Grand Final 2022

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Grand Final 2022

Ten-Man City Make NZ Footballing History

by Jeremy Ruane

Ten-man Auckland City held off fast-finishing Wellington Olympic 3-2 at Mt Smart Stadium on December 4 to not only win an action-packed National League Grand Final but complete an unprecedented trophy quadruple - the first time such a feat has ever been achieved by a New Zealand football team.

Winning a record ninth National League crown added to City's already glittering haul of trophies for the season - the OFC Champions League title, the Lotto Northern Premier League title and the Chatham Cup - and concluded a campaign in which they've played 49 games all told (including pre-season friendlies), losing just twice.

It also meant they've qualified as New Zealand's representatives for the 2023 OFC Champions League competition, while their success in that competition in 2022 will see "The Navy Blues" gracing the world stage once more when the FIFA Club World Cup Finals eventually take place.

But Albert Riera's charges did it the hard way, because for the vast majority of the first twenty minutes in this match, Olympic were all over City like a rash, and should have had at least two goals to show for their early dominance.

Kailan Gould - Olympic's best player throughout the contest - sent a probing pass forward in the fifth minute, looking for Jesse Randall. Conor Tracey was alert to the danger, however, City's 'keeper dashing out of his area to clear his lines.

Two minutes later, Jordan Vale's angled ball forward found Cameron Howieson powering forward from midfield into the penalty area, where his well-timed leap between defenders resulted in a header flying narrowly past Scott Basalaj's right-hand post, as City's captain gave the Wellingtonians cause for concern.

But it was City who were soon under pressure, Jack-Henry Sinclair's ball over the top allowing Golden Boot co-winner Gianni Bouzoukis to outpace the sluggish Sam Brotherton and lob the approaching figure of Tracey, who turned with some relief to see the ball bounce inches past the gaping goal and the far post.

"The Navy Blues" responded via Ryan de Vries, whose pressure on Justin Gulley in the ninth minute forced an error. Dylan Manickum swiftly latched onto the opportunity but couldn't capitalise on it, the ball being recycled to Joe Lee, whose twenty-five yard was gobbled up by Basalaj.

On the quarter hour, Olympic came within inches of opening the scoring. Randall secured possession inside his own half and stormed through the middle of the park, unchallenged until far too late in the piece.

When he was, he worked a slick one-two with Bouzoukis before battering a shot beyond the diving figure of Tracey, only to see the ball cannon off the base of the left-hand upright and rebound across goal. Randall was first to react to the rebound, and thundered a snapshot into the side-netting.

Wellington kept on coming, Gould busting a couple of tackles before feeding Bouzoukis on the right in the nineteenth minute. He looked to bring Randall into play, but the retreating figure of Vale intervened, only for the fullback to gift possession to Bouzoukis, who - no doubt in part through disbelief - squandered a great chance to open the scoring.

Having weathered the storm, Auckland began to work their way back into the contest, finally mustering an attacking threat of their own in the 32nd minute. And with it, they took the lead. De Vries' pressure forced an error from Gulley, upon which Manickum swooped near the left-hand by-line.

He drew the defence before inviting de Vries to let fly from close range, only for Tamupiwa DiMairo to block his shot. The rebound fell to Manickum, whose shot hit the near post and rebounded across goal towards the far post, where Liam Gillion was on hand to scramble the ball home, much to the disbelief of Wellington, whose offside claims against Manickum proved fruitless.

Having been hit by a sucker-punch, Wellington looked to get back on level terms sharpish, with Sinclair and Bouzoukis combining for Gould's benefit in the 36th minute. Tracey smothered his twenty-yarder.

Three minutes later, City doubled their lead with just their second attack. Gerard Garriga won the ball halfway inside Wellington's half and evaded a challenge before working a one-two with de Vries, whose return pass afforded Garriga the freedom of Wellington's penalty area - quite where the defence was, Lord alone knows, but the Auckland man certainly wasn't complaining as he picked his spot beyond Basalaj to give "The Navy Blues" a 2-0 lead.

On the stroke of half-time, City spurned a gilt-edged opportunity to net a third goal. Howieson and Gillion worked a one-two on the right, with the captain sending Lee spearing through the offside trap and into Olympic's penalty area, where, frankly, he lost his self-belief.

Trying to shoot straight through the burly figure of Basalaj is foolhardy at the best of times, but to not use those up in support who were better-placed … little wonder Howieson threw his head back in frustration as a glorious chance to effectively kill off the contest was squandered in limp fashion.

