Soccer: Koprivcic's strike sends City on way

Auckland City FC's Albert Riera shows some of the style that led his side to a 5-1 win over Team Wellington. Photo / Greg Bowker

The first blow arrived after just 44 seconds, and by the end of 90 minutes Auckland City had booked their place in the national league final with a decisive four-goal margin.

Auckland won the tie 7-1 on aggregate, a poor farewell present for Wellington coach Stu Jacobs, marking the end of his four-season association with the club.

The faithful had barely reached their seats at Kiwitea St yesterday before Daniel Koprivcic jinked his way along the 18-yard line and shrugged off some non-existent tackles before unleashing a snap shot which gave goalkeeper Phil Imray no chance.

Down 0-3 on aggregate but far from out, the visitors dragged themselves off the canvas and hit back with a classic - finished by Hicham Kamri - of their own for 1-1 and some hope.

But it was only a temporary reprieve as the home side went 2-1 ahead on the half-hour and cruised through the second half.

"It was a good, entertaining game of football," said City co-coach Ramon Tribulietx. "It started well for us and we continued to take our chances and kept playing our style.

"Apart from maybe the 2-2 draw we had with Hawkes Bay earlier in the season when we were down to nine men, it was as good as we have played all season."

No one would disagree.

Led up front by Adam Dickinson, who had the added satisfaction of scoring for the first time this season, and the ever-likely Manel Exposito, and with Ian Hogg at left back turning in his best 90 minutes of the season, City always threatened. But for a couple of superb Imray saves, the margin could have been greater.

Yet, to their credit, Team Wellington never gave up and kept City goalkeeper Jacob Spoonley, the only returning All White (of three) to take his place, busy.

After Dickinson had given the home side their halftime lead, Koprivcic provided the finish from a pin-point Hogg cross for his second in the 53rd minute. Substitute Luis Corrales added the fourth in the 65th minute before Exposito was justly rewarded with City's fifth six minutes from time.

"It was a good confidence booster ahead of the final," said Tribulietx. "They [Wellington] are probably technically the best team we have played against."

For Jacobs it was more or less what he expected in having to come north after conceding two all-important away goals to City in the first leg.

"They are probably the best domestic team I've seen," said Jacobs. "Their ball speed was superb and they scored some very good goals. They play a brand of football not too dissimilar to what we saw from Brisbane Roar in the A-League. It was a game played at pace by players with some undoubted ability."

City, away to Port Vila this week for the first leg of the O-League final, now await the winner of the second semifinal. Should Waitakere United, ahead 6-2 over Canterbury United after the first leg, win through, the April 10 grand final will be at Trusts Stadium.