pounced upon by Brimmer, who rounded advancing goalkeeper Filip Kurto, only to be forced too wide of the target to be able to shoot accurately at it.
Brimmer instead opted to set up Guillermo May, who was poised to pounce from eight yards when Brattan produced a terrific recovering challenge to both intercept the ball and clear the danger this 21st minute raid posed.
There was no such cover when May swooped to conquer thirteen minutes later. A stray pass from Scott was pounced on by de Vries, who instantly linked with Luis Gallegos. He worked a one-two down the left with Brimmer - a delicious return pass - before delivering a low cross to the near post which was expertly swept home by the fast-arriving May, to the delight of Auckland fans on both sides of the Tasman, this being FC's first game in Australia.
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Macarthur took a few minutes to recover from this blow, but just before half-time came desperately close to equalising - only a superb one-handed save by Paulsen prevented Piol's acute-angled shot from finding the net after the striker got the better of Dan Hall.
Hiroki Sakai and Gillion combined to clear the danger posed by a Brattan free-kick soon afterwards, while the home team certainly enjoyed the better of the second spell, but lacked the imagination and vision to unhinge Auckland's rearguard action on a pitch which saw a number of players losing their footing, particularly on the dugout side of the venue.
Auckland carved out the first chances of the second half, the first a 53rd minute counter-attack led by Gillion. Gallegos' through ball sent Rogerson scurrying through the inside left channel into the penalty area, from where he delivered a low cross just behind the incoming figure of May.
Twelve minutes later, Hall and Sakai combined on the right, with the captain's low driven cross picking out May. His twenty yard shot had the sting taken out of it by a deflection, which made life a great deal easier for Kurto, who spent much of the rest of the match watching his team-mates huff and puff but fail to blow Auckland's house down.
A twenty-yard effort from Kealey Adamson sizzled just past the post in the 67th minute, while the fullback unleashed the pace of Piol three minutes later, the last act for both before they were replaced.
Pijnaker's untimely slip allowed the striker a glimpse of goal, but Piol shot straight at Paulsen, who tipped a looping header from Uskok over the bar five minutes from time, following a Frans Deli corner.
Referee Ben Abraham - he acquitted himself well, with excellent communication with the players throughout proceedings - awarded a goal kick, much to Macarthur's frustration, and after Brattan battered a twenty-five yarder past the post in stoppage time, the game was up for the home team, with Auckland victorious yet again as their dream start to life in the A-League continued unabated.
Macarthur: Kitto; Adamson (Nicolaou, 70), Arslanagic (booked, 82), Uskok, Vujica (Sawyer, 84); Scott (Randazzo, 57), Rose (Deli, 57), Brattan, Jakolis (booked, 36); Piol (de Silva, 70), Germain
Auckland: Paulsen; Sakai, Hall, Pijnaker (booked, 22), de Vries (Galloway, 59); Brimmer (Howieson, 59 (booked, 87)), Verstraete, Gallegos (Smith, 72); Rogerson (Moreno, 59), May, Gillion (Toomey, 86)
Referee: Ben Abraham
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