There were three huge games on the Isuzu UTE A-League agenda on Saturday, and aleagues.com.au was on hand to bring you all the biggest talking points.
Re-live all the action from the very first NZ Derby in Isuzu UTE A-League history, Perth Glory’s gutsy draw with Central Coast Mariners and a seven goal thriller in Western Sydney.
NZ DERBY: ‘This will be the biggest derby in the league’: Auckland hero blown away by first-ever NZ Derby
4-3! Carnage in Wanderland as 27 mad minutes set up epic Adelaide win
PENALTY DRAMA: On-field review denies Mariners an opener against Glory
ALEX PAULSEN: Coach dedicates NZ Derby win to hero-turned-villain in Wellington
‘Not good enough’: Wanderers’ poor home record extends to equal club-low
Western Sydney Wanderers’ winless run at home extended to nine games on Saturday night following a 4-3 defeat to Adelaide United at CommBank Stadium.
The nine-game run stretches all the way back to New Year’s Day and a 3-1 win over Macarthur FC; the Wanderers have since lost eight of nine games (one draw) and are currently on a six-game losing streak at home – the equal longest in the club’s history.
At one stage, Saturday’s seven-goal thriller looked set to emulate the gripping 4-4 draw between Western Sydney and Adelaide in February, 2023 but it was not to be on this occasion as Carl Veart’s free-scoring Adelaide held off the hosts to clinch a 4-3 win on the road, and climb up to fourth on the table. After a Round 1 bye, Adelaide have drawn with Central Coast and defeated Western Sydney in their two games to date.
As for the Wanderers, two of those nine winless games at home have been under new head coach Alen Stajcic this season – firstly to Sydney FC in the derby in Round 1, and now to Adelaide in Round 3. Those two results sandwich a 1-1 draw away to Western United.
Post-game, Wanderers forward Brandon Borrello joined Network 10 post-game where he expressed the need for self-reflection within the squad to come up with solutions to the problems that led to their home loss to the Reds.
“Look, I’m obviously well-known for being a sore loser – Adelaide are a great football team but I feel like they got the result through our lapses in concentration, our mistakes,” Borrello said.
“It’s something we need to look at as a team.
“We said we need to match them at the start because they’re full of energy and obviously they score a goal, whether it be in the first five minutes, it wasn’t good enough. We pressed the ball, we had a few chances and they started to crumble a bit. We left it a little bit too late tonight.
“It’s cheap if I say: ‘Yeah, we can look at the positives’. We lost 4-3, we let them score four goals. It’s not good enough.
“We just need to get back in either today or tomorrow and have a hard look at ourselves.”
4-3! Carnage in Wanderland as 27 mad minutes set up epic Adelaide win
Records continue to tumble as late error leads to Auckland delight in historic NZ Derby
A late brace from Auckland FC substitute Jake Brimmer has handed Auckland a 2-0 win over Wellington Phoenix in the first-ever New Zealand Derby on Saturday afternoon.
League-leaders Auckland travelled to Wellington intent on claiming all three points but the game looked set to end goalless until a late mishap from Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi gifted Brimmer the chance to break the deadlock – a chance gladly taken by the 2022 Johnny Warren Medalist.
Trailing 1-0, Wellington pushed for a stoppage-time equaliser but Auckland had other plans, with Brimmer finishing off a counter attack with a tap-in to double his tally and seal all three points.
The tense encounter ended 2-0 to Auckland in front of 26,252 fans – a regular season club record for Wellington home games.
Auckland, meanwhile, pursued records of their own at Sky Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Black Knights’ three-game winning streak to begin their time in the Isuzu UTE A-League is now an equal-league record (Gold Coast United 2009-10), according to Opta.
However, Auckland have now become the first team in Isuzu UTE A-League history to win all three of their first games in the competition without conceding a goal.
Adelaide United are the only other club to have begun their Isuzu UTE A-League era with three consecutive clean sheets – but the Reds only won two of those three games (one draw).
A goalless first half was not without chances, as Auckland survived an impressive start from the ‘Nix before a strong finish to the opening 45 at Sky Stadium.
Former Phoenix keeper Alex Paulsen kept Auckland in it just before the 20-minute mark when Kosta Barbarouses was presented with a big chance to break the deadlock. Tim Payne’s header at the back post found Barbarouses in space but Paulsen stood tall to gather the ball and keep his former teammate off the scoresheet.
As the first half rolled on, Auckland grew in confidence and would have gone into half-time ahead if not for a combination of wasted chances and superb goalkeeping by Josh Oluwayemi. Logan Rogerson, Cameron Howieson, Liam Gillion and Guillermo May all had opportunities to score but couldn’t capitalise as the opening stanza ended 0-0.
A hefty collision between May and Phoenix centre-back Scott Wootton led to a long delay in play early in the second half, before the stop-start encounter burst into life when Alex Rufer created a gilt-edged chance for Hideki Ishige to put the hosts into the lead.
Rufer’s interception high up the park led to a driving run and cross to Ishige whose header into the turf somehow bounced up and over the crossbar.
Midway through the second half, a crowd of 26,252 was confirmed at Sky Stadium – the biggest regular season home crowd in Wellington Phoenix’s history.
But although the majority in the house were draped in the yellow and black of the Phoenix, it was Auckland’s travelling supporter base that had the last laugh as Brimmer’s 89th-minute opener put the Black Knights ahead and led to an eventual 2-0 win, sewn up by Brimmer’s second of the afternoon.
Post-game, Auckland’s hero Jake Brimmer claimed the New Zealand Derby will become the biggest derby in the league in the coming years.
READ MORE: Auckland hero blown away by first-ever NZ Derby
Glory on the board as goals dry up for Mariners
Perth Glory have earned their first point of the 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League season – and in the typical unpredictable fashion fans have come to expect in the league, it’s come against the reigning Champions.
Glory travelled to Gosford without a win in two games and dead last on the table following a 6-1 thrashing to Macarthur in Round 1 and a 2-0 loss to Wellington last weekend. But David Zdrilic’s side held firm to survive a late barrage from the hosts and earn the first point of their new head coach’s tenure.
The Mariners looked set to take the lead in the 79th minute when referee Nathan Shakespeare pointed to the spot to award the home side a penalty but after an on-field review, Shakespeare elected to reverse his original handball decision on Glory defender Luis Canga.
The referee explained: “After on-field review, the ball strikes the arm of number 33 – however the arm is in a natural position, therefore no penalty, drop ball to the goalkeeper.”
The Mariners remain unbeaten in the 2024-25 season but Mark Jackson’s side will be frustrated by their start, having picked up three draws from three to begin the campaign.
Central Coast have scored just one goal so far this season; in the final minutes of their 0-0 draw with Glory, Network 10 commentator Robbie Thomson and co-commentator Daniel McBreen questioned where the goals will come from this season.
“You look at the Mariners squads over the last couple of years, you’ve had (Marco) Tulio, Jason Cummings, a bit of X-factor in the squad… (players) that can really do something out of the ordinary,” McBreen said.
“Cummings in a tight area can spin someone, a little touch in behind and he’s away. Marco Tulio, he could do anything from anywhere really at any time.
“You just don’t see that in the squad at the moment for the Central Coast.”
Thomson added: “Sammy Silvera was another, Beni N’Kololo, they had a few goals from those wide positions.”
