Injuries compounded Auckland FC’s 2–1 loss to Perth Glory, a result that sees the Black Knights slip from first to third in the A-League ladder after conceding in the 90th minute.
The real distance derby kicked off at 11:45pm NZT at HBF Park with a temperature of 33 degrees. The hot conditions contributed to a largely uneventful first half in which clear-cut chances were very much at a premium. As the game looked set to meander its way into the break, the visitors broke the deadlock. A well-taken goal from Jesse Randall gave Auckland FC the lead.
There were concerns for Corica with injuries to Oli Sail and Nando Pijnaker. Pijnaker was forced off in the first half with an unspecified leg injury and was replaced by Jake Girdwood-Reich.
Former Glory keeper, Oli Sail, started in place of Michael Woud, but an unfortunate knee injury caused a lengthy delay, and once play resumed, the home side immediately piled on the pressure. Steve Corica’s side couldn’t hold on, conceding twice late on as Glory’s Jaiden Kucharski struck in the 75th minute and again in stoppage time to seal the comeback.
Logan Rogerson had a good chance to restore the Black Knights’ lead with a close-range header. But it was Glory who generally remained in the ascendancy and they were not to be denied the victory.
Auckland now fall behind Newcastle Jets and Sydney FC on the table but play Sydney twice in the next two weeks. A chance for the Black Knights to get back to winning ways.
Player of the Match: Hiroki Sakai
Next Game: On Saturday, February 7th, we are back at home against Sydney FC. Tickets for this and all Auckland FC games can be bought here. For this game only, the more tickets sold, the bigger the jackpot, which one lucky fan will be going home with. 35 cents from every ticket sold goes into the draw with up to $8,750 on offer!
