Auckland City v. Koloale, 18/2/12

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City Close In On O-League Final

by Jeremy Ruane

Auckland City overcame Solomon Islands champions Koloale FC 7-3 in a wild-scoring game at Kiwitea Street on 18 February to advance to the precipice of a second successive OFC Champions League Grand Final.

Reigning champions City set out their stall straight from the kick-off, Adam Dickinson seeing his rasping third minute drive turned away by Koloale goalkeeper Shadrack Ramoni, an effort which saw the visitors responding three minutes later.

Francis Lafai and Lency Saeni combined with Benjamin Totori, whose defence-splitting slide-rule pass invited Ian Paia to dash in off the right flank and unleash a low drive which Tamati Williams smothered at his near post.

The 'keeper cleared the ball downfield and sparked the game's opening goal. Andrew Milne found some space on the left flank from which he delivered a cross behind Chad Coombes, who gathered the ball, turned and let fly from twenty-five yards.

The shot beat Ramoni all ends up but struck the upright, much to the delight of Dickinson, who, following in, made no mistake to open the scoring.

Koloale were unphased by this early setback, and continued to contribute positively to an open, free-flowing contest, so much so that they were on level terms in the sixteenth minute, courtesy a wonderful team goal.

Building from the back, the visitors worked the ball downfield to Totori, who fed James Naka ahead of him. The striker held off the defence and fended off a City man before laying the ball back to Steven Anisi, who hit an absolute peach of a first-time eighteen-yard drive which simply flashed past Williams into the bottom right-hand corner of the net - the 'keeper was still diving when the ball was rebounding off the netting!

City were stunned, and the Solomon Islands champions looked to take advantage virtually straight away. Naka's fine cross-field ball picked out Totori in the twentieth minute, and his first touch to bring the ball under control was sublime. Milne stuck to the task to deny him a shooting angle, but Totori still found one, angling a low drive narrowly across the face of goal.

The home team soon got back into the groove, however, and after Exposito had seen Ramoni grab his twenty-five yard free-kick under the bar, a delightfully worked move on the half-hour culminated in Daniel Koprivcic picking out Alex Feneridis on the far post with a cross which the midfielder was unable to steer on target.

Auckland took the lead nine minutes before half-time with a cracking goal. Manel Exposito's precision pass from half-way found Dickinson coming short, but his dazzling turn and pass sent Coombes dashing through the inside left channel.

The striker continued into the penalty area, where he calmly steered his shot beyond Ramoni into the far corner of the net - 2-1.

Now it was Koloale's turn to be rattled, and their opponents punished them mercilessly. A 39th minute move involving Koprivcic, Coombes and Dickinson deserved better fate than to see no-one arriving on the end of Koprivcic's cross to the far post.

Coombes picked up the pieces once more, this time near the right-hand touchline, from where he directed another cross towards the danger zone. He sliced it, however, but that made no difference to Ramoni, who was rooted to the spot and completely deceived by the flight of the ball as it swerved between him and the near post - 3-1, courtesy a goalkeeping howler of the highest order, although a deflection didn't help his cause.

Exposito was only inches away from doing justice to James Pritchett's cross and increasing City's advantage still further in the shadows of the half-time whistle - Ramoni was on hand to divert the Spaniard's shot on the stretch to safety - but Koloale's number one was to continue to prove the weak point in his team's challenge throughout the second half.

Indeed, just four minutes into the spell, his awful throw-out gifted possession to Pritchett, who worked a double one-two with Coombes on the right. The fullback's deflected cross careered across the face of goal, with Exposito prevented from steering it home by Gideon Omokirio, who hauled back the striker for what should have been a clear-cut penalty for a red card offence. Tahitian referee Averii Jacques somehow failed to see it ...

After Naka had shot tamely at Williams, and Coombes had headed narrowly over following an enterprising move featuring Feneridis, Exposito and Milne, Exposito thundered a twenty-five yarder inches wide in the 53rd minute, four minutes before Dickinson dashed along the by-line and saw his pull-back pawed out by Ramoni to Koprivcic, whose shot was blocked to safety by Omokirio.

Three goals in four minutes around the hour mark killed off the game as a contest. A short corner was worked to Milne in the 58th minute, and his curled cross to the far post found Angel Berlanga roaring in. He hit the crossbar, but Ivan Vicelich was perfectly placed to steer home the rebound.

4-1 became 5-1 straight from the kick-off. Albert Riera regained possession for City, and played the ball to Milne, whose deft back-heel invited Exposito to play in Dickinson. Ramoni should have kept out his twenty yarder, but allowed the ball to squeeze through his hands and into the net via the post.

Dickinson had his tail up now, and rampaged down the right in the 62nd minute before dashing along

the by-line to set up Milne for a tap-in and a deserved goal for the fullback, whose performance fully merited such reward.

The goal of the game came in the 65th minute, and it was Koloale who were celebrating. Out of nothing, Totori picked out a beauty - a curling, dipping twenty-five yarder which arced over the flailing fingertips of the diving figure of Williams and into the net behind him. It made the scoreline 6-2 to City, but was definitely worth the admission money and then some - cracking goal!

With the half-time scoreline having been doubled twenty minutes into the second half, and City certain of a victory which extends their remarkable record in this 2011-12 season, the home team noticeably eased off the throttle throughout the remainder of the half.

Koloale, meanwhile, kept on pressing, Pritchett forced to jump out of the way as Naka powered down the left before hammering a shot which stayed hit narrowly across the face of goal in the 73rd minute.

He thrashed a twenty yarder past the far post eight minutes later, either side of which City squandered a couple of glorious opportunities to bolster their lead - Feneridis and substitute Stephen Carmichael both should have done better when through on goal, while the latter will have a devil of a job talking his way out of how he missed an open goal in stoppage time, when nutmegged by Exposito!

The move began with a delightfully weighted Coombes pass which was intended for Exposito, but which was anticipated by Koloale substitute Isreal Kote Fanai. He guided the ball back towards Ramoni, who headed it away. Exposito, following through, was onto it in an instant, and evaded a challenge before steering the ball across to Carmichael, arriving on the far post. How to miss a sitter ...

Just as well Auckland had scored a seventh goal in the 84th minute. Exposito and Coombes combined on the right, but Koloale failed to clear the latter's low cross, much to the delight of Koprivcic, who spurned not this gift.

It wasn't the last goal of the match, however. That honour befell Naka, who, with virtually the final touch of the game, deftly headed home Abraham Eke Junior's cross to bring about the final 7-3 scoreline in Auckland's favour.

Auckland: Williams; Pritchett, Vicelich, Berlanga (Arms, 63), Milne; Koprivcic, Riera (Shaker, 84), Feneridis; Coombes, Dickinson (Carmichael, 63), Exposito

Koloale: Ramoni; Kini (Eke Jnr.), Buru, Omokirio (Kote Fanai, 67), Lafai; Paia (Sale, 60), Samani, Anisi, Saeni; Naka, Totori

Referee: Averii Jacques (Tahiti)

Auckland City