With their ranks depleted and 39-year-old player-coach Neil Emblen forced to start the match, Waitakere began the match as slight underdogs despite winning the minor premiership with a record 36 points out of 42 in the regular season.
“I’ve had a decent enough career in the game and had six years in New Zealand and hopefully I’ve given a few clubs a bit of value. I’ll concentrate on coaching now. I’m really enjoying the work I’m doing so it’s great to finish off as champions,” Emblen said.
In a dramatic match strewn with nervy defending, teenager Dakota Lucas opened the scoring on ten minutes when he capitalised on a defensive mix-up in the Auckland defence to slot into an empty net. Moments later defender Jason Rowley rattled the Auckland crossbar with a stinging shot from the edge of the box.
The West Aucklanders’ joy was shortlived when former All White Aaron Scott turned an Ian Hogg cross past Waitakere goalkeeper Andy Ralph after 26 minutes.
Scott redeemed himself eight minutes before the halftime break when he played a superb pass into the path of Lucas, who tried a cheeky lob over goalkeeper Spoonley. Spoonley parried Lucas’ effort into the air only for the 19-year-old to follow through with a pinpoint header over the stranded Ivan Vicelich to restore Waitakere United’s lead.
The jittery defending continued four minutes after the restart when a mix-up between Andy Ralph and Neil Emblen allowed Manel Exposito to score an equaliser. The match was turned on its head when referee Peter O’Leary awarded a penalty for Auckland City only for Exposito to slam his spot kick against Ralph’s left-hand upright.
That miss proved fatal for Auckland City’s hopes of a domestic and continental double when one minute into additional time, Dakota Lucas saw his cross take a deflection off defender James Pritchett and end up in the back of Spoonley’s net to make it 3-2 for the home side.
Emblen, in the final match of his career, paid tribute to his under strength squad.
“I thought Tim Payne was superb. It was his first Grand Final and he acquitted himself extremely well. A couple of senior boys also stepped up, Martin Bullock was fantastic in midfield and Jake Butler did a great job as well. Dakota Lucas is just a teenager and he stepped up and did well,” Emblen said.
With his playing career finished and a domestic ‘double’ of minor premiership and Grand Final complete, Emblen also noted the financial importance of Auckland City’s O-League meeting with Amicale next Sunday.
“When you’re regular season winners with 36 points out of a possible 42, we were worthy winners of this competition. I’d like to go on record and say that I hope Auckland City go on to win the O-League and bring that competition back to New Zealand with prize money for every ASB Premiership club.”
Beaten finalists Auckland City have one more shot at silverware when they take on Amicale of Vanuatu in the O-League Final 2nd Leg at Kiwitea Street, Sandringham on Sunday 17 April.
Victory for Auckland, who lead the tie 2-1 on aggregate, means qualification for the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2011 and a financial windfall of US$500,000 for football in New Zealand.
ASB Premiership Grand Final
Trusts Stadium, Henderson, Auckland.
April 10, 2010
Referee: Peter O’LEARY
Waitakere United 3 (Dakota LUCAS 10’ 37’; Mike GWYTHER 90+1’)
Auckland City 2 (Own goal (Aaron SCOTT) 26’, Manel EXPOSITO 49’)
Halftime: 2-1
Waitakere United: 28-Andy RALPH (GK), 2-Jason ROWLEY, 3-Aaron SCOTT, 4-Tim MYERS, 7-Martin BULLOCK, 10-Allan PEARCE, 14-Tim PAYNE, (18-Zane SOLE 90+2’), 16-Neil EMBLEN, 17-Jake BUTLER (c), 19- Dakota LUCAS, 20-Ryan de VRIES (13-Michael GWYTHER 80’).
Substitutes not used: 1-Danny ROBINSON (GK), 21-Anthony HOBBS, 23-Ashton PETT, 29-Jordan VALE, 30-Rory TURNER.
Coach: Neil EMBLEN
Cautions: None
Auckland City: 1-Jacob SPOONLEY (GK), 2-Angel BERLANGA, 3-Ian HOGG, 6-Stuart KELLY (10-Luis CORRALES 60’), 7-James PRITCHETT, 9-Manel EXPOSITO, 11-Daniel KOPRIVCIC, 13-Alex FENERIDIS, 14-Adam DICKINSON, 15-Ivan VICELICH (c), 16-Albert RIERA (23-Adam THOMAS 80’).
Substitutes not used: 4-Sam CAMPBELL, 12-Liam LITTLE (GK), 17-Adam MCGEORGE, 20-Riki VAN STEEDEN, 22-Adam MILNE.
Co-Coaches: Aaron MCFARLAND and Ramon TRIBULIETX.
Cautions: Ian HOGG 14’, Manel EXPOSITO 72’
Story courtesy of New Zealand Football.
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