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260125
More Stoppage Time Drama Sends Auckland Top
by Jeremy Ruane
Days after scoring in the tenth minute of stoppage time to snatch a 2-2 draw with Adelaide United, Auckland FC delivered another dose of stoppage time drama at CommBank Stadium on January 26, "Supersub" Neyder Moreno scoring in the final minute to clinch a 1-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers, a result which sent the Isuzu Ute A-League newcomers back to the top of the standings.
In a game laden with goalscoring chances at both ends, it was remarkable that the 7410 fans present had to wait until the very end to see the one opportunity taken, but it was well worth the wait.
Auckland fired the first shot in anger just 65 seconds into this contest, Logan Rogerson's cross being laid off by Max Mata to Guillermo May, who turned past Josh Brillante before seeing his shot blocked by the fast-approaching figure of Lawrence Thomas.
Six minutes later, the visitors threatened again. Hiroki Sakai, back on deck for Auckland after enduring a concussion-enforced absence, hurled a long throw-in into the heart of Wests' goalmouth which was flicked on by Max Mata.
Anthony Pantazopoulos hooked the ball clear, but only as far as Rogerson, whose cross invited Max Mata to head the ball across goal. Pantazopoulos' second attempt to avert the danger proved more conclusive.
The home team's first attack of note materialised five minutes later, with Thomas' quickly taken goal-kick sending Zach Sapsford away down the right. He got the better of Sakai before racing into the penalty area, where he unleashed a low drive which Alex Paulsen tipped round the far post.
A slick Auckland counter-attack resulted from that corner, Rogerson leading it, May at the sharp end of it, the Uruguayan sending a twenty-yard drive sizzling narrowly over the crossbar, a threat to which Wests responded via another Sapsford-led counter-attack, with Nicolas Milanovic pulling the trigger from twenty yards. Paulsen was right behind the shot.
After that riveting opening quarter-hour of action, the game settled down somewhat, with Auckland doing most of the attacking. But it was the home team which next threatened a goal, on the half-hour. Juan Mata's free-kick wasn't cleared, inviting Pantazopoulos to send a volley careering through a crowded goalmouth which Milanovic directed over the bar from close range.
Back came Auckland, Louis Verstraete winning the ball in midfield before linking with May, who laid the ball off to Max Mata. His shot on the turn was smothered by Thomas, the last save either custodian had to make before the interval, despite the attacking endeavours of both teams to open the scoring.
Wests were first to threaten in the second spell, Paulsen blocking another Milanovic effort before smothering a further attempt by the striker, this 56th minute attempt coming despite the best efforts of Nando Pijnaker to close out the threat posed by the lively front-runner.
Auckland's attempts to score, by comparison, were wayward, May, Jake Brimmer and Verstraete all sending the ball past the uprights in the early stages of the second spell. But they should have opened the scoring in the 57th minute - indeed, this will be a candidate for "Miss of the Season"!
Brilliant work by May, wriggling between two
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opponents, saw him create an opening which saw his shot parried by Thomas. The ball rolled across the six-yard box to Rogerson, arriving on the far post. With an open goal at his mercy, he sliced his shot into the side-netting … "You had one job …!"
As did Carl Antonsson two minutes later, the Wests striker dragging his shot across the face of goal, having been played in by Milanovic. To which Auckland responded with a couple of attacks which saw the best and worst of Thomas on show.
A quickly taken thirty yard free-kick by Brimmer on the hour looked to catch out Wests' number one, but Thomas responded with a scrambling save at his near post. But his handling of a Sakai cross two minutes later was far from exemplary, the ball finding its way to Brimmer. He teamed up with May to present Moreno with his first chance of the match, but Thomas came up with a fine blocking save to deny the substitute.
Eighteen minutes from time, Felipe Gallegos' vital headed clearance prevented Pantazopoulos from getting on the end of a raking cross-field ball from Jack Clisby, whose 250th A-League appearance this was.
Pantazopoulos was still lurking when Gallegos received a pass from Paulsen seconds later, and the attack-minded fullback duly pounced on the just-introduced Auckland substitute, just outside the penalty area.
Paulsen needed two attempts to keep out the resulting shot at goal, this time sparking a counter-attack which culminated in Brimmer threading a pass into the stride of Moreno, whose angled run took him past Thomas to the by-line, from where he set up fellow substitute Marlee Francois for a shot. Alex Bonetig was on hand to avert the danger on this occasion.
Shots continued to rain in on goal, but neither goalkeeper was being truly tested. Bozhidar Kraev's driving run and shot from the edge of the area fizzed narrowly past the post in the 83rd minute, to which Francois responded with an overhead kick over the bar in stoppage time, after Francis de Vries' free-kick was headed across goal by Tommy Smith.
With the 0-0 scoreline looking like being the outcome, despite both teams' attacking enterprise, Auckland mounted one last attack, deep in stoppage time. Verstraete won the ball and brought Cameron Howieson into play, his pass inviting both Moreno and Francois to take the ball on in the inside left channel.
Pantazopoulos was in between them, his touch guiding the ball into the stride of the Colombian, who wasted little time in lashing the ball over Thomas, who was covering his near post. The sphere cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and down into the net by the far upright, prompting wild scenes in the away dugout, not for the first time this week, Auckland this time clinching all three points to wrap up a memorable week on the road in their inaugural season.
West. Syd.: Thomas; Pantazopoulos, Brillante, Bonetig, Clisby; Milanovic, J. Mata (Al Taay, 79), Priestman (booked, 41 (Pelekanos, 79)), Kraev (Simmons, 90); Sapsford (Hammond, 68), Antonsson (Temelkovski, 68)
Auckland: Paulsen; Sakai, Smith, Pijnaker, de Vries; Rogerson (Francois, 68), Verstraete, Brimmer (Howieson, 86), Randall (Moreno, 51); M. Mata (Gallegos, 68 (booked, 90)), May (Bidois, 86)
Referee: Shaun Evans
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