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Auckland City FC versus YoungHeart Manawatu
Played on 02/04/2010 at Kiwitea Street |
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Manawatu end Auckland unbeaten run
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Yellow Cards |
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Paul Urlovic |
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by Bob Pearce at Kiwitea Street
nzfc.co.nz
YoungHeart Manawatu ended Auckland City's unbeaten run through the NZFC this season with a 4-1 victory at Kiwitea Street today.
It was Auckland's biggest defeat in the league and their first in domestic football since they lost to Manawatu in the semifinals last season.
But this catch-up game had an unreal feel about it.
The league was done and dusted and Auckland had a semifinal first leg to play in Christchurch on Sunday.
Understandably they rested some of their usual starters and captain Ivan Vicelich only played 45 minutes.
Manawatu had something to prove.
Coach Bob Sova maintained they were better than their seventh placing and the win moved them ahead of Hawkes Bay into sixth.
Seule Soromon was tied with Leon Birnie in the Golden Boot contest with nine goals and he scored two to win the trophy outright.
There were other milestones. One of Auckland's loyalest players, Paul Urlovic, wore the captain's armband when Vicelich departed.
Tim Payne at the age of 15 is City's youngest player at this level and the league's youngest scorer when he scored in the 55th minute.
It was veteran Auckland striker Grant Young's 100th NZFC game.
It took 22 minutes for Manawatu to open the scoring. Soromon's speed and determination outflanked the defence and Takayuki Omi was on hand to score.
Payne's equaliser in the 55th minute came from a cross by one of the other youngsters, Milosh Nicolic.
The closing stages belonged to two of Manawatu's stars. Soromon has scored most of their meagre goal tally and Campbell Banks has been twisting and turning defences for years.
In the 77th minute Banks produced a delicate chip to put Soromon behind the defence and he did the rest.
Seven minutes later It was Soromon who did the groundwork and Banks with a double-feint who applied the finish.
The last goal was the most remarkable.
In the 86th minute Banks crossed from the right and, as Soromon charged at the ball, he was brought down.
But as he fell he managed to head the ball in when barely above the grass.
At the other end goalkeeper Ross Nicholson, who produced a couple of excellent saves, was happy to make a winning return to a ground where he enjoyed many seasons of success with Central United and Auckland City.
Coach Bob Sova ticked off a couple of missions accomplished in the end-of-season flourish.
"It was a good way for us to finish. We wanted to jump Hawke's Bay. It's important that we put in a quality application for the new league and the players recognised that. We also wanted to see Seule win the Golden Boot outright," Sova said.
"He's a very quiet introverted guy and hopefully he'll stay with us because I don't think the big city would suit him."
Auckland coach Paul Posa was not happy to lose but saw many positives from the play of his young team.
"I was disappointed with the scoreline, but I thought our young team did ever so well. I think we were a bit hard done by at the end," he said.
"There were very good debuts for those having their first shot at this level but I think a lack of fitness in this squad cost us at the end."
Posa expects to have a fully fit squad for Sunday's semifinal, where the team will be chasing a result after two disappointing games.
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Club World Cup December 2009 - UAE |
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