Navy Blues Ease Past Birkenhead
Words: ACFC Media
Sunday 29 September 2024
AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Auckland City FC kicked off their National League campaign with a commanding 3-1 victory over local rivals Birkenhead United on Sunday afternoon at Kiwitea Street.
Fresh off their return from the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in the UAE, the Navy Blues showed no signs of fatigue, delivering a dynamic performance from the first whistle.
Angus Kilkolly nearly broke the deadlock early on, narrowly missing the target from inside the box after a clever setup by Ryan De Vries. Kilkolly then struck the post, but his persistence paid off as he converted a penalty in the dying moments of the first half, awarded after Stipe Ukich was fouled in the box.
Birkenhead United came out fighting in the second half and were quickly awarded a penalty. However, debutant goalkeeper Nathan Garrow thrilled the home supporters with a superb save to deny Luke Jorgensen.
This pivotal moment shifted the momentum back to Auckland City, and De Vries capitalised on a defensive error by goalkeeper Marcus Nevin to double the lead, outpacing Birkenhead captain Dino Botica before calmly finishing.
The visitors pulled one back through Ardri McArthur’s well-placed header from a corner in the 57th minute. Yet, Auckland City responded almost immediately, with Ukich restoring the two-goal cushion after another assist from De Vries. De Vries nearly added a fourth, his shot narrowly missing the mark from a tight angle.
Auckland City managed the closing stages expertly, securing a well-deserved victory to start their league campaign on a high note.
MATCH DETAILS
National League R1
Kiwitea Street
Auckland City FC: 3 (Angus KILKOLLY 44' Ryan DE VRIES 53' Stipe UKICH 60’)
Birkenhead United 1 (Ardri MCARTHUR 57’)
HT: 1-0
AC: 24. Nathan GARROW GK, 2. Mario ILICH, CP 3. Adam MITCHELL, 5. Marco LORENZ, 8. Gerard GARRIGA, (22. Tong ZHOU, 87'), 9. Angus KILKOLLY, (16. Joe LEE, 66'), 10. Dylan MANICKUM, (14. Kentaro OZAKI, 66'), 11. Ryan DE VRIES, 17. Jerson LAGOS, (Adam BELL 87'), 25. Michael DEN HEIJER, 27. Stipe UKICH
SUBS NOT USED: 18. Areya PRASAD GK
COACH: Albert RIERA
ASSISTANT COACH: Ivan VICELICH
GK COACH: Enaut ZUBIKARAI
TECHNICAL: Adria CASALS
LOGISTICS: Keith COTON
PHYSIO: Matt PAYNE
NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP R4
Sun 20 October 2024, v Western Suburbs, Endeavour Park, 1.30pm
Player Profiles
Table
| Position | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | AC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 2 |  | NC | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| 3 |  | WP | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 |  | WO | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| 5 |  | CS | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| 6 |  | BU | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 4 |
| 7 |  | CT | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 8 |  | ES | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| 9 |  | WS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 3 |
| 10 |  | WE | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 1 |
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