The stage was set for another chapter in a heated rivalry as Auckland City FC and Wellington Olympic AFC locked horns at Kiwitea Street Stadium on a bright, sunny Saturday in Auckland.
The Navy Blues secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Wellington Olympic AFC in a tightly contested first leg of the New Zealand National Playoff for the 2024 OFC Champions League. The match saw both sides battle it out in a fast-paced encounter.
Even more surprisingly, the 17-year-old prodigy, Stipe Ukich, made a stellar impact by coming off the bench and securing Auckland City’s triumph with a remarkable goal.
First half – 0x0
The opening seconds of the game crackled with intensity. Just 20 seconds into the match, Auckland City’s plea for a penalty was dismissed when Regont Muratti went down in the box.
Wellington Olympic responded swiftly, with Oliver Colloty (number 10) finding space in the area at the 7-minute mark. His shot, however, took a deflection and was comfortably saved by the Auckland City goalkeeper, Conor Tracey.
Auckland City pressed high in the early stages, exploiting Wellington Olympics’ midfield errors. They dominated possession until around the 19th minute, with Liam Gillion and left-back Nathan Lobo on the left flank particularly impressive. Their link-up play created Auckland City’s best chance so far.
However, Wellington Olympic showed their attacking prowess on a dangerous counter-attack. The speedy Kallan Gould weaved past three Auckland City defenders before finding Hamish Watson with a well-placed pass. Watson’s shot narrowly missed the target, whistling past the right post.
The first half continued with a mix of misplaced passes and wayward shots from both sides. Auckland City coach Albert Riera made tactical adjustments around the 30-minute mark, urging his players to utilise the width of the pitch and for Gillion to exploit space behind the Wellington Olympic right-back.
The most significant chance of the first half came shortly before the break. Ryan De Vries found Liam Gillion with a pinpoint pass.
Gillion cut inside his marker and unleashed a shot towards the bottom left corner, forcing a superb save from Wellington Olympic goalkeeper Scott Basalaj.
Second Half – 1×0
The second half began with renewed energy. The Navy Blues looked to extend their lead, with Dylan Manickum receiving a good pass and firing a shot that went wide.
A fast answer came from Kallan Gould testing the Auckland City goalkeeper attention with a powerful effort that sailed over the bar.
The remainder of the half was a balanced affair, with both teams creating sporadic opportunities. Wellington Olympic attempted to exploit the right flank through their speedy full-back Jack-Henry Sinclair, who caused some problems for the Auckland City defense.
Both sides began to show signs of fatigue around the 63rd minute, prompting substitutions aimed at injecting fresh energy. Despite Auckland’s increased attacking momentum, Wellington Olympic nearly snatched an equalizer at the 66th minute.
Striker Hamish Watson found space in midfield and played a pass to the left flank for Kaelin Nguyen, whose shot across goal was comfortably saved by the goalkeeper Conor Tracey.
However, the adage “fortune favors the bold” proved true. Auckland City’s persistence paid off.
The introduction of young substitute Stipe Ukich proved decisive in the game. At 71-minute, a pinpoint pass from Nathan Lobo found Ukich in a dangerous position, and he coolly slotted home the game’s only goal, sparking jubilation among the Auckland City supporters.
Following the goal, Wellington Olympic responded by pushing for an equalizer. However, their urgency was evident in their play, with a lack of composure hindering their efforts.
Auckland City’s defense remained resolute, making a crucial block in the 86th minute to deny Wellington a promising scoring opportunity.
The closing moments saw substitutions from both sides, with tensions rising on the sidelines. A heated exchange between the Auckland City technical staff and Wellington representatives resulted in a red card being shown to a member of the Auckland City staff.
Despite the late drama, the final whistle blew on a 1-0 victory for Auckland City. The home fans celebrated a hard-fought result that gives them a narrow lead heading into the second leg.
2nd Leg – Wellington Olympic x Auckland City
With the score locked at 1-0, all eyes now turn to Wellington for the second leg. Can Olympic maintain their winning streak and claim victory on home soil, or will Auckland City manage to defend their lead and secure their place in the OFC Champions League? The return leg, on March 16, promises to be another exciting chapter in this developing rivalry.
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