Wellington Phoenix Reserves vs Waterside Karori

Friday night football at Fraser Park, what a way to begin week two. Except that the Wellington Phoenix Reserves weren’t exactly at full capacity for the visit from the Wharfies. They’d beaten this same opponent 3-2 in the quarters of the Kate Sheppard Cup – making WKAFC one of the few senior women’s teams the WeeNix have actually played this year. However, that day’s line-up included five players in the first team picture and, with preseason underway for the A-League squad, it seems that lot weren’t spared for this fixture. That lineup also included four players who’ve just been selected for the U17 World Cup (Ela Jerez applies to both categories – first-teamer and U17WC) and that crew flew to the Dominican Republic a day prior. So... yeah, not at full capacity.

The sum of it all was that only three WeeNix starters backed up from the 4-1 loss to Canterbury United: Mackenzie Greene and Marie Green in defence plus goal-scorer Rebekah Trewhitt who moved from right wing-back into the midfield for this match. They did still have Brazendale and McMillan out there... but it was Lily Brazendale and Libby McMillan. No relation for Braze, she recently moved down from Hamilton Wanderers having scored six times for them despite their relegation, whereas Daisy Brazendale is from Nelson. But pretty sure Libby McMillan is the younger sister of Ella McMillan. They both shifted from Hamilton two years ago having previously played for Melville. Anyway, Aoife Gallagher-Forbes was in goal – the oldest player in the squad by a couple of years, presumably filling in on loan from Petone with so many other keepers unavailable. Lara Smith joined Greene and Green in the back three. Trewhitt and McMillan in midfield. Brazendale wide right on WNL debut and Kyra Elder wide left. Sienna Candy played as the ten behind a couple of ex-Central ballers in Georgia Furnell and Isla Cleall-Harding.

Waterside Karori were also missing a couple of players. Jess Shilton wasn’t involved after going off with a head knock last week plus fellow key players Kennedy Bryant and Nikki Furukawa also weren’t there (sounds like that may have been a rotation thing). That thus required Nicola Ross at right-back with Sarah Morton switching into the middle and Mei Burden going to left-back. They also made two changes in midfield. One of them was another American, Emma Starr, who has played all over the world most notably with Crystal Palace in England (Kendall Pollock and Jennifer Larrick were the other Yanks in the team – and they’re also coached by an American). The other was Tupelo Dugan who used to be part of the Wellington Phoenix Academy. In fact, she and Macey Fraser were the player representatives when the A-League Women’s team was first announced. Tell you what else, the Wharfies had some psychedelic purple jerseys too. Very groovy.

Despite similar possession, there was a clear gap in talent between these teams. The Wharfies moved the ball fast and deliberately. The Weenix were good at moving through that first phase but then tended to get mushed in midfield, while the WK defenders comfortably won everything that went beyond. It took a mere five minutes for the first goal to arrive, with Renee Bacon driving in a sweet first-time hit from the edge of the area after Tessa McPherson had picked her out from wide. It became 2-0 after 14 mins when McPherson won a free kick near the centre circle and took it quickly, beautifully piercing the unset defence for Tui Dugan to chop past her marker and curl in a slick goal against her old team.

Starr had a shot blocked at the back stick from a corner. McPherson then thought she’d scored a cheeky lil flick header except the ref had already blown the whistle because of a Nix player copping a shot straight to the face and dropping to the turf. Lara Smith was fine once they did the necessary checks. A third goal was obviously not far away... and it arrived when Sarah Morton picked out a magnificent pass forward to Kendall Pollock in the area, a pass only bettered by how good Pollock’s first touch was. The finish from there was a matter of routine for the American striker. 3-0 after 23 minutes.

It could easily have been four when Pollock ran in behind a high line and squared to Bacon who was in a similar spot to where she scored from but she looped it way over the top. Isla Cleall-Harding did manage a blocked shot after 33 mins, the first attempt of the evening for the Nix, but that stayed a rarity. It was pretty simple: the Wharfies were bigger, better, and more experienced and they made it matter. They always had more passing options and they didn’t dawdle... like Gallagher-Forbes did when she got stuck for an outlet and Kendall Pollock pounced by tackling her and tapping into an empty net just before the break.

