Nasty head clash forces game delay

Auckland City chairman Ivan Vuksich doesn’t "want to hear a crack like that again."

The team’s ISPS Handa Premiership game against Tasman United was delayed by almost an hour after a 74thminute head clash between forward David Browne and Tasman goalkeeper Corey Wilson. Both stayed down for an extended period of time until ambulance staff could arrive, having collided on the edge of the Tasman penalty area.

Browne was chasing a through ball when Wilson came off his line when, after realising he was probably beyond the box and couldn’t punch the ball, the goalkeeper attempted to head it.

"And whack. What a hell of a crack. It was a sickening crack. I don’t want to hear a crack like that again," Vuksich told Stuff.

The players were eventually taken to hospital, after a 50-minute delay to the match, and by last night were said to be sitting up in bed and talking.

Browne had earlier scored Auckland’s second goal in the 50th minute to complement Javier Lopez’s brace.

The final 20 minutes were played out without incident as Auckland kept their place at the top of the table.

Elsewhere, Team Wellington bounced back from their first-up loss to Auckland to comfortably beat the Wellington Phoenix reserves.

The 4-1 win in the curtainraiser to the A-League match at Westpac Stadium in Wellington yesterday afternoon came courtesy of a starring role from midfielder Andy Bevin.

He scored one goal and setup two others in an all-action performance.

Down in Christchurch, Canterbury United edged Southern United 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Sean Liddicoat.

Meanwhile, Hamilton Wanderers beat Waitakere United 3-1 as Tommy Semmy scored two goals.

In Saturday’s game, Eastern Suburbs easily swept aside Hawke’s Bay United 5-0.