Auckland FC’s Louis Verstraete gets a foot to the ball during the A-League match between Auckland FC and Western United FC at Go Media Stadium, Auckland. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Auckland FC's remarkable 14-match unbeaten run came to an end in their final A-League regular season fixture, falling 4-2 to a hungry Western United side in Melbourne.
With top spot and the Premier's Plate already secured, Auckland had little to play for, and it showed early on. Western United, pushing to secure third place, were aggressive from the outset and capitalised on some uncharacteristically sloppy play from the visitors. Goals from Michael Ruhs and Noah Botic, had the home side cruising at 2-0 before the break.
Steve Corica rang the changes at half-time in a bid to spark a response, but Angus Thurgate added a third to put John Aloisi's men in complete control. Corica's changes eventually paid off- Neyder Moreno beat Matt Sutton at his near-post with a sharp strike from a recycled corner to offer a glimmer of hope. Substitute Jesse Randall added a late goal after latching onto a long ball and finishing smartly, but any hopes of a dramatic comeback were dashed when Oli Lavale capped off a swift move to seal Western's victory in the dying minutes.
Despite the defeat, Auckland can reflect proudly on a historic debut season. Their league-topping finish ensures a home second leg in the semi-finals and hosting rights for the final, should they progress that far. With the play-offs looming, head coach Corica will hope the loss serves as a timely wake-up call before the knockout football begins.
Auckland face a short break before returning to action in the playoff semi-finals on the weekend of 17-18 May, where they will meet the lowest-ranked elimination final winner. With the regular season complete, the real test of their credentials begins now.
See how the match unfolded:
Squad lists
Western United: James Donachie, Oliver Lavale, Tomoki Imai, Ramy Najjarine, Hiroshi Ibusuki, Matthew Grimaldi, Ben Garuccio (c), Noah Botic, Abel Walatee, Sebastian Pasquali, Rhys Bozinovski, Michael Ruhs, Charbel Shamoon, Dylan Leonard, Angus Thurgate, Matt Sutton (GK), Luke Vickery, Jordan Lauton, Michael Vonja (GK), Riku Danzaki (two to be omitted)
Auckland FC: Michael Woud (GK), Hiroki Sakai (c), Nando Pijnaker, Tommy Smith, Louis Verstraete, Cameron Howieson, Luis Toomey, Max Mata, Guillermo May, Marlee François, Alex Paulsen, Liam Gillion, Francis De Vries, Callan Elliot, Jesse Randall, Jake Brimmer, Dan Hall, Neyder Moreno, Logan Rogerson, Felipe Gallegos two to be omitted)
