Mohammed Toure of the Socceroos scores a goal during Soccer Ashes clash at Go Media Stadium. Photo / Photosport
This will hurt the All Whites in a big way.
Desperate to impress on home soil, they instead fell to a 3-1 defeat to Australia on Tuesday night at Go Media Stadium, for a 4-1 aggregate result in the Soccer Ashes series. They were undone by the sheer pace and skill of young African-born Australian forwards Mo Toure and Nestory Irankunda.
It was a match to forget for the defensive unit, with Toure grabbing two goals and having a third narrowly ruled out for offside. Irankunda was superb, with a brilliant finish and inches away from a long range free kick.
New Zealand captain Chris Wood got a coveted goal on home soil - breaking a long drought against Australia - with a neat finish in the 57th minute. The result will prompt some soul searching, after the promise displayed in Canberra last Friday.
The All Whites were missing some important players but this wasn’t up to their recent standards. They made a bright start and had some first half chances, to Wood and Tim Payne. But Toure gave Australia a 35th minute lead, which was deflating, before Irankunda extended the lead nine minutes into the second half. Wood then had his moment - but that joy only last three minutes before Toure struck again.
Bazeley made two alterations from Canberra, with Finn Surman (for Michael Boxall) and Ben Old (Callum McCowatt) brought in.
For the second match in succession, the All Whites made the more assertive start. There were a series of half chances, as they tried to push down both flanks, with Sarpreet Singh and Old prominent. A snappy one touch move just before the half hour was the highlight, as quick exchanges eventually fell to Wood, who directed his sidefooted effort too close to Izzo.
Australia had started to warm to their task and find space in the final third, before their breakthrough. Connor Metcalfe threaded a pass for Toure, who shrugged off Tyler Bindon before a composed finish past Crocombe.
Just like in Canberra it was preventable, as Bindon was probably favourite to win the ball but appeared to slip. The All Whites had narrowly escaped danger minutes earlier, with a brilliant Crocombe save to claw away a Kye Rowles header, after Australia attacked down the right.
The All Whites should have equalised in the 39th minute. It was a neat flowing move, as Singh escaped down the left, before his deflected cross was brilliantly tipped onto the cross bar by Paul Izzo, with Payne unable to bury the rebound, albeit at an awkward height.
New Zealand started well after the break. An Old cross just eluded two teammates, while Thomas forced a great save from Izzo, after a turn and thumping left footed half volley, a neat piece of skill from the Dutch based player. But the All Whites were undone by a long range break, with Irankunda outwitting both De Vries and Bindon, before finishing on the angle past Crocombe.
That stunned the crowd, before Wood finally got his moment. It was a clever finish, as he latched onto De Vries’ through ball, then stretched to get a touch past Izzo. That prompted a massive cheer but all that momentum was undone by the third Australian goal.
This time it was Toure creating havoc, as he was released by Metcalfe, before standing up Surman and squeezing it past Crocombe. The crowd was in shock and there was almost more disaster, as Toure got through again to finish - via a simple one-two in the area - but it scratched for offside.
Still, it was a bad sign, as the rest of the team wondered what was happening at the back. Bazeley removed his ‘big three’ just after the hour mark (Wood, Thomas and Old) for Jesse Randall, McCowatt and Callan Elliott.
A flashpoint came in the 71st minute with Bindon shown a straight red card, as he lunged in on Irakanda. It looked a harsh call, as the New Zealand coaching staff remonstrated with the fourth official, before referee Don Robertson reveretd to a yellow card following a VAR check.
Irankunda was desperately unlucky with a spectacular 35 metre free kick, as it hit the cross bar and bounced out, with Crocombe well beaten. Luke Brooke-Smith (17) became the youngest All White in almost 50 years when he was brought in the last 15 minutes and added some energy as the All Whites tried to find a late highlight.
All Whites 1 (Chris Wood 57)
Socceroos 3 (Mohamed Toure 35, 60, Nestory Irankunda 54’)
Halftime: 1-0