Auckland FC A-League loss reality check
A reality check for defending A-League champs Auckland FC, beaten 5-2 away against last season's wooden spoon side Western Sydney under new coach Ufuk Talay.
A seven-minute surge either side of halftime helped the Wanderers to the win at CommBank Stadium and put the Pedro Moreira coached visitors on a one-win, one-loss record.
LATEST HEADLINES:
Auckland FC opened the scoring with a perfectly rehearsed short corner routine that was finished off with a powerful volley from teenager Luka Vicelich.
The 18-year-old son of Kiwi legend Ivan, broke Auckland FC’s youngest goalscorer record by some three years with his debut A-League Men goal.
From there it was all the home side, with Brandon Borrello levelling just shy of halftime completing a 60-metre counter-attacking run launched by Dylan Scicluna.
Coming out of the break quickly there were goals to Liam Gillion and Nicolas Milanovic to give the Wanderers a two-goal lead.
Gillion’s finish was his first A-League goal, and against his former side, and Milanovic scored for the first time in his second stint at Wanderland after an ill-fated season in Scotland with Aberdeen.
The visitors got their second from another corner, punched away by Western Sydney goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas into the back of captain Borello’s head and into the net for an own goal.
The Wanderers consolidated the result in the final five minutes with goals to Miguel Di Pizio and Atiya Waraga
