Match Report: Round 22 vs Auckland City
Dettol Northern League Round 2Match Report: Auckland City FC vs East Coast Bays, Kiwitea Street, Sandringham, Saturday 30th August 2025.
Bays fall at the last hurdle in their attempt to qualify for the National League
The last regular game of the Northern League season saw Bays travel over the bridge to take on Auckland City at Kiwitea Street. Win and it would possibly be National League qualification so a lot at stake for both teams on this game. Auckland City also needed to win as the three teams above Bays in the table were all only a point above us. With Guy suspended because of five yellow cards Ryusei came into the starting line up as did Liam (back from injury) and Damion in place of Alex P, who was on the bench. Former Bays winger Kelly Escolme’s son Santi was making his first team debut for Auckland City so congratulations to the Escolme family.
Bays took the game to City early on. James Elder collected a boot in the head which led to an Orlando free kick to the back post. Liam had a header cleared and Jack played the ball off a defender for a corner. Orlando’s corner to the back post saw Jack’s header cleared away. Bays should have taken the lead when a free kick by Orlando was flicked on, and an unmarked James managed to head wide from a great position. Down the other end a cross by Domfeh flicked off Adam H for a corner. Lagos’s corner found Boxall in the middle and his flick on to Ilich who attempted another cross that went out for a Bays goal kick.
Cam was getting down the right wing on a regular basis and from one of his runs his cross into the middle was met with a shot by James Elder that was blocked. The rebound fell to Orlando who had his shot blocked by the keeper and the next rebound came off Orlando for a goal kick. Good team play saw Billy play the ball on to Chase who in turn found Ryusei. He played an around the corner ball to Cam on the overlap and his right foot shot was pushed around the post by the home keeper, Garrow. A push on Orlando led to another free kick that found Adam H in the middle. His flick on saw Billy have a shot blocked and then a foul on the keeper by Chase let the pressure off.
Down at the Bays end Bevan played a square ball to Lagos. He turned inside Cam and sent his right foot shot way over the top of the goal. Against the run of play Auckland City took the lead with a goal that shouldn’t have been allowed. A couple of plays before the goal a foul on a Bays player wasn’t given by the referee even though his assistant was flagging for the foul. Play was allowed to continue, and City were awarded a free kick for a foul by Adam H on the right wing. City caught the Bays defence napping when Lagos played a square ball from right to left and Bevan met the cross with power & accuracy to drive a right footed bullet of a shot into the corner past Louie to make the score Auckland City 1 East Coast Bays 0, after thirty minutes gone.
Ilich was shown the first yellow card of the game for a foul on Ryusei. Bays continued their attacks down the left flank but lacked accuracy with the crosses that were comfortably taken by the home keeper. A ball down the left flank by Chase found Liam and his cross was blocked. Boxall was shown a yellow card for a late tackle on James Elder. Orlando’s free kick was chipped in but was cleared away. Down the other end a cross in from the right side by Ilich found Lagos who tried his luck with an audacious bicycle kick that went just wide. A break down the left wing saw Chase find Liam again and his cross into the centre was cleared to Damion who shot wide. Billy played a long diagonal ball to the right wing, Cam crossed into the middle, and it was put behind for a Bays corner. Nothing came of that, and the half time whistle went with the score at Auckland City 1 East Coast Bays 0.
Bays were unlucky to be behind at the break and had mostly taken the game to City in the first half. Missed chances were Bays undoing in a game with a lot riding on it. Bays made a change at half time with Nicolai coming on for Ryusei. The game was opening up quite a bit now and from a long ball down the Bays left wing Lagos was away. His cross right across the box couldn’t find any of his fellow attackers. Jack was then shown a yellow card for puling back Bevan by his shirt. Nicolai played the ball across to Chase who was brought down by Domfeh. Orlando’s free kick cleared the wall but also the crossbar by quite some way.
A throw in got away from the Bays defenders and Domfeh had a left foot shot go wide. A diagonal ball from Jack from left to right saw Cam away and his cross was headed away just before James Elder could get to the ball. After 58 minutes gone Bays made two changes with Adam P & Matt coming on for Damion and James Elder. Billy played another fantastic ball down the right wing to set Cam away again, but his cross was poor and went into the side netting. Nicolai broke down the right wing and his cross to the back post saw Adam P foul his marker and receive a yellow card. City made their first change in the 63rd minute with Martinez coming on for Escolme, who had a promising debut. Nice build up play between Nicolai, Orlando & Chase saw a poor cross from Matt go straight to the keeper.
Adam P and Liam linked well down the left wing before another cross was taken by the keeper ahead of Matt. A cross into the centre saw a defensive header fall to Orlando who unfortunately volleyed wide of goal. Matt was then shown a yellow card for a silly tackle from behind on Foo. Auckland City made two more changes in the 74th minute with Ellis & Yoo coming on for Shaw & Bevan. Liam got away from his marker and his cross was headed straight to the keeper by Matt who was completely unmarked. City relied on quick counter attacks when they weren’t playing the ball backwards protecting their precious lead.
From one of their counter attacks a Lagos shot was deflected off Chase for a corner. Matt was shown a second yellow card in the 83rd minute for another poor foul on Lagos. He was then shown a red card and left the field. Another counterattack by City saw the ball cleared for a corner. Lagos tried a curler that looked like it came off Jack by deflection past Louie for what looked like an own goal. But Northern Football have credited the goal to Yoo. After 86 minutes gone the score now read Auckland City 2 East Coast Bays 0 and the game was pretty much gone for Bays.
Jack had had a few altercations with some signs, a wall and some team chairs and eventually succumbed to injury & was replaced by Moses after 87 minutes played. A City counterattack saw Foo away down the right wing. His cross was met by a long range shot by Ilich that went straight at Louie for a comfortable save. A shot by Foo was then blocked in front of Louie by Adam H. Moses made a break down the left wing and set up Adam P. His cross was blocked for a corner. The corner was cleared to outside the box and Nicolai had a pop with his trusty left foot that was pushed away with a fine save by the home keeper.
Not long after this the final whistle went and for Auckland City it was joy as they qualified for the National League and disappointment for Bays as they just missed out. Congratulations to Auckland City and good luck for the National League. Other results didn’t go our way anyway but to be challenging on the last day itself was a massive achievement for Bays. Final score was Auckland City 2 East Coast Bays 0. Orlando was named Bays player of the day and congrats Lando on your 50th match for the Bays First team. Congratulations Joe, Mingi & the coaching team for a very successful season and congratulations to the players on a very good and entertaining season. I hope everyone has an excellent off season and see you all again in 2026.
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Final Score: Auckland City 2 vs East Coast Bays 0
Auckland City FC: N Garrow, M Ilich, C Gray, N Boxall, M Bevan (D Yoo 74), G Garriga, J Foo, J Lagos, S Escolme (K Martinez 63), P Domfeh, M Shaw (M Ellis 74)
East Coast Bays: L Caunter, R Ishibashi (N Berry 46), A Huskic, J Elder (M Matanyayire 58), O Thorpe, D Kim (A Paulsen 58), B Jones, C Taylor, L Andersen, C Brown, J Caunter (M Akimana 87)
Goals: Auckland City: M Bevan 30, D Yoo 86
Red Card: M Matanyayire 83