AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Auckland City FC U-23 rue series of missed chances after a rain-soaked 1-1 draw with Bay Olympic U-23s at Olympic Park today.
Coach Kris Bright welcomed back first team debutants Kristoff Muller and Brooklyn Heath while there was also a return to action for Rhys Davies.
Matt Ellis, who scored his first goal for the first team in Saturday's 7-0 Chatham Cup win over Ellerslie AFC, opened the scoring on three minutes.
Both teams had to contend with a torrential downpour in the first half but Olympic Park's pitch stood up to the rain commendably.
MATCH REPORT - Navy Blues U-23s rue missed chances
— Auckland City FC (@AucklandCity_FC) June 7, 2021
Auckland City FC U-23 rue series of missed chances after a rain-soaked 1-1 draw with Bay Olympic U-23s at Olympic Park today.
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Auckland City FC U-23s were guilty of missing a series of gilt-edged chances with Muller and Jeremiah Ruawhare both blasting high over the bar with just goalkeeper Oliver Pocock to beat.
But the game turned on its head when substitute Muhammad Mohebbie equalised with 15 minutes to go.
Bay Olympic could've snatched a winner when the unmarked Rayan Tayeb found space in the penalty box but miscued his volley late on.
Coach Kris Bright was scathing in his assessment of the match and he certainly saw the missed chances from a different perspective using an analogy to describe his frustrations.
"We didn't play well enough to create chances today.
"If a teacher at school gives you the exam results, but you choose not to use those answers and go and do your own thing, then that's just silly.
"We gave the players the answers to today's game and they knew what they needed to do but for some reason we have players out there today doing whatever they thought they wanted to do.
"The truth is we were lucky to get a draw.
"We had no injuries today and that's the main positive.
"We've got five days to prepare for the re-match and we'll be putting out a completely different team," Bright told www.aucklandcityfc.com.
Auckland City FC U-23s are in action again with Bay Olympic U-23 on Saturday 12 June 2021 at 12.00pm.
The match will be at the Croatian Cultural Society.
Ends
Lotto NRFL U-23 Premier
Monday 7 June 2021
Bay Olympic U-23 1 (Muhammad MOHEBBIE 75')
Auckland City FC U-23 1 (Matt ELLIS 3')
HT: 0-1.
AC: 1. Finn DOCKERTY (GK), 6. Wilson FISHER, 7. Brooklyn HEATH (9. Finn McCRACKEN), 8. Alex SMITH, 10. Kristoff MULLER (2. Jesse GAGE), 11. Jeremiah RUAWHARE, 12. Rhys DAVIES (16. Riley SEXTON), 13. Fardeen MOHAMMED (19. Tainui ADAMS), 14. Dempsey THOMAS, 15. Marcel STODDARD, 20. Matt ELLIS (5. Anthony DUNCAN).
COACH: Kris BRIGHT.
ASSISTANT: Paul DRAKE.
Sun 20 October 2024, v Western Suburbs, Endeavour Park, 1.30pm
Position | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | AC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 | |
2 | NC | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 5 | |
3 | WP | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 | |
4 | WO | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | |
5 | CS | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | |
6 | BU | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 4 | |
7 | CT | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | |
8 | ES | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | |
9 | WS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 3 | |
10 | WE | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 1 |