Auckland FC fall to South Melbourne in a narrow defeat.
Auckland FC suffered a 2-1 loss to South Melbourne FC on the opening match day of Round 6 in the OFC Pro League Leaders Group, with the visitors striking twice in two first-half minutes to settle the contest.
The result was Auckland’s first defeat to the Australian side this season, following a 1-1 draw in Melbourne and a 3-2 win in Fiji, with the two title favourites meeting at the earliest opportunity after the league split.
South Melbourne broke the deadlock in the 21st minute through Jacob Eliopoulos, who rose to head home from a well-worked corner. The lead was doubled just two minutes later when Sebastian Pasquali met a driven pass from the right and finished low into the bottom corner, leaving Luke Casserly’s side with plenty to do.
Auckland responded with characteristic resilience, regaining their footing through a sharp counter-attack. Winning possession in midfield, a clever pass from Matt Ellis released Zac Zoricich, who finished smartly to halve the deficit shortly before half-time and give the travelling support hope heading into the break.
The opening 45 was a stop-start affair that produced four yellow cards as both sides looked to assert themselves, knowing victory would go a long way toward securing a semi-final berth next week.
Auckland came out with intent after the restart, applying early pressure in search of a leveller, with both teams trading chances in a lively opening to the second half without finding a breakthrough.
The match was disrupted by a heavy collision between Yuki Uchida and Auckland captain Mike den Heijer, who clashed heads inside the box. The skipper was unable to continue and was forced off with an injury, taking some of the momentum out of Auckland’s push.
The tempo dipped as the half wore on, with neither side able to seriously test the goalkeepers, before Auckland lifted the intensity once more as the clock ticked into stoppage time. Despite a determined late surge in search of an equaliser, Auckland FC were met by a resolute South Melbourne backline that refused to break.
Casserly’s side will look to regroup quickly, with attention now turning to Bula FC in two days’ time, while South Melbourne moves on to face South Island United at Eden Park.