Fortunately for the WeeNix, it didn’t get too much worse. Renee Bacon did add her second ten mins into the second stanza when she got onto a bouncing ball over the top and smoothly lobbed the keeper. Clever header into space by Jennifer Larrick to make it happen. But otherwise it was a slower game which suited the Nix nicely, giving them more time to raise their press.

That change in pace was partly because Karori had already done the job, but partly also because the WeeNix didn’t let their heads drop. Brazendale and Furnell swapped positions at half-time, allowing the more experienced Furnell to get on the ball more often while still keeping LB as a running threat up top. Sienna Candy looked like she might have played a little deeper too just to be safe. Holly Robins came on at CB after the fifth goal, while Gigi Freeman got a run at striker. Both 16-year-olds. Later Amelie McClintock (16yo), Nova Hill (18yo), and Maisy McDonald (17yo) would get the summons. The substitutes played a big part in a more assured second half display... as did Cleall-Harding’s tireless (and often thankless) closing-down. Granted, they were already five goals down at that stage so we do have to caveat the praise.

5-0 was the way it ended, a hefty victory for the Wharfies. Defensively they were as sound as it gets and safe as houses with the ball too. Renee Bacon and Kendall Pollock each got doubles, though Tessa McPherson’s two assists were equally valuable and the attacking midfield duo of Tui Dugan and Emma Starr were arguably the most influential of them all. Waterside Karori were way too good, that’s all there was too it. The WeeNix should be able to roll out much stronger teams most weeks but they got caught with a bad alignment of scenarios this week, causing them to go even younger than usual. That’s always going to be a tough slog. The defence was the only consistent area from week one to week two but they’ve already conceded nine times without even playing the Auckland teams yet. Bit of a concern (also a bit of an expectation as a youth team in a senior comp)... but whatever the issues are, perhaps Karori coach Tori Schiltgen can fix them when she joins the Nix coaching staff at the conclusion of the National League.

Wellington Phoenix Reserves 0-5 Waterside Karori

Goals (Assists)

5’ | WK | 0-1 | Bacon (McPherson)

14’ | WK | 0-2 | Dugan (McPherson)

23’ | WK | 0-3 | Pollock (Morton)

44’ | WK | 0-4 | Pollock

54’ | WK | 0-5 | Bacon (Larrick)

West Coast Rangers vs Western Springs

Happy days because there was also a second Friday evening game. WCR vs WS kicked-off half an hour after the other fixture, this one being a Western Derby of sorts at Fred Taylor Park. Two NRFL rivals each with contrasting round one results: WCR had won easily down in Central whereas Springs had lost a close (and slightly controversial) match at home. Both teams made a couple of changes. West Coast Rangers brought in Kendrah Smith to the midfield and Lorna Selby at left wing-back. Otherwise as per, especially with that excellent front three of Bree Johnson, Emily Lyon, and Shannon Henson. For Western Springs, it was more complicated. Charli Dunn is off with the NZ U17s and Aimee Phillips wasn’t in the squad but that was just the start of it. Angelique TuiSamoa came in at goalie, they changed both CBs with Indigo Kirk and Tiana Hill taking over. Amanda Everett and Anya Stephan joined the midfield. Kitty Jacob moved back up front to make it all work. Kirk had started last week in midfield but that still adds up to four changes and a couple of positional tweaks.

Rangers scored twice inside twenty minutes against Central and they began with similarly impatient intent against Springs. They were pushing high and moving well and passing the ball with speed. Lyon put a free kick on target inside two minutes, dipping and demanding TuiSamoa make her first intervention. Nicole Stratford volleyed over at the back post from the corner. Henson and Johnson both had clear attempts. The link-ups were great. By the time Emily Lyon tapped in from Henson’s low cross after 13 minutes, not only did that goal feel inevitable but it also felt inevitable there’d be more where it came from.

There was... though not until the 26th minute. TuiSamoa was keeping her side in it with sweeping interceptions and assured glovework and she did well to deny Henson 1v1 after a great turn and thread from Johnson. However, the resulting corner was a swerving menace from Emily Lyon which Henson was able to nod over the line (from practically on the line... nothing wrong with a bit of goal-poaching from a striker) to make it 2-0. Rangers were absolutely worth the lead. Smith and Dewell were winning heaps in the middle, the defensive trio looked excellent, the wing-backs were getting in good spots, and the front three were sparking chances at will. Springs hardly even launched a shot until the last five minutes of the first half when suddenly they had a really sharp spell and almost turned the tide.

