City Hit Their Stride at Olympic Park

After several weeks of frustration in front of goal, the Navy Blues have rediscovered their edge — and captain Mario Ilich was clear afterwards: “We’re building momentum again.”

If last weekend’s win hinted at a shift, this one confirmed it. City were dominant from the opening whistle, controlling possession, dictating tempo and pinning Bay Olympic deep inside their own half. The tone was set early when goalkeeper Digby McGregor was forced into a sharp double save, first denying Michal Doudera before reacting quickly to block Dylan Manickum on the rebound.

But the pressure was relentless, and McGregor could only hold out for so long. When Manickum rose to meet a cross with a firm header, the breakthrough felt inevitable. It was the winger’s fourth goal in two matches — and he wasn’t done yet.

Moments later, Manickum doubled the lead, continuing a blistering run of form that now reads five goals in two games following last week’s hat-trick. Ilich, marshalling the midfield with authority, then added a third before the break, steering City into a position of total control.

“We worked all week on starting strong,” Ilich said afterwards. “We did it last weekend, and we did it again today. When we start well, it opens the game up and makes everything easier.”

The second half brought a brief wobble. Bay Olympic pulled one back from a long throw, an unfortunate touch from Regont Murati diverting the ball into Seba Ciganda’s net. Ilich admitted the concession stung: “We set our standards on keeping clean sheets. It’s disappointing to concede like that.”

But the response was immediate and decisive. Angus Kilkolly, lively throughout, was bundled over inside the box. The striker dusted himself off and buried the penalty to restore the three-goal cushion and extinguish any hint of a comeback.

From there, City managed the game with maturity, keeping the ball, controlling territory and seeing out a win that felt as comfortable as the scoreline suggests.

For Ilich, the bigger picture matters just as much as the points. “It’s still early in the season, but we’re building something good here,” he said. “Back-to-back wins, scoring goals again — we take the positives and go again next weekend.”

Auckland City return to Kiwitea Street next Saturday to face East Coast Bays, carrying confidence, rhythm and a rediscovered ruthlessness in front of goal.

U23s show character with a 4–2 comeback win

Earlier in the day, the U23s delivered a result of their own — a gritty, character-filled 4–2 comeback after falling 2–0 behind inside minutes.

Carlos Stulich and Sam Clegg were the stars, each scoring twice. Clegg’s free-kick levelled the match before he turned provider, delivering the cross for Stulich’s header to make it 3–2 before the break. Clegg then wrapped it up in the second half to complete a superb turnaround.

It was a performance full of resilience and attacking quality — and it ensured a perfect double for the club across both fixtures.

Ends

Match Result
Northern League R8
Saturday, 2 May
Olympic Park

Bay Olympic: 1 (Regont MURATI (OG) 69’)
Auckland City: 4 (Dylan MANICKUM 28’, 36’, Mario ILICH 39’, Angus KILKOLLY 77’ (P)
 
HT: 0-3

AC: 18. Seba CIGANDA (GK) 2. Mario ILICH (C) 4.Nikko BOXALL, 5. Nathan ROSTRON 7. Michal DOUDERA (8. Gerard GARRIGA 70’) 9. Angus KILKOLLY 10. Dylan MANICKUM 12. Regont MURATI 15. Jeremy FOO Adam BELL (13. Shaan ANAND 45+1’) 27. Tom GOLDING (17. Bono KACUROV 78’)

SUBS NOT USED: 1. Nathan GARROW (GK) 19. Dylan CONNOLLY 

HEAD COACH: Rudy MOZR
ASSISTANT COACH: Ivan VICELICH
ASSISTANT COACH: Alan SHAKER
GOALKEEPER COACH: Adam BANNISTER
TRAINER: Karlo PAVIC
PHYSIO: Matt PAYNE
TEAM MANAGER: Keith COTON