Grand Final 2009

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Grand Final 2009

City Come From Behind To Clinch NZFC Crown

by Jeremy Ruane

A stunning, dramatic yet deserved come-from-behind 2-1 win over Waitakere United at Douglas Field on March 29 has allowed Auckland City to relieve their arch-rivals of the Southern Trust NZ Football Championship crown, and maintain their unbeaten record in the Grand Final of New Zealand's National League - this is their fourth triumph in the five-year-old competition.

In a rip-roaring local derby between these fierce cross-town rivals, Waitakere made the early play, with Fijian international Roy Krishna directing an unchallenged six-yard header against the crossbar in the fourth minute, on receipt of Allan Pearce's pinpoint free-kick.

A minute later, a desperate tackle by Greg Uhlmann earned a booking for the City defender, and left a player looking to make individual history - before this match, no player had six National League winners' medals to his name - treading on thin ice for the rest of the match.

Waitakere continued to press against a clearly unsettled Auckland combination, with Christopher Bale directing his twenty-yarder straight at Jacob Spoonley in the seventh minute as the home team looked to maintain their impressive form at a venue from which few visiting teams have emerged with much to show for their efforts.

City began to get a grip on proceedings, however, and in the eleventh minute some clever play by Ki Hyung Lee unhinged Waitakere's defence, only for Neil Emblen to head to safety.

Five minutes later, United opening the scoring. Krishna outpaced Uhlmann in a cross-field foot-race before darting into the penalty area and driving a hard, low cross across the face of goal. Steaming in unmarked on the far post was Allan Pearce, who gleefully swept the ball home to open the scoring - 1-0 Waitakere.

Unperturbed by this setback, City continued to grow into the match, their more constructive footballing approach contrasting nicely with United's less cerebral and more one-dimensional style, as they looked to exploit the pace of their attacking trio, Pearce, Krishna and Benjamin Totori, at any given moment.

Only a fine covering tackle by Emblen thwarted Grant Young on the edge of the penalty area in the 28th minute, after Danny Hay had been caught in possession by Paul Urlovic.

Seconds later, Lee swung in a free-kick from the right which was missed by all-comers at the near post, but not by the diving figure of Matt Williams. The midfielder flung himself at the ball but couldn't direct his header on target, instead copping a boot in the face from Emblen as the defender attempted to hook clear.

Nine minutes before half-time, James Pritchett hoisted the ball into the goalmouth, Chad Coombes his target. Emblen and United `keeper Richard Gillespie were also in the frame, with the custodian unable to take the ball cleanly. Coombes swooped on the loose ball, but Gillespie recovered well to save his shot on the turn at the second attempt.

United's response, five minutes before half-time, was led by the fleet-footed Krishna. He surged forward before linking with Pearce, who cut in from the right and let fly with a twenty-five yard screamer which Spoonley saved splendidly, diving full-length to his left to tip the top-corner-bound shot to safety.

Cue another Auckland raid, with a Lee corner - the Korean international delivered many of these throughout the game - arcing to the far post, where Uhlmann headed the ball down for Matt Friel. His eight-yard snapshot was well saved low to his right by Gillespie.

On the stroke of half-time, Pearce forced Spoonley to punch clear his inswinging corner to the near post, the last act of a half which saw Waitakere heading to the dressing rooms with their noses in front, but with Auckland far from out of the contest in this, the 23rd clash of these titans of the New Zealand footballing scene.

As in the first half, it was the home team who enjoyed the better of the early exchanges in the second spell, with successive Pearce corners seeing

an Emblen header cannon off Spoonley to safety, and a dipping twenty-five yarder from Bale land on the roof of City's net, much to the relief of the beaten custodian.

Back came City, with Uhlmann offering an air-shot in response to a Lee corner which picked him out on the edge of the goal area. Waitakere's response saw Neil Sykes and Krishna work an opening on the edge of the City area which culminated in Bale battering a twenty-five yarder inches past Spoonley's right-hand post.

Seconds later, Totori careered down the right before whipping a low cross across the face of goal, in similar fashion to which the game's lone goal, to this point, had come about. This time, there was no white-clad figure racing in on the far post to make the most of the opportunity.

One person who would have done, had he still been playing for his old club, was Keryn Jordan. The City substitute had just been introduced to the fray when this incident occurred, taking over from Williams, who was still suffering the after-effects of the facial injury accidentally inflicted upon him earlier in the match.

While the most prolific marksman in NZFC history was getting up to speed, chances ensued at either end around the hour mark, as City began to pile on the pressure in search of an equaliser, even though they were always vulnerable to being sprung on the counter-attack.

Gillespie grabbed a towering Uhlmann header from yet another Lee corner, while Coombes opted to chip the `keeper from thirty yards soon after, despite three better-placed blue-clad players in the immediate vicinity. The midfielder did not see the filthy looks Jordan, Young and Urlovic cast in his direction as another chance to equalise went begging.

In between these efforts, Krishna spurned the chance to double Waitakere's advantage. Pearce scooted past Friel on the counter-attack before whipping in a low cross to the near post on the hour mark. The Fijian darted in to meet the ball, but was unable to direct what was a decidedly difficult opportunity on target.

