Soccer: Joy at first home win

NZ Knights 1 Adelaide United 0

It would not have been a surprise to see the Knights busy digging a grave behind North Harbour Stadium yesterday afternoon, to lay to rest the 2005-06 season.

As much as they might have said they were a new squad entering a new season, it was inevitable Paul Nevin's side would be compared to the insipid one that played under John Adshead.

But with one spectacular swing of Malik Buari's right foot, the midfielder helped exorcise the ghosts of last season and emphasise the point that things have changed - a lot.

Buari's 88th-minute strike gave the Knights a win over a side that finished last season as minor premiers and recently won the Pre-Season Cup. More significantly, this was their first win at home and second ever.

"That feeling is unbelievable," beamed Neil Emblen, a player who went through the heartache of last season. "It was a fabulous goal and it deserved to win a football match."

The victory was deserved. The Knights dominated for long periods, carved out a handful of good chances and bossed the middle of the park.

As the game unfolded, though, there was a sense they would once again share the points, or that Adelaide would nick a win.

"I said to the boys I'd have taken one off someone's backside or a tap-in from 3cm," Nevin said but it was instead won with a spectacular finish.

Buari jinked in from the left wing and let fly with a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area that flew into the top corner of the net. It was a moment of joy for not just the players but also fans who cheekily chanted "we're gonna win the league".

The Knights might not achieve such a lofty goal but they are at least competitive and can now enjoy the satisfaction of having teams below them on the table.

In Scot Gemmill, they have a player of class. The former Nottingham Forest and Everton midfielder is like an officer on traffic duty as he points team-mates around the park.

And Jonas Salley is the perfect foil. The Ivorian is immensely strong and brave in the tackle and he harassed the opposition all afternoon. You could tell the Adelaide players enjoyed crossing his path about as much as they enjoyed the bumpy surface.

The Knights were once again difficult to break down and had only one moment of panic when Danny Milosevic denied Carl Veart with a fine save in a one-on-one.

At the other end, they got forward and threatened for long periods. They were well served by the much-maligned Sean Devine, who probably had his best game in a Knights jersey without finding the net.

In the dressing room afterwards, team manager Barry Williams, who had never before experienced a home win, asked: "What do we do now?"

Celebrate, Barry. Then do it all again next weekend.