Navy Blues call on reinforcements

Words: ACFC Media

Friday 9 March 2018

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - The race for the ISPS Handa Premiership minor title and automatic qualification for next year's OFC Champions League goes to the wire when Auckland City FC host rivals Eastern Suburbs AFC at Kiwitea Street on March 11.

Just two points separate league leaders, Auckland City FC from the third placed Lilywhites with only two matches left in the regular round robin season.

Auckland City FC coach, Ramon Tribulietx told www.aucklandcityfc.com he is aware of the type of game the Lilywhites wants to impose on his team.

“They’ve lost De Jong from what I understand, but the team still remains competitive. Considering what’s at stake, its another big game, it’s the second to last game of the regular season and there’s no margin for error right now," he said.

The Navy Blues are on a red hot run of form with only one goal conceded in their last 10 competitive matches.

“We are required to be very focused on this match which demands that we play a very competitive game and its the same for Eastern Suburbs AFC," he said.

The Lilywhites are in a bouyant mood after they downed Waitakere United 2-1 last week but have to treat this match as a must-win if they are to grab the minor title off the Navy Blues.

Defeat would leave them five points adrift of top spot with just one match - at home to Canterbury United on March 17 - remaining.

Defenders Tim Payne and Kelvin Kalua - the talented youngster developed at Ellerslie AFC - were the standouts for the Danny Hay-coached team while another youngster in Leon Van Den Hoven also caught the eye.

Derek Tieku is the attacking force most likely to cause the Navy Blues issues in defence but without De Jong alongside him may have to carry the full weight of responsibility for scoring the goals.

Elsewhere in the minor title shake-up, Canterbury United face both Team Wellington and Eastern Suburbs AFC in their run-in and will want to take full advantage of any slip-ups higher up the table.

The defending champions Team Wellington face a proverbial six-pointer when they face Canterbury United away from home. If they can win that and knock the Dragons out of minor title contention then they finish the regular season campaign against season-long strugglers Hamilton Wanderers to finish.

Coming off the back of a three game thriller in the space of six days, Tribulietx highlighted the importance of recovery for his players involved in last week’s
OFC Champions League Group Stage.

The Navy Blues topped Group C of the OFC Champions League last week, beating AS Vénus (7-1), Madang FC (5-0) and Lautoka FC (1-0).

Tribulietx says the return to the ISPS Handa Premiership is difficult, but the players have recovered well and will be ready for Sunday's mission.

“We have some players who will probably still feel a little fatigued from those three games.”

“Some played three 90 minute games within six days and against teams that demand a lot of physicality from you, it gets tough.”

“But then on the other hand we’ve got players returning to the side who weren’t part of our squad last week, and they’re fresh.”

“They haven’t played in two weeks, so it’s probably a good situation to have some fresh players coming into a tough game against a good team.”

That list of players includes the versatile veteran pairing of Mario Bilen and Albert Riera and defenders Marko Dordevic and Takuya Iwata.

Fabrizio Tavano, left out of the OFC Champions League squad, adds further versatility to the group.

The last time these two sides met, the affair ended in a 2-0 win to the Navy Blues, with goals to Emiliano Tade and Micah Lea’alafa.

The match will be their fourth meeting in the league, with the Lilywhites yet to beat Auckland City FC in the ISPS Handa Premiership.

With the ISPS Handa Premiership title race likely to get down to the wire, teams finishing level on points will be separated by one of two criteria, as per the competition regulations.

Firstly, on their head-to-head record, but if that is even, then the tied teams are separated by goal difference in their head-to-head matches to determine their final league position.

The Navy Blues only head-to-head where they finish second is when measured against Team Wellington (1-3 defeat and a 0-0 draw).

The match kicks off at 4pm at Kiwitea Street on Sunday 11 March 2018.

Ends

Match Details
ISPS Handa Premiership
Sunday 11 March 2018
Auckland City FC v Eastern Suburbs
Kiwitea Street, Sandringham
Kick-off: 4.35pm NZST
#ACvES

AC: Zubikarai (GK), Tracey (GK), Dordevic, Iwata, Rogers, Berlanga (c), Bilen, Hudson-Wihongi, Raniga, Morgan, Wilkins, Parker-Price, Riera, R Drake, H Edge, Howieson, Peverley, Lea'alafa, Bright, Graham, Tade, McCowatt, Tavano, White.

Coach: Ramon Tribulietx

ISPS HANDA PREMIERSHIP TITLE RUN-IN

Auckland City FC - Played 16, Points 34
v. Eastern Suburbs AFC (H) - Sunday 11 March
v. Wellington Phoenix Reserves (A) - Saturday 17 March

Team Wellington - Played 16, Points 33
v. Canterbury United (A) - Sunday 11 March
v. Hamilton Wanderers (H) - Sunday 18 March

Eastern Suburbs AFC - Played 16, Points 32
v. Auckland City FC (A) - Sunday 11 March
v. Canterbury United (H) - Saturday 17 March

Canterbury United - Played 16, Points 32
v. Team Wellington (H) - Sunday 11 March
v. Eastern Suburbs AFC (A) - Saturday 17 March

TIE-BREAKERS

As per the ISPS Handa Premiership Competition Regulations, in the event of two or more of the Participants having equal points, their respective placing on the league table shall be determined as follows:

1. The head to head results between the teams equal on points.
2. The goal difference from the matches played between the teams equal on points.

To view the ISPS Handa Premiership Regulations 2017-18 click here.