Thus the hints were already there for when Western Springs made a brilliant recovery to begin the second spell, quickly reducing the deficit thanks to a 49th minute banger from Rina Hirano (of course). All of a sudden, Springs looked like the more energetic, aggressive team. Rangers would remain dangerous (Ranger Danger), with one of Bree Johnson’s terrorising runs requiring a superb last-ditch tackle from Kirk to prevent it from becoming 3-1. Good thing for her team that she did that because, with twenty to go, it was Arisa Takeda’s turn to score a wild one. In this case it was an olympico. Straight from the corner kick. Hirano and Takeda seem to do everything together, so naturally they couldn’t one score a banger without the other doing so too.

Neither team had made a substitution to this point. They’d each make a bunch of them in the time that remained. Rangers reacted first with Erin Freeman and Lucy Hollister on first and then Emma Kete and Taylor Vujnovich following later – Kete needs no introduction having had a great career for the Footy Ferns and as a foreign pro, while Vujnovich is at the other end of her career celebrating her 16th birthday with this sub appearance. WCR were giving it a nudge but Springs were defending so much better now, with less space in behind and quicker build-ups to dodge the press, repelling persistent crosses without a worry. But the home team were desperate and in the third minute of stoppage time they found a dramatic late winner via the player who most deserved a goal: Bree Johnson smartly stroking home from a Kailey Short cut-back.

Wait, did that say “winner”? Hmm no that’s not the case. Rangers may have found that late third goal and they celebrated like they’d won and they probably should have won... except they didn’t win because they couldn’t see out the last couple of added minutes, making a mess of a cross into the area with keeper and defence hesitating to allow Amanda Everett to slip a cheeky 90+5th minute equaliser in there. Rangers scored at 90+3’, Springs scored at 90+5’. The final score was 3-3.

What a fantastic game... but West Coast Rangers will be kicking themselves for not having won it and not only because of the late concession. They were by far the better team in the first half, creating chances at will, but they didn’t put themselves out of sight like they could have. Finishing will be a focus at training this week. Bree Johnson was remarkably dangerous but she missed as many, if not more, than the rest of them. But, yeah, also because of the late concession. Oopsies. The performance was mostly great with contributions all over the park. Bree Johnson. Kailey Short. Kendrah Smith. Hard to believe that Mackenzie Longmuir is only 18yo given how comfortable she looks at the back. Freeman and Kete in particular gave them an impact off the bench too. But the bottom line is that they should have won this match and they didn’t.

Full credit to Western Springs because not many teams would have hung about under that early pressure. There was a touch of fortune in how it happened, with two of their goals being remarkable long-rangers and the other a defensive error (all three exposing a bit of a weakness of WCR against the aerials). But that’s football. Angelique TuiSamoa deserves immense praise for the way she kept her team within range. Diving stops and rapid close-outs and everything. The Japanese imports Rina Hirano and Arisa Takeda also showed their enormous class yet again. Not ideal that Springs have already conceded six times, but with the battling spirit they showed here that should soon improve.

Oh yeah and we also had another delightful instance of a canine pitch invader during this game...

That is what we call National League Heritage.

West Coast Rangers 3-3 Western Springs

13’ | WCR | 1-0 | Lyon (Henson)

26’ | WCR | 2-0 | Henson (Lyon)

49’ | WS | 2-1 | Hirano (Takeda)

69’ | WS | 2-2 | Takeda

90+3’ | WCR | 3-2 | Johnson (Short)

90+5’ | WS | 3-3 | Everett

Southern United vs Central Football

This one didn’t happen. Southern United were due to return home after their 0-0 draw away to Eastern Suburbs, hoping to do to Central Football what West Coast Rangers did in week one with another 5-0 result... but they never got the chance because more important things were going on. Both this match and also the National Youth League game between the same two teams were cancelled due to all the brutal weather that’s been tearing across the south of the country. NZ Football added that:

“The decision was made jointly by New Zealand Football, Southern Football, and Central Football, prioritising player safety. New Zealand Football will work to reschedule both games for a later date”.

The very obvious correct decision and we hope everyone in the region is hanging in there. Since there’s no game to speak of in this section, let’s just quickly take a peek at the U17 World Cup squad that was named late last week. Alluded to it earlier with a few teams being affected by absentees because of it. Here’s the full group...

