Grand Final 2013

The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home

Grand Final 2013

Waitakere Edge "Old Firm" Thriller To Take Title Again

by Jeremy Ruane

Waitakere United clinched a record fourth consecutive ASB Premiership Grand Final triumph at Fred Taylor Park on St. Patrick's Day, coming from behind to down ten-man Auckland City 4-3 after extra time in a thrilling "Old Firm" derby.

On a day the earth moved in the Queen City, United began the match by forcing Auckland onto the back foot from the outset. Inside twenty seconds, Chad Coombes had charged down an Ivan Vicelich clearance, with Roy Krishna latching onto the rebound before threading the ball through to Coombes, who pulled his shot across the face of goal.

Two minutes later, Ryan de Vries played Krishna in on the left, and the Fijian striker hit the crossbar with a teasing cross-shot, which preceded some typical derby fare - a few willing tackles, most notably in the sixth minute, when Alex Feneridis became the first of four first half bookings in an incident which saw both Sam Mathews and Gustavo Souto requiring treatment.

City were gifted the lead in the sixteenth minute. Matt Cunneen - he had a horror first half - directed a pass straight to Manel Exposito, who gleefully raced forward before ramming the ball beyond the diving figure of Danny Robinson.

Within seconds, City were on the hunt for a second goal. Albert Riera spread play wide to Exposito, whose fast feet accounted for Aaron Scott and allowed the scorer to surge forth once more before threading a pass through for the chasing figure of Souto. Robinson raced out to save at his feet.

Waitakere gradually worked their way back into the contest after that setback, and drew level on the half-hour with a cracking strike. Jake Butler sprayed the ball wide to Coombes, who curled an exquisite cross with the outside of his right foot towards the far post.

Krishna, its target, controlled the sphere neatly on his chest, before swivelling as it dropped to send an angled half-volley arrowing into the top far corner of the net - a stunning strike, well worthy of such a stage as the Grand Final.

The equaliser rocked City, and only a deflection prevented Krishna from finding the net again two minutes later, following a cleared Coombes free-kick. But that was nothing compared to what followed seconds later, Coombes corner to the near post being met by Allan Pearce, whose angled header to the far post found the net despite Riera's attempts to head it off the line.

2-1 to United after 33 minutes, but there was plenty of drama to come in this barnstorming Grand Final. Indeed, just three minutes later, Scott produced a vital tackle to prevent Exposito from scoring a near-instant equaliser, after Daniel Koprivcic had slipped Souto in between defenders to get to the by-line and whip in a low cross which was missed by Robinson.

Back came Waitakere, Scott and Krishna combining with de Vries, whose splendid back-heeled pass invited Coombes to hold up until Pearce loomed up in support, the striker's subsequent low drive being parried to safety by Tamati Williams six minutes before half-time.

The second spell saw United on the front foot initially, with another Coombes free-kick being cleared to Butler, whose deflected shot was eventually gathered by the diving figure of Williams, the 'keeper having initially plunged to his right before recovering to save to his left in the 53rd minute.

Krishna and Coombes - he had a terrific game - both went close soon after, while a cheeky chip of Williams by de Vries, after Coombes and Krishna had combined to play him in, deserved better fate in the 62nd minute.

City were struggling to get a grip on proceedings at this stage, but they managed to get a toe-old in the 68th minute, Bale having moved into midfield a few minutes beforehand as Simon Arms took over his central defensive duties.

The newcomer played the ball to Exposito on the left, and his neat turn took him inside Scott and allowed him to present Souto with a chance. He wriggled through three challenges before curling an eighteen-yarder inches past the far post.

Two minutes later, concerted pressure from Auckland saw Adam Dickinson, Koprvicic and Riera all probing before Robinson tipped an acute-angled drive from Bale round his near post.

City were gathering momentum, however, and in the 74th minute, they drew level. Riera picked out Bale, whose switch of play to Exposito allowed the Spaniard to scythe inside before burying a beauty beyond Robinson from the edge of the penalty area - 2-2, and more goals a near certainty.

Auckland should have regained the lead two minutes later. Dickinson angled a ball inside Tristan Prattley for the overlapping James Pritchett to stride onto. His low cross found Souto lurking with intent, but his shot through Tim Myers' legs was splendidly anticipated by Robinson, who launched the ball

downfield.

