Soccer: Auckland romp to win to edge near O-League final

Reigning champions Auckland City all but sealed a spot in the O-League final today with a comprehensive 7-3 win over Koloale at Kiwitea St.

Auckland, who made it four-from-four in the competition, will book a date to defend their title if they avoid defeat in their last two fixtures, but those games will be rendered irrelevant if Hekari and Amicale draw tonight in Papua New Guinea.

The two-legged O-League final, set for late April/early May, is shaping as the first Super City derby decider in the competition's history, with Waitakere able to clinch their place with a win in Tahiti tonight.

Today, aside from a brief bright period for Koloale when the scores were level at one, the Solomon Islands side rarely troubled a superior City. The visitors showed flashes of potential - and their second goal was the the best of the afternoon - but were too often let down by kamikaze defending and reckless goalkeeping.

Two first half goals from one-time All White Chad Coombes, in good touch after a hat-trick last weekend, gave the home side a 3-1 lead at the break, and Auckland opened the floodgates in the second half to run out comfortable victors.

Auckland took out the reverse fixture 4-1 in October, and a repeat looked on the cards when Adam Dickinson netted the rebound after Coombes struck the post in the seventh minute.

Auckland weren't having it all their own way in a frenetic opening to the game, with the visitors' intricate footwork leaving Auckland's defence on their heals on a couple of occasions. And one such passage of play brought an equaliser when Steven Anisi put an unstoppable shot past Tamati Williams.

Auckland proceeded to dominate the rest of the first half and, after a few shaky moments for the Koloale defence, the home side turned that dominance into a lead through Coombes. The midfielder then doubled Auckland's advantage with a fortuitous cross-cum-shot from the right sideline that wrong-footed Ramoni, much to Coombes' amusement.

Auckland made it four after an hour, with Ivan Vicelich notching a rare goal, and a minute later it was five as Dickinson grabbed his second. If that weren't enough for the home fans, Milne quickly brought up half an dozen.

Koloale pulled one back soon after, with former Waitakere striker Benjamin Totori firing in from 25 metres, before Daniel Koprivcic and James Naka netted for each side to wrap up the glut of goals.

Auckland coach Ramon Tribulietx had mixed emotions after the game, owing to a perfectionist nature.

"Obviously you've got to take the points and it's a good win, but conceeding three goals is not what we're looking for,'' he said. "Seven on the board and you get a little bit, not lazy, but just relaxed.''