Auckland City 2
Waitakere United retained the national soccer league crown with a 3-2 win over archrivals Auckland City at Trusts Stadium in Henderson today.
With their ranks depleted and 39-year-old player-coach Neil Emblen forced to start the match, Waitakere began the match as slight underdogs despite winning the minor premiership with a record 36 points out of 42 in the regular season.
In a dramatic match strewn with nervy defending, teenager Dakota Lucas opened the scoring on 10 minutes when he capitalised on a defensive mix-up to slot into an empty net.
Moments later defender Jason Rowley rattled the Auckland crossbar with a stinging shot from the edge of the box.
The West Aucklanders' joy was shortlived when former All White Aaron Scott turned an Ian Hogg cross past Waitakere goalkeeper Andy Ralph after 26 minutes.
Scott redeemed himself eight minutes before the halftime break when he played a superb pass into the path of Lucas, who tried a cheeky lob over goalkeeper Spoonley.
Spoonley parried Lucas' effort into the air only for the 19-year-old to follow through with a pinpoint header over the stranded Ivan Vicelich to restore Waitakere's lead.
The jittery defending continued four minutes after the restart when a mix-up between Andy Ralph and Neil Emblen allowed Manel Exposito to score an equaliser.
The match was turned on its head when referee Peter O'Leary awarded a penalty for Auckland City only for Exposito to slam his spot kick against Ralph's left-hand upright.
That miss proved fatal for Auckland City's hopes of a domestic and continental double when one minute into additional time, Lucas saw his cross take a deflection off defender James Pritchett and end up in the back of Spoonley's net to make it 3-2 for the home side.
Emblen, in the final match of his career, paid tribute to his under strength squad.
"I thought Tim Payne was superb. It was his first grand final and he acquitted himself extremely well.
"A couple of senior boys also stepped up, Martin Bullock was fantastic in midfield and Jake Butler did a great job as well. Dakota Lucas is just a teenager and he stepped up and did well," Emblen said.
"I've had a decent enough career in the game and had six years in New Zealand and hopefully I've given a few clubs a bit of value. I'll concentrate on coaching now. I'm really enjoying the work I'm doing so it's great to finish off as champions," Emblen said.
Beaten finalists Auckland City have one more shot at silverware when they take on Amicale of Vanuatu in the O-League grand final second leg at Kiwitea Street in Sandringham on April 17.
Victory for Auckland, who lead the tie 2-1 on aggregate, means qualification for the Fifa club World Cup in Japan later this year and a financial windfall of US$500,000 for football in New Zealand.
Waitakere United 3 (Dakota Lucas 2, og) Auckland City 2 (Manel Exposito, og). Halftime: 2-1.
- NZPA
