Auckland FC's Logan Rogerson's shot was deemed offside, on Saturday night. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / www.photosport.nz
Auckland FC's fairytale inaugural season in the A-League has ended in heartbreaking fashion after a 2-0 defeat to Melbourne Victory at Mount Smart Stadium saw them crash out of the A-League Finals Series semi-finals 2-1 on aggregate.
Holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Melbourne, Auckland looked poised to reach the A-League Grand Final in their debut campaign. For 55 minutes, the Black Knights held firm. But in the space of five brutal second-half minutes, their hopes were ripped apart by two sucker-punch goals from the visitors.
Victory's first came in sickening fashion. Zinédine Machach let fly from a distance and saw his shot deflect cruelly off Nando Pijnaker's knee, wrong-footing Alex Paulsen and levelling the tie. Before Auckland could recover, Bruno Fornaroli showed his class, to drift into space and hammer home the comeback completer and give Victory the advantage on the night and in the tie.
Melbourne Victory's Zinédine Machach and Auckland FC's Luis Leiva, at Go Media Stadium in Auckland, on Saturday. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / www.photosport.nz
From there, Auckland threw everything at their Australian rivals.
They thought they had a lifeline when Logan Rogerson headed home after a looping cut-back from Guillermo May - only for the goal to be ruled out, with the ball adjudged to have gone out of play moments earlier. Replays suggested it was marginal, and Auckland will feel aggrieved the decision didn't go their way.
In typical Black Knights fashion, they pushed until the final whistle, embodying the 'Late Knights' moniker that has defined much of their campaign. Deep into stoppage time it nearly paid off as Jack Duncan spilled a cross into the path of Pijnaker, only for his effort to be cleared off the line by Josh Rawlins in what proved to be the final blow.
Despite the gutting end, Auckland's debut season has been nothing short of remarkable. A record crowd of 29,148 packed into Mount Smart to will their side to history, and while it wasn't to be, the foundations laid in 2025 are promising.
For Melbourne Victory, it marks the second consecutive year knocking out a Kiwi side in New Zealand at this stage - first the Wellington Phoenix in 2024, now Auckland 12 months later.
Steve Corica and his men will be left to rue what might have been, but they exit the competition with heads held high and a Premier's Plate to be proud of.
Relive all the plays, with RNZ's blog:
Squad lists
Auckland FC: Alex Paulsen, Hiroki Sakai, Nando Pijnaker, Tommy Smith, Louis Verstraete, Cameron Howieson, Luis Toomey, Max Mata, Guillermo May, Marlee François, Michael Woud, Liam Gillion, Francis de Vries, Callan Elliot, Jesse Randall, Jake Brimmer, Dan Hall, Neyder Moreno, Logan Rogerson, Luis Felipe Gallegos
Melbourne Victory: Mitch Langerak, Adama Traore, Lachlan Jackson, Brendan Hamill, Ryan Teague, Daniel Arzani, Zinedine Machach, Nikolaos Vergos, Bruno Fornaroli, Jordi Valadon, Joshua Inserra, Nishan Velupillay, Fabian Monge, Jing Reec, Roderick Miranda, Joshua Rawlins, Alexander Badolato, Jack Duncan, Luka Kolic, Kasey Bos