City were becoming increasingly dominant, with captain Ivan Vicelich leading his charges superbly - he had a terrific game. In the 67th minute, he released Urlovic down the right, allowing the striker to get the better of Sykes en route to the by-line. An inviting cross arrowed between the fast-arriving figures of Jordan and Young, much to the delight of Gillespie, who dived on the sphere greedily.

Seconds later, another Lee corner this time picked out Jordan, who sent a ten-yard header flashing narrowly past the far post. The Korean delivered another corner in the 69th minute, this time to the near post, which the stooping figure of Friel was unable to direct on target.

The game was very much in the balance at this point, and with less than fifteen minutes to go, Krishna had the chance to make it back-to-back Grand Final triumphs for the reigning champions.

While his thunderous 77th minute drive, following a partially cleared Pearce corner, crashed into the side-netting, it was what happened inside the next sixty seconds which was to prove the game's pivotal moment.

Bale clipped the ball over the top of a square Auckland defence for Krishna to race onto. As City's rearguard howled in vain for an offside flag, the Fijian swept round the advancing figure of Spoonley and found himself with the ball at his feet, an open goal into which to guide it, and Vicelich hurtling back in a desperate attempt to stave off the seemingly inevitable.

Krishna rolled the ball into the side-netting … and Auckland equalised thirty seconds later!

Spoonley's goal-kick sent Young scampering down the right, and he looked up to see Jordan steaming through the inside-left channel, anticipating a made-to-measure angled cross from his fellow South African. Young's delivery was inch-perfect, and, salmon-like, Jordan rose above fellow substitute John Chisholm to power a twelve-yard header

through the hands of Gillespie into the net.

1-1, and game on in a big way with just twelve minutes remaining. Waitakere pressed initially, only for Lee to block Jake Butler's shot after Sykes had played his team-mate in on the left.

Six minutes from time, City responded with a dazzling solo run from Young. Cutting in off the left flank, he swept past and swerved his way through the challenges of Chisholm, Butler, Hay and Emblen - it was only the despairing tackle of Sykes which denied what would have been a sure-fire contender for Goal of the Season!

From Lee's resulting corner, Vicelich headed across the face of goal - a let-off for Waitakere, who instantly cleared the sphere to Daniel Koprivcic. The substitute lofted the ball forward for Krishna to chase, but after getting the better of James Pritchett and Uhlmann, he lacked the composure to finish the job, blazing the ball high, wide and far from handsomely over the target from the edge of the penalty area.

Two minutes from time, the destiny of the 2008-9 NZFC crown was decided - via two mistakes. The first was by Butler, who tried to be clever just outside his penalty area only to get caught in possession.

Urlovic has a prolific goalscoring record in New Zealand football's showpiece fixtures, his strikes having helped win three Chatham Cup Finals and the 2007 NZFC Grand Final, the last occasion Auckland savoured victory over Waitakere.

He it was who swooped on the ponderous figure of Butler and stripped him of the ball. And he it was who, in his next stride, unleashed a twenty-five yard bullet which Gillespie should have held.

But a catastrophic handling error by the `keeper saw the ball bounce over the line … cue joy unconfined from the Auckland City boys, who were coming down the road with a wet sail in the dying minutes of a NZFC season which had seen Waitakere win the premiership phase by a record eight-point margin, losing just once en route to the final.

The fat lady was preparing to take the stage, however, although she had been beaten to the punch by a fair few portly patrons who were decidedly blue in hue, and were belting out their victory hymns with gusto.

The game wasn't over, however, and Waitakere desperately sought an equaliser in the time which remained. Paul Seaman and Pearce combined to present Emblen with a headed chance, only for Hay to inadvertently head the goalbound effort away from the target.

United's captain had another chance two minutes into stoppage time, having worked a one-two on the edge of the penalty area with his central defensive partner, both Emblen and Hay having pushed on in Waitakere's desperation to notch a late leveller.

But the son of a long-time Auckland rugby stalwart unleashed an effort of which Grant Fox would have been proud, and as the ball sailed well over the crossbar, the team which went into this match having won just once in the last twelve encounters between these cross-town rivals, and not since October 2006 at the venue, and this after being unbeaten on the park throughout the first fourteen tussles in this ongoing battle for Queen City supremacy, began to celebrate.

For the fourth time in its five-year history, and this time thanks to a come-from-behind 2-1 Grand Final victory over arch-rivals Waitakere United, Auckland City are Southern Trust NZFC champions once again.

Waitakere: Gillespie; Myers (Chisholm, 70), Emblen, Hay, Butler; Bale, Seaman, Sykes; Pearce, Krishna, Totori (booked, 28) (Koprivcic, 63 (booked, 80))

Auckland: Spoonley; Pritchett, Vicelich, Uhlmann (booked, 5), Friel (booked, 73); Coombes (booked, 85), Lee, Feneridis (McGeorge, 75), Williams (Jordan, 54); Young (Campbell, 90), Urlovic

Referee: Mike Hester

National League