That miss was to have repercussions far sooner than City anticipated. Olympic attacked almost immediately, a raid halted by Reid Drake, an early substitute for Takuya Iwata. The substitute clipped Sinclair just outside the penalty area, prompting referee Calvin Berg to brandish the yellow card.

"Er, Calvin, wasn't he the last defender?" asked one of his colleagues of the referee. A meeting of minds was called for, and after consulting with both assistant Edward Cook and fourth official Nick Waldron, Mr Berg rescinded his decision, and instead held aloft the red card, much to the ire of Auckland's players and management. On looking at the incident on video, however, the match officials got it right.

That certainly changed the mood around the arena, and while Gould was unable to capitalise from the resulting free-kick, directing his effort straight at Tracey, there was no doubt that Wellington would be looking to capitalise on their numerical advantage once the second half was under way.

Garriga offered some early resistance with a charging run into the penalty area before stumbling at the vital moment, but Olympic were soon asking questions of City's rearguard. First half substitute Connor Gaul forced Vale to play the ball back to Tracey, whose clearance was hurried.

Brotherton then blocked a Bouzoukis blockbuster before Gaul's acute-angled cross-shot was grabbed by Tracey at his near post, after the Wellingtonian had evaded two challenges in the 58th minute.

Five minutes later, Wellington had the ball in the net via a Brotherton own goal, but Gould had strayed offside in his eagerness to get on the end of the Sinclair cross which the defender steered into his own net - the offside call superseded the own goal, so City retained their 2-0 advantage, with their defence working overtime in an effort to maintain it.

Twenty minutes from time, Gaul rattled the stanchion following good work by DiMairo and Bouzoukis, then saw Tracey parry his twenty-yard drive to safety. This sparked a rare Auckland counter-attack, Manickum leading the charge until his charging run into the penalty area came to an abrupt end courtesy Mata's superbly timed tackle.

Back came Wellington, Tracey grabbing a header from the flying figure of Tor Davenport-Petersen, who enjoyed better reward in the 77th minute when his thumping twenty yard drive flew into the far corner of the net - 2-1! Game on, big-time.

Seconds after the goal, Gaul thundered a twenty-five yard drive against the bar. Gould and Sinclair then combined to present Randall with a great chance to equalise, only for Tracey to block the effort with his legs ten minutes from time.

The ball was cleared as far as Gould, whose inviting cross found Mata flying in on the far post. His header looked in for all money until Tracey produced a stunning fingertip save to turn the ball over the bar at point-blank range - a magnificent denial which left Wellington's captain flabbergasted!

The resulting corner saw Gaul unleash a shot on the turn which flew narrowly past the far post with Tracey beaten. But with two minutes remaining, City's 'keeper and his team-mates were celebrating what, almost certainly, was the match-winning goal.

Substitute Angus Kilkolly had been thrown on to provide fresh legs as City's first line of defence, and in the 88th minute he latched onto the ball halfway inside his own half and instantly played it wide to Gillion before racing forward in support.

The scorer of City's first goal evaded a challenge before returning possession to the substitute, who fair hammered a ferocious twenty yarder beyond the diving figure of Basalaj and into the far corner of the net.

Wellington heads visibly dropped, but they were raised again in stoppage time as a Sinclair cross picked out Davenport-Petersen, who was clipped by Brotherton in the area - it wasn't his day! Mata stepped up and sent Tracey the wrong way from twelve yards - 3-2! But time was very much Olympic's enemy.

Both teams carved out chances before the final whistle, Manickum creating an opening for Gillion which resulted in his going to ground in the penalty area under Gulley's challenge. Referee Berg waved play on, then looked on as Bouzoukis evaded a challenge before turning and fizzing a low cross across the goalmouth, narrowly beyond the incoming figure of Gould.

The Central League champions kept pounding away, but time was their enemy, and when referee Berg blew his whistle to bring the 2022 season to a close, Auckland City celebrated in style - the first club in the history of New Zealand football to hold their regional, national and confederation league titles, plus the national knockout cup, simultaneously. Rich rewards for a lengthy season's labour.

Auckland: Tracey; Vale, Mitchell, Brotherton, Iwata (booked, 11) (Drake, 15 (sent off, 45)); Lee (Carey, 82), Garriga, Howieson; Gillion, de Vries (Kilkolly, 79), Manickum

Wellington: Basalaj; Gulley (booked, 90), Mata, DiMairo; Sinclair, Davenport-Petersen, Hailemariam (Mitrakas, 61), Roubos (Gaul, 49); Gould, Bouzoukis, Randall

Referee: Calvin Berg

National League