Two late goals from Jake Brimmer has earned Auckland FC bragging rights from the first A-League Kiwi Clasico.
Australian midfielder Brimmer scored in the 89th and 96th minutes to seal a 2-0 victory for the first-year club over the Wellington Phoenix at Sky Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
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The crowd of over 26,000, the biggest in Phoenix regular season history was invested in the game throughout and always had hope of a home win, or at least a draw.
A goalless first half was not without chances, as Auckland survived an impressive start from the ‘Nix before a strong finish to the opening 45 minutes.
Former Phoenix keeper Alex Paulsen kept Auckland in it just before the 20-minute mark when Kosta Barbarouses was presented with a big chance to break the deadlock. Tim Payne’s header at the back post found Barbarouses in space but Paulsen stood tall to gather the ball and keep his former teammate off the scoresheet.
As the first half rolled on, Auckland grew in confidence and would have gone into halftime ahead if not for a combination of wasted chances and superb goalkeeping by Josh Oluwayemi.
Logan Rogerson, Cameron Howieson, Liam Gillion and Guillermo May all had opportunities to score but could not capitalise as the opening stanza ended 0-0.
A heavy collision between May and Phoenix centre-back Scott Wootton led to a long delay in play early in the second half, before the stop-start encounter burst into life when Alex Rufer created a gilt-edged chance for Hideki Ishige to put the hosts into the lead.
Rufer’s interception high up the park led to a driving run and cross to Ishige whose header into the turf somehow bounced up and over the crossbar.
But although the majority in the house were draped in the yellow and black of the Phoenix, it was Auckland’s travelling supporter base that had the last laugh as Brimmer’s 89th-minute opener put Auckland ahead and led to an eventual 2-0 win, sewn up by Brimmer’s second of the afternoon.
Auckland remain unbeaten after three matches while the Nix have the full set of win, draw and loss.
Auckland FC 2 (Jake Brimmer 89’, 90+6’) Wellington Phoenix 0. HT: 0-0