Mariners defender Storm Roux battles with Auckland FC's Jesse Randall for the ball. Photo / Photosport
Auckland FC’s hopes of retaining their A-League Premiers Plate are over.
On a dramatic afternoon in Auckland – where the match was stopped for almost 50 minutes because of thunderstorms – the home side fell 1-0 to the Central Coast Mariners.
It was a nightmare scenario – and one of those days where almost nothing went right, despite Auckland FC trying everything to score.
The Mariners defended superbly but also enjoyed some large slices of luck.
The biggest came when centre back James Donachie somehow avoided a red card, after appearing to deliberately stand on the back of a prone Sam Cosgrove in the 13th minute
It was a curious decision from referee Jonathan Barreiro and a major flashpoint. The Mariners scored minutes later from a defensive error, though Auckland FC will point to a goal kick being erroneously awarded, instead of a corner.
It was that kind of match. Auckland FC had a ton of possession – with 18 shots – but couldn’t find a breakthrough. Mariners keeper Andrew Redmayne gave an inspired performance, with gritty defence around him, while the home side struggled to fashion clear cut chances.
The result means that Newcastle Jets are A-League Premiers, while Auckland remain in the top two, ahead of their trip to Sydney next week but could be overhauled by either Adelaide or Sydney FC, depending on permuatations.
The match continued Auckland’s poor home record this season. It was their fourth loss at Go Media Stadium in Penrose, where they have also been held to a quartet of frustrating draws.
They had plenty of opportunities– sometimes trying too hard – while Central Coast grew in confidence as the match went on. There is still time to turn things around but it is a worrying sign, before the A-League finals.
For this match, with Danny Hay in charge due to coach Steve Corica’s suspension, Michael Woud was back in goal, while Jake Girdwood-Reich (illness) and Logan Rogerson also returned to the starting XI.
Not for the first time this season, Auckland FC made an uneasy start. They almost conceded in the second minute but Mariners striker Ali Auglah headed wide, before Hiroki Sakai incurred a reckless booking, though the captain was probably angered that earlier fouls on Lachlan Brook had gone unpunished.
The flashpoint came after 13 minutes, with Donachie extremely fortunate to stay on the field, after a stamp on Cosgrove. It wasn’t a hard stomp, but the intent was there and the fact he had collected the English striker in his head in the preceding challenge surely didn’t help his cause. But after being referred by the video assistant referee (VAR), Barreiro settled on yellow, to the bemusement of most in the ground, while Donachie wore a sly smirk.
From the resulting free kick, Redmayne saved well from Jesse Randall before a refereeing error compounded Auckland’s sense of injustice. Barreiro failed to award a second corner – as the ball had looped out off a defender’s head – and the Mariners opened the scoring from the subsequent goal kick. Still, it was poor, as Girdwood-Reich gave the ball away near halfway. Central Coast made the most of the gift, breaking swiftly before Auglah had a simple finish at the far post.
That was a shock and Auckland took a while to get their heads back in the game, exemplified by Brook’s needless booking for berating an assistant referee over a throw-in decision.
But Brook was busy and looked the most dangerous in the first half, twice having goal-bound shots blocked, while Felipe Gallegos skimmed a shot wide.
The rain had started just before the half hour and soon began to bucket down, sending fans scrambling for cover, before the game was postponed at 3.42pm.
As the Port continued their songs – taking over a corner of the East Stand – play restarted at 4.30pm, though there were few chances before halftime, aside from a Cosgrove volley, then a header.
Auckland continued to dominate after the break. Storm Roux was booked as he stopped Randall breaking away, before Elliott headed straight into the arms of a grateful Redmayne from a corner. Just before the hour mark, Guillermo May was introduced for Elliott, with Felipe Gallegos moved to left fullback.
Frustration began to build, as the Mariners continued to hang on, getting in the way of shots, crosses and passes.
The action was frantic, as Redmayne managed a brilliant save from a deflected corner, before Donachie blocked a May header at the far post.
Woud had to remain alert, with a strong save to deny a Auglah free kick, while Randall picked the wrong pass after getting free near the byline. Auckland continued to press but time was always against them, as they flung crosses into the box with no dividend, with the Mariners twice going close to a second in the dying minutes.
Auckland FC 0
Central Coast Mariners 1 (Ali Auglah 19’)
Halftime Central Coast 1-0