Auckland City eased their way into a fifth successive OFC Champions League Final as the defending champions saw off the challenge of Fijians Rewa FC with a 3-1 win in their semi-final encounter at 4R Stadium Govind Park in Ba.

With key players Merril Nand and Josef Athale suspended, Rewa FC Head Coach Tevita Waranaivalu was forced to shuffle his pack, bringing in Asivorosi Rabo and Don Keana in their stead and it took Rewa some time to settle.

Auckland City created the first opportunity of the contest inside the opening ten minutes, when Michal Doudera nodded back a cross into the path of striker Ryan De Vries, who ought to have done better than sky his finish high over the crossbar with the Rewa FC goal at his mercy.

The New Zealand side dominated the possession in the opening quarter, Pavel Osmancik denied by a decent block from goalkeeper James Do’oro, so it was little surprise when they opened the scoring nine minutes before the half-time whistle.

Doudera was the provider, claiming a De Vries flick on to slide a perfect first-time through ball into the path of the marauding Gerard Garrriga who was clear of the Rewa FC defence. Needing to keep his cool, Garriga did just that, and rolled a confident finish past the advancing Do’oro.

Do’oro was called upon to make a pair of sharp saves as Auckland City piled on the pressure, but there was nothing he could do to prevent the second Auckland goal on the cusp of the break as Nathan Rostron reacted quickest to a loose ball following a corner to slide home from close range.

Any hopes that Rewa FC had of finding a way back into the contest were dispelled nine minutes after the restart as Auckland City grabbed a third. Matt Ellis strolled onto a pass from De Vries and accelerated away from a mistimed challenge to bear down on goal and finish with an exemplary strike beyond Do’oro.

Rewa FC immediately made a quartet of changes but, with a fourteenth OFC Champions League Final almost in the bag, Auckland City were able to relax and were only denied a fourth by a magnificent save from Do’oro, pushing away a fierce De Vries drive from just inside the penalty area.

Do’oro was, at times, a one-man band denying Auckland City further additions to the scoreboard while, at the other end, his teammates continued to push for a way back into the contest and, with time running out, were rewarded as they scored the goal of the game.

The industrious Waranaivalu chipped a cross into the penalty area which was met by a spectacular acrobatic volley from Josaia Sela, but it was too little too late as Auckland City progressed to yet another OFC Champions League showdown.

STATISTICS

Wednesday 19 August

Semi-Final

Auckland City FC 3 (Gerard GARRIGA 34’, Nathan ROSTRON 45’, Matt ELLIS 54’)

Rewa FC 1 (Josaia SELA 89’)

HT: 2-0

Photos: OFC Media via Phototek