A Neyder Moreno free-kick in the fifth minute of stoppage-time has secured 2-2 draw for Auckland FC against Melbourne City to keep their unbeaten start to the season.
In an entertaining game in front of a small crowd in Melbourne, it was Colombian substitute's Moreno’s 95th-minute set-piece which beat Patrick Beach for the draw.
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A contentious four-minute sequence almost led to Auckland’s demise in Melbourne, where Moreno thought he had put the visiting side ahead in the 74th minute but VAR intervened in their celebrations, deeming there was an offside in the build-up to the goal.
City then scored through in fortuitous circumstances when Nando Pijnaker’s backpass somehow evaded Auckland goalkeeper Alex Paulsen as it bounced into the back of the net but Moreno had the final say in a topsy-turvy Round 8 encounter after Guillermo May had cancelled out Medin Memeti’s first-half opener.
Auckland remain top of the table by two points, while City are fourth and six points off the pace heading into the Melbourne Derby.
Playing just their second game outside of New Zealand, Auckland were aiming to become just the fourth team to win their first seven games of an Australian men’s national league season, after Melbourne Knights (1994-95), Perth Glory (2001-02) and Melbourne Victory (2006-07), with Perth Glory holding the record for best winning start (eight games in 2001-02).
But they were without three important players at AAMI Park – Dan Hall, Cam Howieson and Louis Verstraete as 19-year-old Finn McKenlay came in for his debut.
There was some end-to-head football in warm Melbourne conditions as injured City trio Marco Tilio, Mathew Leckie and Andrew Nabbout all watched from the stands, while former assistant Ralph Napoli was also a notable onlooker after leaving to pursue a coaching opportunity abroad.
It was City who struck first in the 19th minute thanks to 17-year-old young gun Memeti. After Yonatan Cohen’s shot from the edge of the area was kept out by Paulsen, Andreas Kuen was the architect was moments later as he found the club’s youngest ever Isuzu UTE A-League goalscorer Memeti, who poked the ball through the legs of the Auckland goalkeeper.
The goal meant it was the first time Auckland had trailed this season as they struggled against City’s press throughout the opening half.
But it took Auckland just eight minutes of the second half to restore parity via May, who was left unmarked as he glanced a header into the back of the net.
Steven Ugarkovic found the back of the net in the 68th minute but as the City midfielder wheeled away in celebration, the linesman raised his flag for offside.
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