Aucks outclass Canty
Canterbury United’s national football league season is in danger of unravelling before it’s barely even started.
The Dragons find themselves winless after three rounds of the ISPS Handa Premiership following a 3-1 loss to six-time domestic champions Auckland City at Kiwitea Street on Sunday.
Canterbury have just one competition point to show and plenty to ponder during their upcoming weekend off. Their scheduled match against the Phoenix reserves in Wellington on Saturday has been postponed until February because of the All Whites’ intercontinental playoff against Peru.
That means Canterbury aren’t in action until November 19 when they face a difficult home assignment against Eastern Suburbs, whose side contains former Dragons Andre de Jong and Brock Messenger.
Coach Willy Gerdsen has problems to address with his side punished for defensive inattention and looking devoid of options on attack for much of the game.
Not much went right for Canterbury with veteran defender Dan Terris, who missed all of last season with a heel issue, hobbling off after 70 minutes.
While early days, Canterbury risk of falling off the top four pace if they
don’t start accumulating victories shortly. Canterbury hadn’t won at Kiwitea Street since March 2011 and any hope of ending that streak quickly vanished.
They got off to the worst possible beginning, conceding two goals in the opening 17 minutes. Promising young striker Callum McCowatt fired the Navy Blues into a 1-0 lead, capitalising from some soft defence after a neat onetwo with experienced Argentinian forward Emiliano Tade.
Tade went from provider to finisher eight minutes later, benefiting from a defensive mistake from George King and bending his shot into the top left corner.
Canterbury captain Gary Ogilvie lamented their sloppy start.
‘‘It’s a tough place to come and get a result. I thought we played well in patches, but they hurt us. They’re clinical and two early goals, it was tough to come back from there.’’
Former All White and Canterbury centurion Aaron Clapham returned from a week’s absence because of personal reasons, but he was unable to inspire the Dragons’ attack in the first half. Canterbury failed to threaten in the opening 45 minutes, being dispossessed in the attacking third and battling to create threatening opportunities against Auckland City’s well marshalled defence.
Canterbury came out with improved vigour to start the second half with Stephen Hoyle sending a header over the bar from an Aaron Spain cross in the opening exchanges.
Normal service quickly resumed with Auckland City guaranteeing the three competition points midway through the second half.
The Navy Blues made Canterbury pay for not clearing their lines with fullback Andreas Wilson producing a poor header into the path of McCowatt, who volleyed home with his right foot.