From that squad, seven players started WNL games in week one: Alyssha Eglinton (midfield), Ela Jerez (attacking midfield), Katie Pugh (striker), and Brooke Neary (goalkeeper) all featured for the Wellington Phoenix Reserves. Hannah Saxon was at left-back for Eastern Suburbs. Pia Vlok played right-wing for Auckland United. And not only did Charli Dunn play central defence for Western Springs... she even scored a goal with a big looping header. Additionally, Sophie Campbell has played many times already for Central in previous campaigns (yes, multiple – she was 14yo when she debuted) plus Grace Bartlett started all nine games (scoring a goal) for the WeeNix last term and Emily Humphrey played a few times as well. So this U17WC squad has 10/21 players who have already played National League, and that’s with three players from overseas who couldn’t have.

Borrowing from our last Substack newsletter, here’s a quick breeze through on the three foreign-based selections in Alana Gunn’s squad...

Katie Chellenbron plays for English third-tier MK Dons and has made at least one senior appearance this year. She’s a forward. Maddison Sawkins is listed with Gungahlin United but is also affiliated with Canberra United. She was involved in a Canberra trial game earlier this year and, what’s more, she was also on the radar of the Australia U17s in late-2023. She’s a defender. Mary Brown is a forward for Bulleen Lions in NPL Victoria. She made three apps for the senior side this year though predominantly played for the U20s where she was an absolute maniac scoring 24 goals in 21 matches. Bulleen Lions is the club that Rebekah Stott made her return for after the cancer journey.

Wellington United vs Canterbury United Pride

A benefit of playing such a short National League is that every game counts. It’s maybe not the ideal format but it’s the one we’ve got and after both Wellington United and Canterbury United bathed in the afterglow of excellent week one victories, they also found themselves in the tricky spot where a bad result in the next round would potentially undo all that graft. It’s a long way to the top if you want to make the grand final and third place gets nothing. Alternatively, the WCR draw the night prior meant a win for either side would send them to the summit.

Wellington United turned up to Newtown Park with only one change to the side that beat Western Springs on the road and it was a goodie: 82-cap Football Fern Anna Green sliding into the defence. Broadcast troubles meant that the Diamonds didn’t get a positional breakdown last week so we’ll do that now. It was Molly Simons in goal. Back three of Hannah Cooper, Caelin Patterson, and Anna Green. Zoe Barrott has moved to right wing-back lately with Jemma Catherwood on the left. Hope Gilchrist anchored a midfield that also included Nea Blackham and Carolyn O’Reilly. Libby Boobyer, last week’s standout, played in support of striker Natalie Olson, last week’s game-winner.

For their part, Canterbury United only made one change, that being Lisa Evans dropping to the bench to make way for Anna McPhie who’d scored as a sub in the win against the WeeNix. No Lara Wall because she’s signed with the Wellington Phoenix on a two-year contract. Weirdly, there have been more Phoenix players who’ve come through the Pride system than there are Diamonds ones despite Welly Utd having been the dominant force in Wellington footy for the past decade. There have been a few Diamonds though. Michaela Robertson and Emma Main spring quickly to mind. But fair play to those Canterbury pathways because Lara Wall (admittedly a Southern United player first but a favourite in red and black these past years) joins Annalie Longo, Alyssa Whinham, Macey Fraser, Kate Taylor, Zoe McMeeken, Rebecca Lake, and Marisa van der Meer in making the Pride to Phoenix trek. For all except Longo it was their first pro deal too.

Five minutes into this match, Hannah Cooper made a mint sliding challenge to prevent Margi Dias from going through on goal. That kind of action was rare though. Welly United did have more of the play but the Cantabs knew what they were doing. Defenders outnumbered attackers at both ends and nobody really seemed willing to take a risk. Jemma Catherwood’s bursting runs looked the best bet for the home side but the Pride adjusted to that. The Diamonds high line did at least give CU something to work with, whereas all of WU’s shots were coming harmlessly from distance. Boobyer got closest with her efforts.

Kate Loye hit one of those early balls over the top towards Nicola Dominikovich who beat Green to the ball, drawing the keeper out, but it refused to sit nicely for her and she lobbed it wide. Loye had a crack from range herself soon afterwards which clipped the top of crossbar. Those were scary moments for Wellington United who’d continued creating more chances but they were all low-percenters and the best stuff was happening down the other end. That is, until right before the half-time whistle when the home side took the lead. Corner kick from Anna Green. Header from Zoe Barrott. Maybe not a header, maybe shoulder or back. Whatever it was, the ball flew perfectly in off the far post for the final act before the break.

