AUCKLAND, NZ - Under the lights at Fred Taylor Park, Auckland City made it four wins on the trot and secured their first ever victory over Auckland FC Reserves, coming from behind to earn a deserved 3–1 win on Friday night.
16 May 2026
It was a lively, breathless opening, with the young Auckland FC side showing real exuberance and energy. Their pace and directness caused problems early, and they took a deserved lead in the 33rd minute when Harley Hill reacted quickest in a crowded box, stabbing home from close range after a scrappy goalmouth scramble.
City, however, carried a threat of their own — particularly from set pieces. They struck the woodwork either side of halftime from corners, both times inches away from levelling the match.
The second half brought a shift in intensity. The Navy Blues emerged with purpose, but Auckland FC remained dangerous on the break, forcing Nathan Garrow into a crucial save from Hill to keep the deficit at one.
The introduction of Shan Anand proved decisive. He immediately injected energy and nearly scored with a well‑struck effort that was deflected narrowly wide. From the resulting quickly‑taken corner, Tomas Golding — whose deliveries troubled the hosts all night — whipped in another superb ball, and Angus Kilkolly rose to head home the equaliser.
Moments later, Anand produced a brilliant through‑ball to release Kilkolly again, and the striker made no mistake, firing City into the lead with his second of the night. It was his fourth goal in three outings, continuing a rich vein of form.
City’s dominance grew, and the result was sealed when Golding delivered a pinpoint free‑kick that Nathan Rostron powered into the net with a towering header — a fitting reward for the tall defender’s commanding performance.
After the match, Kilkolly acknowledged the challenge of a Friday night fixture after a full working week:
“It took us 45 minutes to get going… but the second half was really good.” “We’ve all worked our day jobs, it’s been a long week, so coming straight out here on a Friday night took a bit of time. But once we settled, we showed our experience and scored some really good goals.”
Reflecting on his brace, he added:
“Football hasn’t left me yet.”
And on Rostron’s header:
“He’s a big boy, he attacks the ball really well. Rudy’s been yelling at us to score from set pieces, so he’ll be happy we got a couple tonight.”
The win caps a strong run of form for the Navy Blues and sets up a big home fixture against Melville next weekend as the first round of the Northern League draws to a close.
Ends
Match Result
Northern League R10
Friday, 15 May
Fred Taylor Park
Auckland FC 1 (Harley HILL 33′)
Auckland City: 3 (Angus KILKOLLY 61′, 70’ Nathan ROSTRON 84′)
HT: 1-0
AC: 1. Nathan GARROW (GK) 2. Mario ILICH (C) 3. Adam MITCHELL (13. Shaan ANAND 56′), 5. Nathan ROSTRON 7. Michal DOUDERA (20. Manraj SINGH 90+1) 8. Gerard GARRIGA 9. Angus KILKOLLY 12. Regont MURATI 15. Jeremy FOO (69′) 19. Dylan CONNOLLY, 27. Tom GOLDING (17. Bono KACUROV 85′)
SUBS NOT USED: 18. Ari PRASAD (GK), 21. Adam Kanui BELL
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
