City ready for midweek action

Words: ACFC Media

Tuesday 23 April 2024

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Auckland City FC are looking to extend their lead at the top of the competition ladder when they host Bay Olympic in their rescheduled Northern League clash on Wednesday night at the Croatian Club.

The Round 9 match was brought forward because of the Navy Blues' OFC Champions League commitments next month in Tahiti.

With six wins from six matches the City have maximum 18 points at the top of the table ahead of Western Springs, the only other team with a perfect record to date, on goal difference.

Bay Olympic had a mixed start to their campaign with three wins and three defeats to sit in seventh spot.

Wednesday night’s match is set to be a special occasion for head coach Albert Riera who is poised to become only the second head coach, alongside Ramon Tribulietx, to take charge of the Navy Blues for the 100th time.

Riera, who also played 143 games for the Navy Blues, has led his troops to 78 victories, 11 draws and ten defeats in three seasons while winning 7 trophies on the way.

This makes Riera the second most successful coach behind Tribulietx who won 25 trophies for the club.

There are milestones looming for a number of City players as well with striker Ryan De Vries currently on 192 matches and 98 goals for the Navy Blues.

Elsewhere, Dylan Manickum is within touching distance of his 50th goal for the club.

Manickum, on 49 goals, could become the seventh player in club history to smash the half-century mark, a record compiled across 129 games to date.

Meanwhile Christian Gray on 49 games will make his 50th appearance if selected joining 61 players who have reached that milestone previously.

HEAD TO HEAD - BAY OLYMPIC FC

Wednesday night’s match will be the eights encounter between the two clubs with six previous meetings in the Northern League and one in the Chatham Cup.

The Navy Blues hold a perfect record against their rivals winning all seven games to date.

2023

v. Bay Olympic (A) 1-0 (De Vries)
v. Bay Olympic (H) 5-1 (Howieson 2, De Vries, Gillion, Tade | Vincent)

2022

v. Bay Olympic (H) 2-1 (Tade, Howieson | White)
v. Bay Olympic (A) 2-1 (R. Drake, Ilich | Duncan) - Chatham Cup
v. Bay Olympic (A) 4-0 (Kilkolly 3, De Vries)

2021

v. Bay Olympic (H) 7-0 (Manickum 2, Brotherton, Rogers, Ellis, Kilkolly, Stewart)
v. Bay Oympic (A) 2-1 (Carey, Kilkolly | Han)

MATCH DETAILS
Northern League Round 9
Wednesday 24 April 2024
Auckland City FC v.Bay Olympic FC
Croatian Cultural Society, Te Atatū South
Kick-off: 7.30pm

AC SQUAD: 1-Conor TRACEY (GK), 2- Mario ILICH, 3- Adam MITCHELL, 4-Christian GRAY, 5- Timothy BOULET, 7-Cam HOWIESON (c), 8-Gerard GARRIGA. 9-Angus KILKOLLY, 10-Dylan MANICKUM, 11-Ryan DE VRIES, 12- Regont MURATI, 13-Nathan LOBO, 15- Caleb MOOSBALLY, 16-Joe LEE, 17-Joe RIDLEY, 18 - Areya PRASAD (GK), 19-Liam GILLION, 21- Adam BELL, 22-Tong ZHO, 23- Alfie ROGERS, 24-Joe WALLIS (GK), 25- Michael DEN HEIJER, 26-Rayan TAYEB, 27-Stipe UKICH.

COACH: Albert RIERA
ASSISTANT COACH: Ivan VICELICH
GK COACH: Enaut ZUBIKARAI
TECHNICAL: Adria CASALS
TECHNICAL: Jarrod WALLACE
LOGISTICS: Keith COTON
PHYSIO: Matt PAYNE