Both teams then made HT changes with Bel van Noorden on for Canterbury (in place of Charlotte Mortlock) while Welly Utd finished the first spell with Nea Blackham on the sideline after landing hard from a challenge so Hannah Pilley came on in her place. But it wasn’t Van Noorden who got the Pride back level, it was Anna McPhie... and it was another free kick. Just like last week only this one was even further out. What a goal.

With that we were back to the status quo. One set piece goal each, did anyone have another game-breaking act to offer the match? CUP threw on Britney-Lee Nicholson to keep that movement up top going while Kate Loye fizzed another deep shot off target. The Diamonds used their bench too, sending Pepi Olliver-Bell into the fire, though it was the Pride who continued forging the best stuff – and Bo Burton probably should have put them ahead running onto a great lob from Van Noorden only for the shot to miss the target. Similar to Dominikovich’s earlier effort. McPhie set up a few things with her tenacious direct running from midfield. Dominikovich stabbed one wide at the near post and then might have done better with a headed opportunity right at the end.

There were a couple of hints of Olliver-Bell sneaking beyond but not enough to suggest that the Diamonds could find another late winner like last time... until a stoppage time corner kick which saw Amber Bennett make a crucial low stop against a Hannah Cooper snapshot. And while the Pride did repeat their strong second-half from last time, it didn’t lead to a second goal. The two teams cancelled each other out for a 1-1 draw. Nobody wins, nobody loses. No side has maximum points after the first fortnight of Women’s National League.

Anna McPhie was a bright spark in the second half and not just as a free kick menace. Amber Bennett continues to impress in goal for the Cantabs after returning from the U20 World Cup. Meg Simpson and Grace Johns looked like they were in for a torrid time at fullback after the first ten minutes and then actually did kept things pretty quiet in those areas the rest of the way. The Pride did have a few more goal-scoring chances than their opponents but finishing led them astray. Having said that, outside of those set piece flutters in the middle this game always felt like it was on the fast-track towards a draw. The defenders were too sharp. Wellington United got a fine display from that defensive trio of Hannah Cooper, Caelin Patterson, and Anna Green. Hope Gilchrist is always class. Zoe Barrott’s playing right wing-back and going pretty good (already with a goal and an assist this season). Ultimately, there was never a solution to that defence vs attack imbalance so we’ll mark the draw and move onwards.

Wellington United 1-1 Canterbury United Pride

45+3’ | WU | 1-0 | Barrott (Green)

52’ | CU | 1-1 | McPhie

Auckland United vs Eastern Suburbs

Auckland United may have swept aside all challengers this year, winning the NRFL Premiership, Oceania Champions League, and Kate Sheppard Cup, remaining undefeated the entire time. But they threw a sneaky one at us in week one of the Nats with the signing of Kaley Ward, the American striker who has for so long been one of the most trusted goal-scorers in the WNL. This week they threw an even bigger wobbly one our way with the addition of 49-cap NZ international Paige Satchell. Didn’t see that one coming, did ya?

It makes sense though. Satchell is better than this level, but then so is Chloe Knott and she’s here too. There are always other factors at play and for Satch she cited having taken “some time away from football and moving back to New Zealand to focus on new areas of my career within sports management”. She’s had an odd career, playing for SC Sand in Germany, London City Lionesses in England, and for three different A-League clubs. But she never lasted more than one season at any of them and that’s probably not a great omen. She might try get back into the A-League. She might focus on her other career and hang around for Auckland United. That’s her decision to make and in the meantime we’ll enjoy seeing her out there for AUFC.

Satchell went straight into the starting line-up just like she oughta and Kaley Ward did the same having come off the bench last week. Two new wingers surrounding Charlotte Roche. There was also a change at right-back with Talisha Green having gotten injured against Waterside Karori, so Penny Brill took that spot. The rest of them were the same as in the Wharfies draw.

