Angus Kilkolly had the best chance to equalise for Hawke's Bay United today against Auckland City. Photo/Duncan Brown
Angus Kilkolly had the best chance to equalise for Hawke's Bay United today against Auckland City. Photo/Duncan Brown
Hawke's Bay United slipped 1-0 today against Auckland City for their third defeat this summer.
The hosts went up 1-0 in the Stirling Sports Premiership match at Kiwitea St in what was a soft goal in just the second minute when a sliding effort from Solomon Island international Micah Lea'alafa.
The cross came from wing back Takuya Iwata on the left flank but how the ball beat three white shirts, including last man Fergus Neil, to find winger Lea'alafa was hard to comprehend.
In the 37th minute, it was heart-in-the-mouth stuff when Bay defender Nile Walwyn cleared from a gaping goalmouth after goalkeeper Joshua Hill was beaten going for a 50-50 ball inside his real estate.
Auckland City weren't done when midfielder Clayton Lewis clipped the upright with a crisp drive from about 25m out but a Lea'alafa reload hit the chest of Joao Moreira to find the net but celbertaions were muted when officials rightly ruled it no goal as the Portuguese striker was retreating from an offside position.
Bay coach Brett Angell substituted newcomer Ben Everson at the coal face with Argentine striker Facundo Barbero in the 63rd minute after the Englishman again looked to out at sea in his second outing.
In the 79th minute substitute Angus Kilkolly had the Bay's best chance of an equaliser as he ran for a one-on-one with City goalkeeper Enaut Zubikarai Goni and a defender in pursuit but his finishing lacked impetus although he looked dazed from Spaniard Goni's clearance that had clipped him on the noggin only minutes earlier.
Angell yanked off Matsumoto, who also had a hot-and-cold game, and injected James Hoyle.
The Bay, fifth on the ladder before the kick off, eventually threw the kitchen sink at City in the dying minutes but the Ramon Tribulietx-coached seemed content to concede a flurry of yellow-card fouls to maintain their slender lead.
It's fair to assume the hosts did the minimum required, including taking off Lea'alafa, to avoid risking injuries before jetting off to Japan for the Club World Club Championship on Monday.
