NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP – AUCKLAND CITY BREAK JINX TO LIFT NZFC TROPHY

AUCKLAND – Auckland City picked the perfect time to break their Waitakere United hoodoo beating the defending champions 2-1 at Douglas Field to win the 2008-09 New Zealand Football Championship grand final on Sunday.

Auckland hadn’t beaten Waitakere in their previous eight meetings in the NZFC or OFC Champions League, a two-year stretch dating back to the 2006-07 grand final, when Auckland claimed their third title.

Waitakere United – who hadn’t lost at home for almost two full seasons – looked on course for a repeat title when Allan Pearce benefited from Roy Krishna’s good work to tap in a 15th minute opener, but a piece of Keryn Jordan magic and a late goalkeeping howler from Waitakere’s Richard Gillespie saw the trophy head back to Kiwitea Street.

With Auckland building pressure in the second half but not quite creating any clear-cut chances, Keryn Jordan slipped his marker and rose high to meet James Pritchett’s deep cross, glancing his header into the top corner from the penalty spot.

With the game heading towards extra time, Urlovic took advantage of some indecision amidst claims for handball by Jake Butler, snapping a speculative shot from the edge of the area straight at Gillespie who let it slip through his grasp for an 89th minute winner.

Despite being a goal down to a previously untouchable minor premiership winning Waitakere side, Auckland coach Paul Posa thought his side had momentum at halftime.

“The way we finished the first half, I thought there would be a period we would get on top and Waitakere would be hanging in, but it took a quality finish from Keryn [Jordan] and he just has that little bit of quality you need,” Posa said.

“Urlovic struck his well and the keeper’s made an error but that’s football.”

Waitakere coach Chris Milicich was not about to vilify his keeper, preferring instead to focus on missed opportunities in front of Auckland’s goal.

“You miss three one-on-ones and you don’t win the game, end of story,” Milicich said.

“[It could’ve been] 2-0 or 3-0 but we didn’t finish them off.

“We’ve let a sloppy second goal in that we never should’ve let in and not defended the first well, but credit to them they’ve stuck in there. They’ve been a poor side most of the year, a mid table side but they’ve come through and hats off to them.”

On another day, Waitakere striker Roy Krishna – a strong candidate for player of the season – would have had a match-winning hat-trick but the diminutive Fijian crashed a fifth minute header onto the bar, blazed a couple of second half chances over the woodwork, and was closed down after rounding the keeper only moments before Jordan’s equaliser.

Posa paid tribute to his squad that had finished second in the league – eight points behind Waitakere – and said the victory proved they were still a very capable team.

He also had a word of praise for a vocal contingent of fans that travelled the small distance from the club’s Sandrigham base to make their presence felt among a strong crowd of over 2500.

“They [the supporters] feel the vibe of the game and as the game was turning our way they were getting louder and louder.”

“We were quite concerned that we weren’t going to score and were just about to make a change just the goal came, but they can sense how the team is playing.”

The two teams do it all over again next week with a place in the O-League final up for grabs. Auckland can afford to draw the match and progress to the two legged final against Koloale FC from the Solomon Islands, whereas Waitakere must reverse today’s defeat to reach their third straight continental final.

2008-09 New Zealand Football Championship Grand Final

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