Eastern Suburbs were solid but perhaps light up front in their 0-0 draw against Southern United. The test was only going to get trickier against Auckland United, where Katie Duncan made five changes to her starting eleven. Caelan Tremain came in as keeper. Hannah Saxon’s gone away with the NZ U17s so Erinna Wong swapped sides and Emily Pilbrow played right-back. Saki Yoshida dropped into the backline to partner her compatriot Yuki Nishizono with captain Kenya Brooke only on the bench. They did have Jess Innes back in the midfield so that was cool. She partnered Naveena Nanda who also didn’t play last week. Zoe Brazier joined the starters while Zoe Benson moved further forward. No Sofia Garcia. Lots of mix-and-match going on. Way more than they probably wanted as they walked out at Keith Hay Park.

As everyone kinda expected, Auckland United got quickly onto the front foot and sought to stamp themselves into control. Chloe Knott made sure that her old Nix teammate Satchell was getting plenty of ball, and Satch set up Penny Brill for the first big chance. Shot on target saved by Tremain. The Lilywhites kept things tidy at the back though, giving no space in behind. A crossfield dribble from Satchell gave Ward a great look which she struck past the post. Roche gave the crossbar a wee rattle after 22 minutes, letting loose from the perimeter. Satchell forced another save. Roche blasted a bouncing ball over the top. Pretty clear how this was going... although Britney Cunningham-Lee’s strength up top did at least give Suburbs a counter-attacking threat and Mickey Mitchell had to make a very good low stop after BCL set up Benson for a good chance.

It might have gotten interesting if that had gone in. But since it didn’t, the home side were free to take the lead after 32 minutes when Chloe Knott declined a good shooting opportunity of her own to set up a great shooting opportunity for Kaley Ward who did what she usually does with those ones. 1-0 to Auckland United.

Benson did have a close-ish attempt from distance before the half was done though overall Eastern Suburbs again looked a bit toothless in attack (admittedly, this is not the opposition to judge them against). They showed just enough to think they were still in it at 1-0 and Putri Ardana did nearly equalise amidst a positive start to the second half. But that didn’t last. Charlotte Roche had a goal disallowed for offside (Satchell with the accidental cross/shot which Roche converted at the back stick) but she got what she was looking for on 61’ with a thumping finish running in behind. That Kate Sheppard Cup final hero once again finds a way. Perhaps not always the most clinical finisher but her goals per game ratio in the National League is crazy.

Other than Kenya Brooke, who came on just before the second goal (with Yoshida sliding to right fullback), the Suburbs bench was mostly youngsters. Sami Kan and Amelia Hitchcock each got WNL debuts from out of their youth team, point being that they didn’t really have any game-changers in tow. Pretty frustrating afternoon for them. The centre-backs were really good. Nanda looks solid in midfield and Innes has known quality. But not much that they tried had any success. Ward possibly shoulda made it threes when she smacked a spinning attempt wide after a goalkeeper spill. Eastern Suburbs did almost get a late consolation when a corner kick was touched on target, either by Brook or an AU defender, but Chelsea Elliott cleared it off the line and then celebrated like she’d scored a goal. Rate that. 2-0 to Auckland United.

On another day, the Eastern Suburbs defensive wall might have made this a contest had they lasted past half-time, though they probably also needed to be able to create a goal out of nothing like Waterside Karori had done against AU in week one. The Wharfies only had a few chances but they scored one and came away with a point. ES didn’t have the same capacity... so the game faded after the second goal and all the substitutions. A routine win for United. Clean sheet. Two goals. That’s money in the bank.

Chloe Knott was outstanding and her midfield combination with Yume Harashima worked a treat: Knott won everything in the attacking half, Harashima won everything in the defensive half. Harashima even set up Roche’s goal after stepping up and winning a tackle around the halfway line. Ward and Roche were as advertised. Satchell was a constant weapon, though perhaps a little rusty after minimal footy for the last few months. Would have liked to see her being much more aggressive and really trying to terrorise defenders rather than cutting back and playing safe but she hadn’t played a proper game for six months so gotta be fair about it. Penny Brill filled in wonderfully at right-back too.

Nishizono and Yoshida were very good in defence for Eastern Suburbs, setting the tone with their organised shifts, and Caelan Tremain played well in goal. Alas, Suburbs have been held scoreless in both games and it’s not because of bad shooting, it’s because of minimal chances. Granted they have played both of last year’s grand finalists already so we’ll withhold judgement.

Auckland United 2-0 Eastern Suburbs

32’ | AU | 1-0 | Ward (Knott)

61’ | AU | 2-0 | Roche (Harashima)

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