Waitakere United player/coach Neil Emblen struck two minutes into injury time to seal a 2-0 win over Team Wellington at Fred Taylor Park on Sunday and give the defending champions the lead on goal difference from Auckland City who won 3-2 in Hamilton on Saturday.
It was a rough day at the office for Team Wellington who fell behind to a Jamie Duncan own goal and watched as Michael Eagar missed a 48th-minute penalty that would’ve drawn them level.
Eagar also felt the studs of Neil Sykes who was sent off for a rash two-footed challenge on the Wellington midfielder with ten minutes remaining. Despite late chances for the visitors to claim a point, it was left to Emblen to wrap up all three for the home side with a low shot, after good work from Roy Krishna and Michael Gwyther.
On Saturday, Auckland were pushed just as hard by last year’s wooden spooners Waikato, and needed two pinpoint free-kick goals from All Whites midfielder David Mulligan late in the match to seal victory at Waikato’s new Fred Jones Park home ground in Hamilton.
Dead-ball specialist Mulligan struck in the 79th and 82nd minutes, curling his free kicks over the Waikato wall to give Auckland its first and only lead in an entertaining match.
“That’s my first 90 in I-don’t-know-how long,” Mulligan says.
“But it’s great to get a full game and to score a couple of free kicks. I probably could have had another couple of goals but for the keeper. That said, I’ll happily take the two I got,” he says.
“It’s always good to start with a win and it was a real battle today. Waikato will do very well in the ASB Premiership so it was pretty special to get the three points and a couple of goals on my debut.”
After an early onslaught from Auckland, former City striker Milos Nikolic gave the home side a 19th-minute lead with a flick-on from a Jason Hicks free kick.
Daniel Koprivcic levelled the scores from the penalty spot in the 38th minute but Waikato captain Nathan Palmer gave the home side a 2-1 halftime lead with a clinically taken goal two minutes before the break.
Waikato had a late chance to snatch a draw when substitute Mauri Wasi broke clear and with his second attempt set up Palmer who saw his shot cleared off the line by Sam Campbell.
Auckland and Waitakere are both on O-League duty next weekend but the ASB Premiership resumes in a fortnight with Auckland travelling to Wellington and Waitakere away to Hawke’s Bay United.
Story and photo courtesy of New Zealand Football.
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