AUCKLAND, New Zealand - A Caleb Moosbally-inspired show gave Auckland City FC U-23 its first victory of the season after they beat Tauranga City FC 5-1 at the Croatian Cultural Society today.
Moosbally opened the scoring after 22 minutes when he beat Nate Camplin from close range following a superb low cross from team-mate Jesse Burge.
VIDEO - Caleb Moosbally goal
— Auckland City FC (@AucklandCity_FC) March 31, 2024
Caleb Moosbally opens the scoring for City U23 on 22 minutez#WeAreNavyBlue pic.twitter.com/q7Y25xU1Ju
Burge was chief supplier for Ryan Revill to double the lead just sixty seconds later from an almost identical position to set City away to a great start halfway through the first half.
But that lead was halved when Thomas Page broke through for the visitors ten minutes later to set up a nervy end to the first 45 minutes.
Moosbally nearly added to his and the Junior Navy Blues tally when he forced Camplin into a tremendous save before debutant Freddie Gibbins headed in Auckland City FC's third on the hour mark.
Tristan Kawana hit Reon Werohiko's left hand upright to almost give Tauranga a lifeline and Werohiko was called into action again when he saved at close quarters to maintain his team's advantage.
VIDEO - Caleb Moosbally free-kick
— Auckland City FC (@AucklandCity_FC) March 31, 2024
40’ - Caleb Moosbally forces a quality save from Nate Camplin #WeAreNavyBlue pic.twitter.com/IzbYWmNAem
Referee Ronald Van Zuilen awarded Auckland City FC a penalty midway through the second half which was dispatched efficiently by Moosbally to provide some breathing space for Valerio Raccuglia's team to make it 4-1.
Fiji international, Nabil Begg - back from national team duty in the Solomon Islands during the FIFA window - made sure his debut was a happy one when he headed home from a corner two minutes into additional time.
The victory lifts Auckland City FC into seventh place after Good Friday's Gridlock Derby with Eastern Suburbs was postponed.
Ends
Match Result
Lotto NRFL U-23 Premiership
Monday 1 April 2024
Auckland City FC 5 (Caleb MOOSBALLY 22', 68'-pen, Ryan REVILL 24', Freddie GIBBINS 60', Nabil BEGG 90'+2')
Tauranga City FC 1 (Thomas PAGE 34')
HT: 2-1.
AC: 18. Reon WEREOHIKO (GK), 2. Freddie GIBBINS, 3. Max BREINGAN (5. Mario YUGOVICH 74'), Jesse GAGE (c), 7. Nabil BEGG, 8. Tai ADAMS (15. Luka VICELICH 54'), 9. Jesse BURGE, 10. Caleb MOOSBALLY (12. Jeremy FOO 74'), 11. Ryan REVILL (14. Gato NYIRASABIMANA 74'), 16. Cayden STEFFERN (13. Gabriel BRANCO 74'), 22. Rayan TAYEB.
COACH: Valerio RACCUGLIA
ASSISTANT COACH: Archie DIAS
TEAM MANAGER: Dinesh CHAND
GK COACH: Enaut ZUBIKARAI
ANALYST: Jay BLAKE.
TBC 2025
Position | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | BU | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 16 | 20 |
2 | ![]() | AC | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 19 |
3 | ![]() | WS | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 16 | 18 |
4 | ![]() | NC | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 14 | 17 |
5 | ![]() | WP | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 19 | 13 |
6 | ![]() | WO | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 15 | 11 |
7 | ![]() | CS | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 20 | 11 |
8 | ![]() | CT | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 18 | 9 |
9 | ![]() | ES | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 17 | 5 |
10 | ![]() | WE | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 28 | 4 |