Aussie midfielder Jake Brimmer has proved the matchwinner for Auckland FC, as his late goals gave the expansion A-League club bragging rights over Wellington Phoenix with a 2-0 win in the capital.
In their first meeting since the Black Knights joined the competition last month, the contest appeared headed for a scoreless draw, until Brimmer pounced on a muffed clearance from Phoenix goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi to slot the winner with regulation time almost up.
In added time, he was on the spot again to gleefully accept a cross from former Phoenix junior Luis Toomey and put the result beyond doubt.
The result leaves the newcomers atop the competition table with three wins from three outings, the first club to achieve that in their maiden season since Adelaide United in 2005. The Reds finished top of the table in that inaugural A-League season.
After being ruled out with knee injury during the week, Phoenix captain Alex Rufer was a surprise inclusion to the starting line-up, perhaps some gamesmanship in the budding rivalry. His inclusion for his 150th A-League appearance meant Wellington fielded an unchanged team from the one that beat Perth.
Pickpocketed by Auckland FC, via a loan from EPL club Bournemouth, former Phoenix goalkeeper Alex Paulsen received a frosty reception from the ‘Yellow Fever’, when he was announced at the venue. The visitors were also unchanged for their first road game in unfamiliar white jerseys.
Less than two minutes into the contest, Auckland midfielder Birger Verstrate set the tone with an agricultural tackle that lowered Phoenix striker Hideki Ishige. Within seconds, Rufer exacted payback on All Whites teammate Logan Rogerson.
Auckland defender Hiroki Sakai had the first meaningful shot at goal, deflected over the crossbar for a corner, which Sakai headed back across goal, but was eventually cleared.
The Black Knights dominated territory, pressuring any Phoenix attempt to break out. Midfielder Cam Howieson forced Oluwayemi to step behind his line, holding the ball at arm’s length in the field of play.
Referee Adam Kersey seemed prepared to let both teams play physically, waving off several strong tackles that may have drawn more at another time.
In a rare counterattack, striker Kosta Barbarouses could not find space for a shot, but when the ball came back to him from Tim Payne, Paulsen was forced to save.
Half an hour in, Rufer was left clutching his knee – the other one – on the ground, but he bounced back up.
Auckland FC had a royal chance when Oluwayemi had to parry a shot from striker Liam Gillion and then accepted a return header from Guillermo May straight at him. Rogerson sprayed one high and Gillion was wide from the left.
Gillion was beginning to impose himself down the left and Oluwayemi was again called on to keep out a shot just before halftime, which arrived with a goalless scoreline. Auckland had managed nine shots, four on target, compared to two and one by the Phoenix.
Soon after the restart, May and Phoenix defender Scott Wootton collided heavily in the Wellington penalty area, with the former bleeding heavily from the head and the latter sporting a sizeable bump above his eye. Both continued.
Kersey finally extended his yellow card for Vertrate’s strong tackle on Rufer.
Ishige ran a great line on the far post, but somehow bounced his header of Rufer’s pinpoint cross from the right over the bar.
Oluwayemi barely held out a corner from Francis de Vries, securing the ball on second attempt.
Phoenix replacement Nathan Walker hared down the right and fed Stefan Colakovski, but his ball to Barbarouses was behind his ace goalscorer.
After the early Auckland dominance, Wellington’s raids upfield become more frequent and more dangerous, with Barbarouses and Rufer having shots deflected in quick succession.
Back down the other end, Gillion slipped when steadying himself for a shot and then had his eventual effort deflected outside the upright for a corner.
With five minute remaining in regulation time, veteran striker Marco Rojas made his return for the Phoenix 11 years after his last appearance for the club, hoping to add to his already storied career.
The first goal came from a horrible mistake from Oluwayemi, as he struggled to clear a return pass in front of goal and Brimmer pounced to find the net.
As the Phoenix desperately tried to find an equaliser, Auckland counterattacked down the left, with Toomey allowed to close on the left post and guide the ball across goal, where Brimmer clinched victory to the delight of their 'Port' fanzone.
The attencance was 26,252, which was a regular season record for a Phoenix home fixture.
"This is amazing," said Auckland skipper Hiroki Sakai. "I really enjoyed the game, it was an exciting match.
"We are not so nervous, it's like normal. It's a memorable day and I'm so happy to win, but we will see the next game."
Rufer could only reflect on lost opportunities in a rivalry that carried added emotion on this side of the Tasman.
"I'm extremely disappointed, we had some good chances that we didn't put away," he said. "We didn't take our chances and we were very naive towards the end.
"We made some very poor mistakes and it cost us the game."
Aukland FC enjoy a bye next week, while the Phoenix visit Central Coast Mariners next Sunday.
Auckland FC 2 (Brimmer 2) Wellington Phoenix 0
More to come
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