For a short time, just after the break, it looked like we might take something from the game, after top scorer Stephen Hoyle equalised Micah Lea’Alafa’s first half strike, which was then followed by the hosts being reduced to ten men.
But a superb hit from Ryan De Vries just after the hour mark put Auckland City back in from then Lea’Alafa tapped home at the far post to make it 3-1.
De Vries secured his own brace with twenty minutes left to make the game safe.
Auckland City 4-1 Loaded WaiBOP United (ht: 1-0)
AC: Micah Lea’Alafa 24′, 64′, De Vries 61′, 70′.
WB: Stephen Hoyle 52′.
Auckland City: Diego Rivas; Daewook Kim, Angel Berlanga, Michael Den Heijer, Takuya Iwata; Mario Bilen (Andrew Milne 74′), Clayton Lewis, Fabrizio Tavano; Ryan De Vries, Joao Moreira (Myer Bevan 87′), Micah Lea’Alafa (Reid Drake 80′). Subs: Danyon Drake (rgk), Ivan Vicelich.
Loaded WaiBOP United: Zac Speedy; Scott Hilliar, Adam Mitchell, Tyler Lissette, Finn Cochran; Mario Ilich, Alexis Varela; Mark Jones (Cory Mitchell 87′), Sean Morris (Sanni Issa 69′), Wade Molony (Dylan Stansfield 80′); Stephen Hoyle. Subs: Sam Redwood, James Hoyle.
