See below for all the play-by-play action.
Starting line-ups:
Auckland City: 12. Tamati WILLIAMS [GK], 3. Takuya IWATA, 7. James PRITCHETT, 8. Chris BALE, 9. Manel EXPOSITO, 11. Daniel KOPRIVCIC, 13. Alex FENERIDIS, 14. Adam DICKINSON, 15. Ivan VICELICH (c), 16. Albert RIERA, 19. Mario BILEN
Substitutes: 1. Jacob SPOONLEY [GK], 5. Darren WHITE, 6. Matthew RIDENTON, 17. Pedro GARCIA, 20. Emiliano TADE, 21. David BROWNE, 22. Andrew MILNE
Coach: Ramon TRIBULIETX [ESP]
Ba: 1. Jone RALULU [GK], 2. Avinesh SUWAMY, 3. Meli CODRO, 5. Ronil KUMAR, 6. Jone VESIKULA, 7. Tuimasi MANUCA, 10. Mavileko NAKAMA, 11. Sanni ISSA, 12. Remueru TEKIATE, 13. Kini VILIAME (c), 21. Marika MADIGI
Substitutes: 4. Jacob MORRISON, 8. Aisea CODRO, 9. Abbu ZAHID, 17. Malakai KANAHEWE, 22. Epeli CODRO [GK], 26. Scott GANNON
Coach: Yogendra DUTT [FIJ]
Match officials:
Referee: Norbert HAUATA [TAH]
Assistant referee 1: Jan-Hendrick HINTZ [NZL]
Assistant referee 2: Mark RULE [NZL]
Fourth official: Nick WALDRON [NZL]
The match kicks off
1′ Auckland City have dominated possession in these early stages
2′ Free-kick for Auckland City just outside the top of the Ba box
3′ Chris Bale appears to have chipped Ba keeper Jone Ralulu with his free-kick but it’s too high and Ba have a goal kick
5′ Ba build up an attack up the right flank, it comes to Sanni Issa who takes a shot but it’s well wide of the far post and no trouble for Auckland City keeper Tamati Williams
6′ Auckland play back, the ball is heading in Ivan Vicilich’s direction and the captain forced to kick clear under pressure from Tuimasi Manuca
7′ A Ba player has moved off to the side of the pitch deep in their own territory to receive treatment as Auckland City win a corner
9′ The corner is looped in high and finds Vicilich off the back of the box who heads into the crowd in the goal mouth but Ralulu gets a fist to it
10 Ralulu’s goal kick goes straight to Danijel Koprivcic who tries to play Dickinson through but the pass is heavy allowing Ralulu to get there first
12′ The ball bounces around the Ba goal box like a pinball as Auckland City try to find the back of the net but fail
15′ Issa has made a break up the right for Ba but can’t keep possession allowing Auckland to counter and Manel Exposito fires in a shot straight to Ralulu
17′ A foul on Koprivich just outside the Ba box has Alex Feneridis setting up in a prime spot
17′ Feneridis lofts it into the box but it falls for an easy take by Ralulu and Ba is on attack
18′ Issa finds himself in the right corner with Takuya Iwata to beat, Albert Riera arrives to help out and Issa plays the ball to Avinesh Suwamy who attempts a shot which goes sky high
21′ Auckland City are on attack now with Iwata taking a throw at the half-way line
22′ Iwata finds himself deep in the right corner and sends in a cross which finds the head of Manel Exposito who can’t find the goal
23′ Huge attempt from Ba with Williams dives to punch clear but sends it to Issa who takes two touches before sending in another shot which was captured by Williams
25′ Adam Dickinson gives away possession at the half-way line and Ba launch into an attack which allows Tuimasi Manuca to get away a shot but it doesn’t trouble Williams as it goes wide of the post
27′ YELLOW CARD Avinesh Suwamy is given a caution by referee Norbert Hauata
28′ It’s looking dangerous for Ba as Auckland City knock a number of shots at the goal and Ralulu is forced to work overtime with his defenders to clear the danger
30′ Dickinson gets the ball on the left wing, takes two touches before firing in a cross. Exposito is waiting at the far post unmarked but his touch sends the ball spiralling wide of the target
31′ GOAL!!! Auckland City 1 Ba 0 Bale blasts in a cross from the right and this time Exposito finds his target with the ball hitting the crossbar before falling neatly into the back of the net
34′ GOAL!!! Auckland City 1 Ba 1 Sunni Issa dribbles the ball into the box before sending the ball to an unmarked Tuimasi Manuca in the centre who taps the ball into the goal behind Williams
37′ Auckland City have played right back to Williams as they look to get ahead, the ball is with Bale who shoots but it’s cleared by Ba’s defence
39′ Iwata loops in a cross and Dickinson gets a head to it under pressure from a Ba defender and it’s out over the line for a goal kick
40′ Kopricich is turning in circles on the right as he waits for support to arrive
40′ Mario Bilen dispossesses Issa and Auckland City are back on attack
41′ A long ball finds goalscorer Manuca up the left, he sees Issa arriving and tries to lay the ball to him but the pass is too heavy and runs out
