"I've not looked at the video. It's frustrating that the ref saw something no one else on the ground could see but, realistically, nothing now is going to change that result," Bay United coach Brett Angell lamented.
The predominantly young Magpies broke the hosts' concentration in the 18th minute when midfielder Ryan Tinsley scored from a penalty kick after Oscar Garcia brought down Facuno Barbero in the 18m box.
It made up for Saul Halpin butchering a chance three minutes earlier when he lofted the ball over the crossbar after a deft acute-angle cross back from striker Sean Lovemore.
New All White striker, South African-born Ryan de Vries, was a handful and got the equaliser, 1-1, in the 37th minute after a tricky-dicky reverse flick from captain Ivan Vicelich to push it past a frustrated Joshua Hill in the goalmouth. "We worked tremendously hard but, in reality, we switched off and got punished a couple of times," Angell said.
Playing coach Ramon Tribulietx's possession-based game, the Fifa Club World Cup high-fliers struggled to make telling passes in the final third amid some robust tackles from Bay defenders.
But that changed in the second spell as they upped the tempo to display dazzling skills and a sixth sense only teams who have been together for some time often possess.
The ref issued eight yellow cards although Angell dispelled pre-match rain as a contributing factor.
"The cards came out too quickly for a cup final but the ref was more consistent with what he saw."
He felt his men had engaged in a "toe-to-toe" affair in a game that had little between the sides.
Lovemore and Tinsley shared the golden boot honours on 11 goals each.
It hadn't sunk in yet but Angell said the franchise's feat would come to the fore when they take stock.
-Auckland City 2 (Ryan De Vries 38th, Marko Dordevic 62nd) Hawke's Bay Utd 1 (Ryan Tinsley 19th pen). HT: 1-1.