Cue drama. Arms and Krishna got involved in a bit of an arm wrestle - not the smartest thing the central defender could have done, as he was the last man. After consulting with his assistant, referee Peter O'Leary revealed the red card, prompting vehement protests from City players, eight of whom had been booked by the final whistle.

Arms was the only one to see red, however, his departure reducing Auckland to ten men for at least the next thirteen minutes, possibly longer. And they were further hampered in the 84th minute when, with Vicelich left reeling by a Coombes challenge, Krishna combined with de Vries, only for Williams to divert the latter's effort into the sidenetting.

Come the 90th minute, and with extra time looming large, the ten men took the lead once more. Andrew Milne pinged a corner beyond the far post for the now recovered Vicelich, who headed it into the goalmouth. United failed to clear their lines, and Bale slammed home a close-range volley - City, 3-2.

Immediately, the board went up to indicate a minimum of six minutes of stoppage time would be played. Inside the first of them, Waitakere drew level. Prattley's gorgeously weighted cross found Krishna careering through the inside-right channel, and the ASB Premiership's Golden Boot winner expertly guided a header over the stranded figure of Williams - 3-3!

Could more drama arise before the final whistle? You'd better believe it, especially when these two great rivals lock horns. We had barely sixty seconds to wait before the 39th "Super City Derby" was graced by one of its finest saves.

Stung by having lost a lead they had enjoyed for barely a minute, City stormed forward from the resumption, with Riera and Milne combining on the left. The fullback skipped inside before delivering a delightfully measured cross into the stride of Souto, who had the goal at his mercy.

How Robinson denied the striker with his legs in the second minute of stoppage time in this epic encounter, only he will know - the game was up for grabs, again, at that moment.

Back came Waitakere, with both Krishna and Pearce - a piledriver - being thwarted by Bale in the fourth minute of stoppage time, before Auckland were denied what looked a clear-cut penalty sixty seconds later, as Dickinson went down under the challenge of Myers.

The full-time whistle sounded, allowing all present the chance to draw breath and prepare for thirty further minutes of Grand Final derring do. Would the eleven men make their additional player count? Or would the ten men stun the odds? Indeed, given the number of bookings they'd already received, would City still have ten players on the park come the final whistle?

Luiz Del Monte entered the fray at this point, taking over from the best player of the ninety in Coombes. And the newcomer's first contribution saw him deliver a 96th minute corner which ultimately saw de Vries fire a shot narrowly over the bar.

Four minutes later, the scoreboard changed again. Another Del Monte corner this time found Pearce ghosting in at the near post, and as with his earlier goal, his glancing header found the net again - Waitakere, 4-3.

Surely City couldn't come back again? They certainly tried to, with Souto denied by the legs of Prattley in the 107th minute. Then Krishna, clear on the right, saw his low cross parried by Williams, but no one in a white shirt reacted faster to the loose ball than the blue-clad figure of Pritchett - danger averted.

With five minutes remaining, Jordan Vale's buccaneering run was curtailed by the back-tracking figure of Pearce, who instantly brought Milos Nikolic into play. The substitute sent Krishna careering through with just Williams to beat, a player the striker rounded to leave himself with the goal at his mercy. The side-netting bulged, and Auckland breathed again.

With two minutes remaining, City's last chance materialised. Milne's corner to the far post found late substitute Emiliano Tade rising high, but he couldn't guide his header under the bar, the cue for Waitakere to begin celebrating an unprecedented fourth successive ASB Premiership crown, the 2012-13 season concluding with a terrific finale between the competition's greatest clubs.

Waitakere: Robinson; Scott, Shelley, Cunneen (Prattley, 52), Myers; Mathews, Butler (booked, 117), Coombes (Del Monte, 91); Pearce (booked, 45), Krishna, de Vries (Nikolic , 111)

Auckland: Williams; Pritchett, Vicelich (booked, 44), Bale (booked, 78), Milne (booked, 65); Riera (booked, 40) (Tade, 106), Feneridis (booked, 6) (Arms, 58 - sent off, 77), Koprivcic (Vale, 89); Souto (booked, 109), Dickinson (booked, 118), Exposito (booked, 77)

Referee: Peter O'Leary

National League