2009 O-LEAGUE – AUCKLAND CITY FC AND WAITAKERE DRAW

AUCKLAND – A late equaliser by Waitakere United substitute Paul Seaman was enough to help clinch a 2-2 draw with arch-rivals Auckland City FC in an entertaining start to the 2009 O-League season. The match got off to a slow start with both teams looking short of match sharpness.

It took a quality finish from Benjamin Totori to break the deadlock on 21 minutes and it was a goal well worth the wait. An intelligent threaded pass by Aaron Scott was laid off by Daniel Koprivcic for Totori who did well to keep the ball in play before speeding past American-born defender Matt Friel. With almost nothing to aim at, Totori produced a thunderous shot from an acute angle low to Ross Nicholson’s right and into the net.

Auckland City FC defender Xavi Roca was stretchered off on 35 minutes after sustaining what looked to be a serious knee injury. The former Barcelona defender was replaced by Kiwitea Street favourite Keryn Jordan and the South African’s injection into the match made an instant difference.

After Christopher Bale and Alick Maemae missed reasonable chances for their respective teams, Jordan broke through the United defence and looked odds on to level the game only to miss the target completely. But within seconds he had made amends when a defence-splitting pass saw Jordan evade Waitakere United goalkeeper to score an equaliser.

Jordan put City into the lead on 49 minutes with the goal of the game when he sped past Neil Emblen and Danny Hay and struck a powerful right foot volley from 24 metres out beyond a full-stretch Gillespie. Jordan’s strike partner Grant Young passed up a great opportunity to put the match beyond Waitakere United when his left foot shot cannoned off the crossbar minutes later.

United made Auckland City FC pay for the lost chance when Matt Friel was penalised for a foul on Daniel Koprivcic. Referee Peter O’Leary awarded the visitors a penalty only for mercurial midfielder Adriano Pimenta to fire the spot-kick high over the crossbar to the astonishment of the 1200-strong crowd.

The visitor’s agony was short-lived. Within seconds Waitakere United levelled when Koprivcic retrieved the ball and played a measured pass into the path of former Auckland City FC favourite Paul Seaman who hit a swerving right foot shot beyond Nicholson to make it 2-2.

Auckland City FC coach Colin Tuaa was disappointed with the result but philosophical.

“We were disappointed with the result in the end. We were 2-1 up and then Grant Young hit the crossbar. We just couldn’t close the game off. I was very pleased with Keryn we just need to get him up to match fitness – he nearly had a hat-trick within five minutes of coming on. We haven’t had too many competitive games yet, so its not too bad a result,” Tuaa said.

Waitakere United coach Chris Milicich shared his opposite’s sense of a missed opportunity.

“I’m disappointed. Keryn Jordan made a huge difference for them when he came on. But it was the first game, our form wasn’t good, we got a draw. It could have gone either way, both teams had chances, but in O-League terms we got a decent result. The penalty miss didn’t bother me too much, we scored straight after, so it didn’t hurt us. I was quite pleased with the performance of Aaron Scott but a few other players could pick up their performance but we’ll get there,” Milicich said.

Benjamin Totori said his opening goal was premeditated.

“The defence backed off me before and they did the same thing again. The angle was tight, but I gave the shot some power and weight, and it went in. I knew if I gave it some power I would score.”

2009 O-League

Attendance: 1200.

AKL: 1. Ross NICHOLSON; 2. Nelson SALE, 3. Matt FRIEL, 5. Matt WILLIAMS, 6. Ki-Hyung LEE, 8. Chad COOMBES, 10. Grant YOUNG (9. Paul URLOVIC 68’), 11. Alick MAEMAE (19. Salesh KUMAR 78’), 15. Ivan VICELICH ©, 20. Greg UHLMANN, 22. Xavi ROCA (14. Keryn JORDAN 34’)

Subtitutes Not Used:12. Jacob SPOONLEY [rgk], 24. Milos NIKOLIC.

Yellow Cards: 22. Xavi ROCA 18’, 3. Matt FRIEL 62’.

Red Cards: None.

Coach: Colin TUAA (NZL)

WAI: 1. Richard GILLESPIE; 3. Aaron SCOTT (4. Tim MYERS 75’), 5. Danny HAY ©, 9. Benjamin TOTORI, 10. Allan PEARCE (8. Paul SEAMAN 58′), 13. Daniel KOPRIVCIC (7. Daniel ELLENSOHN 77′), 15. Christopher BALE, 16. Neil EMBLEN, 17. Jake BUTLER, 18. Ian HOGG, 29. Adriano PIMENTA.

Subtitutes Not Used: 2. Jonathan PERRY, 14. Jeff CAMPBELL, 22. Daniel ROBINSON [rgk].

Red cards: None.

Coach: Chris MILICICH (NZL)

Referee: Peter O’LEARY (NZL)

Assistant Referee 1: Brent BEST (NZL)

Assistant Referee 2: Glen LOCHRIE (NZL)

4th official: Chris KERR (NZL)

Group A

Standings – 02.11.08