43′ RED CARD Ba are down to ten men after Avinesh Suwamy receives a second caution for a challenge on Iwata and is shown a red by Hauata
45′ Auckland City earn a corner kick and Feneridis heads over to launch it in
45′ Issa recives a long ball and Ba are on attack before Auckland City win back possession allowing Exposito to get away a shot which he lasts wide
45′ + 2′ Fourth official Nick Waldron has called Hauata over to the substitutes benches and following discussions with Ba coach Yogenda Dutt the referee signals for Dutt to leave the dug-out
The first half comes to an end
46′ Auckland City have possession as the second half gets underway
46′ Issa receives the ball but Albert Reira slides in to dispossess him
48′ Exposito gets the ball, takes a touch before looking up and seeing Vicilich waiting at the top of the box. The captain chests the ball down and swings in a shot which Ralulu is on his knees waiting for
50′ Ba have the ball up the left flank, Issa passes with Ronil Kumar but James Pritchett and Bilen crowd the pair out
51′ SUBSTITUTION: Ba bring Malakai Kainihewe on in place of Remueru Tekiate
53′ A chance for Auckland City but Exposito’s shot is somehow cleared off the line by the Ba defence
55′ Iwata crosses from the left and Ralulu just gets his fingers to the ball which drops to Dickinson at the edge of the box, he shoots but substitute Kainihewe manages to get a boot to the ball and clears
57′ SUBSTITUTION: Alex Feneridis makes room for Emiliano Tade for Auckland City
58′ Iwata charges up the left before sending in a perfect cross, the arriving Tade slides in getting a foot to the ball but sending it wide of the goal mouth
60′ Bilen knocks Issa to the ground earning Ba a free kick just inside their own half which is launched forward by Jone Vesikula
62′ Vicilich chips to Tade on attack but Kainihewe arrives to clear to touch
63′ GOAL!!! Auckland City 2 Ba 1 Iwata brings the ball up the left,crosses across the face of the goal, Exposito slides in too late but Emiliano Tade is at the far post to slide the ball into the back of the net
65′ RED CARD Ba are reduced to nine men after a reckless challenge from Meli Codro sees him shown a straight red card by Tahitian referee Hauata
68′ Vesikula attempts to chip the Auckland City defence but his ball is to long and his teammates can’t get to it
69′ Bale crosses from the left but it’s an easy take for Ralulu who launches the ball up the field looking for Issa up front
70′ Issa latches on to a pass from his captain Viliame before going down in the box, he looks up for the call and Hauata is pointing to the corner much to the crowd’s displeasure
72′ Dickinson is advancing up the right, he gets a cross in and Ralulu comes out to claim it ahead of Exposito
73′ GOAL!!! Auckland City 3 Ba 1 Tade is on-side as he receives the ball and approaches Ralulu who is on his own, he plays across the face of the goal to Exposito who easily taps in behind the keeper for his second goal
76′ SUBSTITUTION: Adam Dickinson is replaced by Darren White for Auckland City
78′ Pritchett plays to Tade who lines up a shot before blasting it over the
clubhouse
79′ Vicilich sends a long ball which Ralulu comes right to the touchline to clear and he is forced to scramble back as Auckland City are on the attack
80′ GOAL!!! Auckland City 4 Ba 1 Substitute Darren White is on the scoreboard after knocking in a Tade rebound off the upright
80′ SUBSTITUTION: Tuimasi Manuca is replaced by Abbu Zahid Shaheed for Ba
83′ There’s some pushing and shoving in the Auckland City goalmouth as Ba win a corner
84′ Exposito breaks and looks to be going one-on-one with the keeper before Kainihewe arrives to clear the ball over the line
84′ Exposito appears to have been injured and jogs off the pitch to receive treatment
84′ SUBSTITUTION: David Browne replaces the injured Manel Exposito for Auckland City
86′ GOAL!!! Auckland City 5 Ba 1 Mario Bilen makes it five for Auckland City when a corner ball falls to him and he places it neatly between the keeper and his post
89′ Browne goes down near the touch line and Koprivich races over for a quick free kick
89′ GOAL!!! Auckland City 6 Ba 1 White knocks in his second to extend Auckland City’s lead
90′ There will be four minutes of additional time played
90′ + 2′ Tade has a chance as Ralulu comes off his line, he chips the keeper who is fortunate defender Kainihewe is on the line to head the ball over the goal
90′ + 4′ Browne bring the ball up the left flank, crosses in and finds Tade who is kept out with a stunning save from Ralulu
The final whistle is blown

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