Soccer: Waitakere 'need to show heart'

Neil Emblen, coach of Waitakere United. Photo / Natalie Slade

Waitakere United and Auckland City head into Sunday's ASB Premiership final with very different mindsets.

While City can take plenty of confidence from Saturday's 2-1 away win over Vanuatu's Amicale in the first leg of their O-League final, Waitakere have to shrug off a lacklustre and costly 1-0 loss to Canterbury United in the second leg of their semifinal in Christchurch yesterday.

"We have to play with the heart that Canterbury showed," said Waitakere coach Neil Emblen after his team had secured hosting rights for the final at the Douglas Track and Field Stadium with an aggregate 6-3 win after winning the home leg 6-2.

"If we don't we will get smashed."

Adding to Emblen's woes were the second yellow card and subsequent red for Chris Bale, who will miss the final, and Tim Myers' ankle injury. Emblen had little sympathy for Bale.

"For me, [referee Peter O'Leary] didn't have a good game but there is a correct way to address your concerns. Chris didn't do that and he has now left us with a problem."

In a radical switch, Emblen moved Bale from his customary midfield role to centre defence and was happy with what he saw until his 88th minute indiscretion.

"The back four did well," said Emblen. "They were the best of the three units but now we are definitely without one and maybe two.

"Andy [Ralph] was by far the busier of the two goalkeepers. Individually, the players did not win the battles.

"We spoke about [the 6-2 advantage] going into the game and made it clear we wanted to go into the final on the back of a positive result, especially with Auckland City in such good form. Instead it was a very patchy performance.

The only goal came courtesy of a 32nd minute Aaron Clapham penalty after Russell Kamo had been upended.

Auckland City also had a penalty to help their cause in front of an 8000-strong crowd in Port Vila.

After an even start, City went ahead in the 22nd minute after in-form Spaniard Manel Exposito was clattered by Amicale goalkeeper Ernest Bong. From the spot, Exposito silenced the rowdy crowd.

But they were back in full voice in the 68th minute when golden boot and captain Fenedy Masauvakalo scored his seventh goal of the campaign to give the island nation plenty to cheer about.

Despite dominating for long periods, they could not add a second and it was left to 64th minute substitute Luis Corrales - who was a day late arriving for the match after visa problems - to settle it with a somewhat fortuitous 83rd minute goal.

"The win has come via a little bit of luck in the end and I think we would definitely have settled for a draw," admitted City co-coach Aaron McFarland. "Considering they played very well and dominated possession, we're very happy with 2-1."

City have two away goals which could prove vital in the second leg at Kiwitea St on April 17.

And, they go into the two finals happy in the knowledge that Waitakere's progression has ensured their place in next season's O-League.