City win, Team Wellington held
Auckland City scored seven to get their OFC Champions League defence off to a dream start, while Team Wellington struck late to salvage a draw in their opening match.
It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for New Zealand’s two participating clubs, with Emiliano Tade scoring a hat-trick in a 7-0 rout of Tahitian side Venus at The Trusts Arena yesterday.
Two of Tade’s goals came in a one-sided first half where City found the back of the net four times, with Reid Drake and Micah Lea’alafa also netting.
Teenagers Callum McCowatt and Dalton Wilkins then added to the score in the second half, before Tade iced the victory with his third of the match to send the nine-time champions to the top of Group C.
‘‘The team started taking control from the first minute and created many, many chances in both halves so we’re very happy with the performance,’’ City coach Ramon Tribulietx said.
But although their first match went to plan, Team Wellington endured a difficult time in their Group D opener against Solomon Islands side Marist, relying on a late equaliser from substitute Angus Kikolly just to secure a point.
The defending ISPS Handa Premiership champions were left stunned after Marist’s 38-year-old midfielder Abraham Iniga scored eight minutes before halftime to reward the home team for their dominant start.
Team Wellington coach Jose Figuiera later admitted his players struggled in the foreign conditions - the match played in front of an 8000-strong crowd at Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara and in temperatures above 30 degrees.
‘‘Full credit to Marist, in the first half they were fantastic,’’ Figueira said.
‘‘They pressed us really well and we weren’t able to get into our rhythm whatsoever. Obviously with a big crowd behind them, I think a few of our players lost a bit of concentration.’’
Lucky to be just one goal down at the break, Team Wellington eventually settled in the second half and Kilkolly was able to silence the vocal home crowd when he laced a superb left-footed strike past goalkeeper Anthony Talo with just four minutes left to play.