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FTA - ACFC TV Auckland City v Wellington Phoenix

Words: ACFC Media

Thursday 22 December 2016

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Just over three years ago the Navy Blues took on Ernie Merrick's Wellington Phoenix at Kiwitea Street in a pre-season friendly the after-effects of which would leave a deep impression on the fortunes of Auckland City FC.

Saturday 28 September, 2013. That was the date of the first ever clash between Auckland City FC and the Wellington Phoenix first teams and it produced a fascinating encounter.

Auckland City FC had faced Hyundai A-League opposition before - in 2005, the Navy Blues lost a nail-biter to Sydney FC in the OFC Club Championships in Tahiti by 3-2.

They later faced the Central Coast Mariners at the Croatian Club and overran their professional opponents 3-1 in a pre-season friendly on a cold wet night in Henderson.

Auckland City FC's team was far from outmatched.

The Navy Blues starting eleven featured Albert Riera, Tamati Williams, Ivan Vicelich, James Pritchett, Mario Bilen, Roy Krishna, Angel Berlanga, Daniel Koprivcic, Emiliano Tade, Chris Bale and Andrew Milne.

The bench shone with talent as well - Alex Feneridis, Sam Burfoot, Darren White, Adam Dickinson, John Irving and Ryan De Vries sat next to Oli Sail and Louis Caunter.

After a tense first half, the Wellington Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick turned to his tried and tested A-League campaigners to strengthen his side.

Merrick introduced skipper Andrew Durante, Manny Muscat, Reece Caira, Tyler Boyd and goalkeeper Glen Moss and the experience of Durante and Muscat in particular helped the Phoenix get a foothold in the game.

“Strengthening the midfield and having Andrew at the back changed things,” Merrick said.

Fortunately for the Navy Blues, substitute Sam Burfoot found space and unleashed a long range shot that gave Glen Moss no chance.

It was enough to hand the Navy Blues a 1-0 win to boot.

The result was superb but the ramifications were keenly felt by Auckland City FC.

It would also pave a way for two of the Navy Blues squad to sign professional contracts.

Albert Riera was a Wellington Phoenix player with a fortnight of this performance while Roy Krishna, who would go on to score the Navy Blues equaliser in the FIFA Club World Cup clash with Raja Casablanca, joined him in the January transfer window.

At the time, Merrick reflected on the result philosophically, when he spoke to www.wellingtonphoenix.com.

“That game was our ninth pre-season friendly and only our second loss, but we have still not been able to put our full squad on the field,” Merrick said.

“Either our All Whites have been away or we have had key players missing through injury.

“Today slight injuries kept Carlos (Hernandez), Kenny (Cunningham) and Paul (Ifill) back in Wellington.

“When we get them all together it will be a formidable side.”

Merrick wasn't using the absence of star players as an excuse for the loss and gave Auckland City FC full credit for a win that came through a late long-range strike by youngster Sam Burfoot.

“It was a fair result, Auckland City FC deserved to win,” Merrick said.

“I wanted a really tough, hard game and that is what we got because Auckland City FC were really up for it.

“They were all over us early and we were lucky not to go down a couple of goals because Jacob Spoonley was outstanding in our goal.

“With important decisions to be made in the next couple of weeks I had to have a good look at a few trialists because you need to see them in tough games.”

Ends

Match Details
Pre-season friendly
Saturday 28 September, 2013
Auckland City FC 1 (Sam Burfoot)
Wellington Phoenix 0
Halftime: 0-0

Auckland City FC: Tamati Williams (GK), James Pritchett, Andrew Milne, Ivan Vicelich (c), Angel Berlanga; Mario Bilen, Albert Riera, Chris Bale; Roy Krishna, Emiliano Tade, Daniel Koprivcic.

Substitutes: Oliver Sail (GK), Alex Feneridis, Darren White, Adam Dickinson, Ryan De Vries, John Irving.

Coach: Ramon Tribulietx

Wellington Phoenix: Jacob Spoonley (Glen Moss 45m), Justin Gulley (Michael Boxall 60m). Ben Sigmund, Luke Adams (Andrew Durante 45m), Josh Brindell-South (Reece Caira 45m), Leo Bertos, Vince Lia (Joel Stevens 65m), Tobias Bertsch (Manny Muscat 45m), Hamish Watson (Tyler Boyd 45m), Jeremy Brockie, Stein Huysegems (Alex Rufer 71m).

Coach: Ernie Merrick

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