Soccer: Auckland City get shot at big prize

Auckland's Paul Urlovic (right) and Waitakere's Chris Jackson contest the ball in Saturday's New Zealand Football Championship final which Auckland came from behind to win 3-2. Picture / Fotopress

Auckland City bosses, celebrating a pulsating victory, must now make a big call in deciding whether to go with what they've got or call on outside help for the big show.

City coach Allan Jones and the club's board meet tonight to plan their attack on the Oceania Club Championship.

Under the rules, it is possible to add players virtually at will to the side who will represent New Zealand at the May-June championships in Tahiti. With a trip to Fifa's lucrative World Club Championship in Japan later in the year at stake, the pressure will be on Jones to name his strongest possible side. Or will it?

After City's dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 stunner over Waitakere United in the NZ Community Trust New Zealand Football Championship final at Kiwitea St on Saturday, Jones had an open mind on a likely scenario for Tahiti.

"I have not really thought too much about that yet," said Jones, as he joined his players in celebrating a richly-deserved win against a gutsy Waitakere side who led 2-1 with 10 minutes to play.

"I will sit down with the board and go through it. While obviously many would want us to reward the players who have got us there, we have to take a long, hard look at the situation. We know Australia will have a strong, fully-professional team and the other teams will almost certainly be their national side."

There are obviously arguments both ways but with a US$1million ($1.3 million) carrot dangling, the club, surely, will want to feel they are in with a chance.

For Waitakere coach Chris Milicich, it's a case, again, of what might have been.

"You should win football matches when you are 2-1 up with 10 minutes to play," said Milicich. "In the end we got beat by the long ball, which exposed our defensive frailties. We were missing a senior centre back like Danny Hay or Sean Douglas, who would have given height and experience. But, having said that, I thought my players all played well."

It was a great finale to the inaugural championship.

The home side made the early play in front of a packed Kiwitea St crowd but Paul Urlovic was denied by a brave Simon Eaddy save and Neil Sykes by the crossbar.

On the half hour the deadlock was broken, much to the chagrin of the home crowd.

Ben Steward got in front of Greg Uhlmann, broke away from Daniel Mortensen and turned the ball deftly to Daniel Ellensohn who met it perfectly and guided it into the City goal.

The intensity lifted a notch at that point with four players finding their way into referee Peter OLeary's book before the break.

Three minutes after the break, and with Keryn Jordan replacing Ellensohn in the United attack, City struck.

Captain Neil Sykes curled over a corner which Riki Van Steeden headed down to Grant Young who, from point blank range, fired into the top of the Waitakere net.

The ever-busy Chris Jackson had a half chance for the visitors three minutes later but it was not until the 70th minute United went back in front. Allan Pearce gathered a long ball wide. He carved in and pushed the ball through to Jordan who added the final touch.

The atmosphere was electric as the home side searched for an equaliser.

It came in the 81st minute when former Waitakere City midfielder Liam Mulrooney, on as a 64th minute substitute and playing his first game since being stretchered-off against Canterbury United at the end of January, pounced on a ball flicked through by Young and not cleared by Theary Thou to roll the ball past the advancing Eaddy.

At 2-2 with 10 minutes to play, the script could have not been better fashioned.

There were no real chances until the dying seconds before O'Leary was to signal four added minutes.

Sykes found Paul Vodanovich who nodded on to Young who was given an age to pick his spot and turn the ball into the goal.

With both teams playing themselves almost to a standstill there were no more late heroics, leaving City deserved winners.

"We expected a battle and got one," said Jones. "I think we have shown character like this all season."

The committee will now decide whether that is enough to take on the big boys.