Junior Navy Blues off to winning start

Words: ACFC Media

Saturday 5 October 2019

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Auckland City FC made a winning start to their National Youth League season with a 5-0 thrashing of Eastern Suburbs.

A Thomas Drillien first half hat-trick and an eye-pleasing strike by Deandre Vollehoven were aided by an own goal to give the home side an imperious lead against a Lilywhites that struggled.

Coach Kris Bright was pleased with the goal deluge but less satisfied with the goalless second half.

"The result is great and the first half performance was fantastic the boys were moving around and passing the well and we had willingness and desire and it showed and I think we had end product which is great.

"The second half we got a bit complacent and comfortable which I didn't like and I'm not overly happy with the second half. I think the overall performance was great especially first up.

AUDIO - "The players need to have the mentality to keep going" - Kris Bright

"When the game gets to that stage young players take their foot off the pedal but the higher up you go there's the reality of professionalism that they need to understand that they have the right mentality to keep going and do the right things not get comfortable like they did.

"We're lucky to be in the position where we were able to take one or two off and the reality is I haven't seen many of them because there are so many doing well in the first team which is great.

"Hopefully we get the majority of them with us but tomorrow there is a good number involved with the first team," he said.

our movement was good

Auckland City FC were a goal to the good inside seven minutes when Thomas Drillien netted beyond Declan Viljoen.

Junior Navy Blues supporters waited only four minutes for the second, Deandre Vollehoven cutting inside his opponent and unleashed a beautiful left foot shot that left goalkeeper Declan Viljoen couldn't stop.

Eastern Suburbs first decent chance came midway through the first half when Zach Tobin sped clear before drawing a good save from New Zealand U-17 international goalkeeper Luca Taylor.

Viljoen was called into action when Matthew Ellis took on a static Lilywhites defence then tried to place a shot past the keeper only for the youngster to glove the ball onto the post.

It proved all for naught moments later when Drillien increased the lead with a brilliant long range shot on the half hour mark.

Auckland City FC should've had a penalty five minutes before the break when Drillien sent Ellis through only for the midfielder to be bundled over by Sam De Vries but referee Riley Greenbury saw nothing wrong with the challenge.

AUDIO - "The boys put me into good positions to score" - Thomas Drillien

The goals kept coming when Jake Moosbally turned a Bradley Wilson cross into his own net minutes later before Drillien capitalised on another Eastern Suburbs defensive calamity on the stroke of halftime to complete a hat-trick.

The intensity level dropped off after the break with the nearest either team came to scoring when Arzan Todywalla crashed a left foot shot off substitute goalkeeper Sam Bottomley's right hand upright.

In other matches, Canterbury United defeated Wellington Phoenix 4-1, Waitakere United thrashed Hawke's Bay United 6-3 while Tasman United were hosts for Hamilton Wanderers. On Sunday, Team Wellington open their campaign at home to Southern United in the capital.

FRESH TO GO - PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Thomas Drillien.

Ends

A ruthless first half display sees the #JuniorNavyBlues take a comprehensive 5-0 victory over @ESAFC in National Youth League action at Kiwitea Street this afternoon. #ACvES #NYL #JuniorNavyBlues @NZ_Football pic.twitter.com/fjw3RreApf
— Auckland City FC (@AucklandCity_FC) October 5, 2019

Match Details
National Youth League
Saturday 5 October 2019
Auckland City FC 5 (Thomas DRILLIEN 7', 29', 45', Deandre VOLLEHOVEN 11', Jake MOOSBALLY OG 42')
Eastern Suburbs AFC 0
HT: 5-0.

AC: 18. Luca TAYLOR (GK) (1. Sam BOTTOMLEY (GK) 74'), 2. Nathan LOBO (13. Malcolm YOUNG 78'), 3. Jackson WOODS (8. Miles PALMER 46'), 4. Nick MILICICH, 6. Callum McNEILL, 7. Matthew HODGSON, 10. Matthew ELLIS (15. Harry FREEMAN 54'), 11. Deandre VOLLEHOVEN (9. Tawanda MAROWA 64'), 17. Thomas DRILLIEN, 19. Bradley WILSON, 23. Aidan CAREY (c).

COACH: Kris BRIGHT.

ES: 1. Declan VILJOEN (GK), 2. Kew McSKIMMING, 3. Sam DE VRIES (31. Daniel GLEISSNER-BROOM 46'), 4. Aaryan RAJ, 5. Dylan LAING-McCONNELL (20. Noah TOMLINSON 68'), 7. Jayden BOS ( 23. Sam POINTON 46'), 8. Jake MOOSBALLY, 9. Arzan TODYWALLA (c), 10. Zach TOBIN (12. Jonny EVANS 74'), 11. Elijah WOODS (17. Brook ROBINSON 75'), 13. Argyle MORLING.

COACH: Hoani EDWARDS.