Auckland City v. Amicale, 18/1/12

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Auckland Overcome Impressive Amicale

by Jeremy Ruane

Reigning O-League champions Auckland City scored a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Amicale FC at Kiwitea Street on 18 January to maintain their grip on top of their OFC Champions League group, but the home team were hard-pressed to record a win over impressive opponents whom few would have begrudged a share of the spoils.

City began the half in patient mood, with Amicale employing a pressing style of play which denied any of their blue-clad opponents time on the ball. Auckland weren't haleping themselves with a lack of mobility in attack in particular - they were very static during the first half-hour, while back-passes to Jacob Spoonley were too often under-hit, putting the 'keeper under far more pressure than was necessary.

The closest the home team came to a goal in the opening half-hour saw David Mulligan's twenty-five yard free-kick superbly turned round the post by Ernest Bong, in a match which saw the visitors engineer the better first half openings.

Around the quarter-hour mark, Amicale enjoyed a real purple patch which had Auckland on the back foot. The lively Joachim Waroi was denied a penalty after a tussle with Alex Feneridis, while only a timely James Pritchett header prevented Fenedy Masauvakalo doing justice to a Gibson Daudau cross, one of many opportunities created by Amicale's right winger throughout the half.

Daudau was the architect of the game's opening goal, in the 23rd minute. But it was the nimble-footedness of Waroi which made the goal, the striker wriggling past both Ivan Vicelich and Feneridis before slipping a shot past Spoonley.

The post came to City's rescue, but only briefly, for the ball rebounded back to Pritchett and rebounded off him into the net in classic slow-motion fashion. Amicale were delighted, Waroi particularly so, but his celebrations were excessive, earning him a yellow card.

This was a rarity - Auckland trailing on the scoreboard. It was the wake-up call the home team needed, too, for they started playing with a bit more animation after the half-hour mark, and instantly created an opportunity, with Manel Exposito and Daniel Koprivcic working a one-two around the

edge of the penalty area.

The Spaniard was promptly clattered by Nelson Sale Kilifa, but Tahitian referee Kader Zitouni didn't hesitate to award Auckland ... a corner, much to the chagrin of the natives, who were nearly undone again ten minutes before half-time.

Richard Anisua picked out Daudau, whose incisive low cross should have been turned home on the far post by Masauvakalo. But he went for the fancy finish instead of the clinical conversion, and one instantly wondered if Amicale would regret that miss come the final whistle.

They were regretting it by half-time, because Auckland - against the run of play, it must be said - managed to turn things round and enjoy the advantage as the teams trooped off at the interval.

Their equaliser came from the penalty spot in the fortieth minute, Exposito rattling the ball home beyond the diving Bong after a delightful move featuring Adam Dickinson, Luis Corrales and Koprivcic had culminated in the last-mentioned finding himself playing the role of the meat in a Vanuatuan sandwich, Paul Young and Alphonse Bongnaim the offending defenders.

The equaliser didn't deter Amicale, with Waroi testing Spoonley four minutes later, after working a one-two in the penalty area with Masauvakalo, whose deft back-heel made the move.

Spoonley cleared the ball downfield to spark the move which led to City taking the lead a minute into first half stoppage time. Dickinson - his movement, in particular, was central to Auckland raising their game in the attacking third in this match - evaded a couple of challenges before slipping a delicious pass into the stride of Koprivcic.

He side-stepped a challenge before being confronted by Bong, but a deft pass across the goalmouth invited Exposito to tap in from close range - 2-1 City, seconds before the half-time whistle.

The second spell began with City enjoying the better of the exchanges, Feneridis and Albert Riera combining with Mulligan to present Corrales with a

chance which fizzed across the face of goal.

Amicale responded just after the hour mark, Dereck Malas' delightful pass playing in Daudau - who was far less effective in this half - on the right. He unleashed a firecracker of a shot which was matched by the spectacular save of Spoonley, although despite his efforts, the ball continued goalwards. Vicelich raced back to head the ball over his own crossbar from beneath its shadows.

Twenty minutes from time, Amicale pressed again, substitute Moffat Deramoa combining with Malas and the lively Alick Maemae to pick out Daudau, who thrashed another thunderbolt over the bar.

Fourteen minutes from time, a cat was put amongst the pigeons as Amicale scored a deserved equaliser. It came out of nothing, and Spoonley is still looking for the source! Because the ball came at him at a withering rate of knots from the boot of Maemae, swerving and dipping this way and that to the extent that it struck the bemused 'keeper on the arm and ricocheted off it into the corner of the net.

2-2, and the visitors weren't done with - they fancied their chances big time! Snapshots from Masauvakalo and Daudau tested Spoonley in the next ten minutes, while only Angel Berlanga's goal-line clearance in stoppage time prevented Maemae from scoring the goal his efforts deserved as Amicale pressed for another equaliser.

For, three minutes from time, City pinched the points with another unlikely goal. Mulligan saw his piledriver cannon to safety off Kilifa, but Dickinson picked up the pieces and pinged in a cross which Bong came for, gathered, then inexplicably spilled, the ball dropping behind him into the net for an own goal which proved suffice for the reigning O-League champions to snatch a win their performance barely merited.

Auckland: Spoonley; Pritchett, Vicelich, Berlanga, Riera; Corrales (McGeorge, 64 (booked, 90)), Feneridis, Mulligan, Koprivcic; Dickinson (Coombes, 90), Exposito (Tade, 62)

Amicale: Bong; Young (Tarivuti, 83), Kilifa, Bongnaim (booked, 64), Sese Ala; Daudau, Malas (booked, 60), Masauvakalo, Anisua (Yelou, 65), Maemae; Waroi (booked, 24) (Deramoa, 57)

Referee: Kader Zitouni (Tahiti)

Auckland City