Auckland FC have found out what it's like to compete in the week-in, week-out rigours of the A-League with a 4-0 loss to Western United in the A-League.
It was the first defeat for Auckland which came about after three-goals in the first first half to their much hungrier opponents.
Riku Danzaki, Noah Botic and Hiroshi Ibusuki struck in the first half, while Matt Grimaldi found the back of the net in the closing stages.
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Western, who have now scored 10 goals in their past three away fixtures having scored 18 in their previous 15, provisionally climb up to fifth in the table – seven points behind leaders Auckland FC through nine rounds.
Western were a threat from the outset and hit the front in the 16th minute.
After receiving a penalty for a handball inside the box, Riku Danzaki stepped up to convert the spot-kick as Auckland found themselves behind for the first time on home soil at Mt Smart.
There was disbelief eight minutes later when Western netted another through Noah Botic. Hiroshi Ibusuki desperately got a shot off to force a save from Auckland goalkeeper Alex Paulsen but Botic was on hand to fire home the rebound – his third goal in four games.
Tomoki Imai nearly made it 3-0 two minutes later, while Western goalkeeper Matt Sutton was called into action for the first time and he was up to the task to keep out Guillermo May’s long-range attempt.
Then in the 34th minute, Ibusuki scored Western’s third goal and his fourth of the season. Their ruthless and efficient football shocked the home side as the Japanese forward timed his run to perfection, getting in behind and slotting the ball beyond Paulsen.
Though it was not without controversy as Auckland protested that referee Casey Reibelt interfered earlier in the sequence of play, having appeared to inadvertently block Jake Brimmer.
It could have been 4-0 at half-time, if not for the woodwork, after Angus Thurgate’s thunderous volley cannoned off the crossbar.
A fingertip save from Sutton kept a rallying Auckland at bay nine minutes into the second half, and the Western keeper came up big again moments later.
Chances started to build for Auckland but they could not find a way past Sutton and Western, who kept their second clean sheet of the campaign as Grimaldi came off the bench to finish the game.