Waitakere topple Auckland in opener
Waitakere United have claimed both points and bragging rights in their 1-0 upset win over Auckland City on the opening day of the national league football season.
The west Aucklanders got off to the best possible start, a stunning fifth minute header by Harrison Nash eventually proving the difference for the away side.
Waitakere United coach Chris Milicich was understandably delighted with the result and backed up the view that his team could be one to watch this season.
‘‘It feels good to win here today. We’ve been preparing quite well but we were quite rusty in a few aspects of the game,’’ he says.
‘‘I think in reality we had the better chances in the game apart from towards the end. We played our game, they played theirs, and our aim was to counter-attack.
We let them play then our counter-attack went really well I thought.’’
Both Auckland sides opened the premiership a week before the other teams and the hosts were expected to be too strong with a star-studded roster including former Phoenix midfielder Albert Riera.
Another newcomer, goalkeeper Enaut Zubikarai, arrived with La Liga and Uefa Champions League experience with Real Sociedad.
But he was beaten early by Nash’s header, and the Waitakere defence was strong at the other end bolstered by Austrian goalkeeper Pirmin Strasser.
Despite the weight of possession
‘‘We played our game, they played theirs, and our aim was to counter attack’’
Chris Milicich
and territory against them, Waitakere showed great composure to continually repel the city attack.
Auckland placed the visitors’ defence under intense pressure in the final 10 minutes, but the gritty west Aucklanders held on to record their first win over Auckland in more than two years.
It was a big result for United under coach Chris Milicich, whose acquisitions this season included Strasser, German Stefan Thelen and Spaniard David Icardo Hernandez, to go along with midfielders Ryan Tinsley and former All White, Ian Hogg.
Waitakere are on the road again next up as they take on Hawkes Bay in Napier - Monday October 24. Kick off is at 4.30pm.
United’s first home game of the season will have to wait until early November where they will face Southern United at Fred Taylor Park.