| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Auckland City FC versus Waikato FC
Played on 07/02/2010 at Centinnial Park |
|
|
|
|
Grant Young strike breaks Waikato
|
|
 |
|
Goals |
 |
Ki-Hyung Lee |
1 |
|
Grant Young |
1 |
Yellow Cards |
 |
Ian Hogg |
|
|
Adam McGeorge |
|
|
Matthew Williams |
|
|
Chad Coombes |
|
|
|
|
Grant Young strike breaks Waikato
by Matt Richens at Centennial Park
nzfc.co.nz
Auckland City were given, according to coach Paul Posa, their biggest test of the 2009/2010 New Zealand Football Championship and came out with yet another three points.
The defending champions went a goal down to Waikato FC at Ngaruawahia’s Centennial Park and had to dig deep to find first an equaliser then the winner to beat their hosts 2-1.
Posa said his side “showed great character” and they had to.
Waikato didn’t park the bus, not even after young Taupo winger Mark Jones had given them the lead.
Much to their credit they continued to attack in search of a winner and even once Ki-Hyung Lee had leveled things with a superbly taken freekick, Waikato brought on striker Dan Peat from the bench in search of a winner.
But Auckland City were too strong. They eventually won the battle of the midfield and a charging Grant Young met a low, powerful cross and the wily veteran had got away from his markers to volley in the winner with nine minutes to go.
Waikato were distraught. They’d come so close to beating, then sharing the spoils with the best “amateur” team in the country and let it slip away.
Auckland City, on the other hand were as relieved as they were happy.
Captain and All White Ivan Vicelich congratulated his team as they stretched afterwards, but it was a different congratulations from when his side smashed Waikato 5-0 in the opening round.
Posa too was rapt to have taken the points from a warm Ngaruawahia.
“We’re really happy with those three points,” he said.
“That wasn’t easy and we had to work hard and show a lot of character to win.”
Posa applauded Waikato’s game plan, their tenacity and their physicality and said his side would benefit from the contest.
“I said before the game this team had a lot of character and we just had to show it.”
He said he was expecting nothing less than the fight his side got and Waikato were one of the best teams in the competition.
“They’re definitely a top four side, but maybe they’ve left their run a bit late.”
Whether it was a plan of the Waikato team or not we will never know, but to be physical and confrontational seemed to work for them.
Auckland City got dragged into the contest and their game suffered.
“I thought the second half was a lot better for us,” said Posa who added his side had done well to back up after the tough 1-1 draw with rivals Waitakere a week earlier.
Waikato’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread and because Hawke’s Bay United got up in Wellington, Waikato are now backing last spot.
They played nothing like an eighth placed team, but with an away game to Otago United in a fortnight – they have next week off – a home fixture against Team Wellington and finishing with a tough match against Waitakere United, it may be too late for Waikato to make the top four.
Auckland City on the other hand are cruising. They are on top of the table and still have two games in hand.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
Club World Cup December 2009 - UAE |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
