Waitakere United

Canterbury United

6

2

Ryan De Vries 6', 15' 
Dakota Lucas 9', 40' 
Aaron Scott 12'
Allan Pearce 61'

Nick Wortelboer 81'
Tom Schwarz 83'

by Bob Pearce at Fred Taylor Park
asbpremiership.co.nz

WHENUAPAI - A four-goal blast in nine minutes effectively ended Canterbury United's hopes in their semifinal first leg of the ASB Premiership against champions Waitakere United.

By the 15th minute Waitakere were 4-0 ahead and the crowd at Fred Taylor Park were making arrangements for the Grand Final on April 10.
 
By halftime Waitakere were 5-0 ahead but a brave finish by the visitors saw them score two late goals for a 6-2 scoreline and a lifeline for the second leg to be played somewhere in the Canterbury region on April 3.
 
There was a well of sympathy and support for Canterbury at the start as they tried to overcome the devastating effects of the earthquake and the quick turnaround from their brave 1-0 victory over Auckland City to make the semis.
 
It took just six minutes to raise questions over Canterbury's ability to find more in the tank after a four-day break. Ryan De Vries capitalised on a defensive hesitancy and opened the scoring floodgates.
 
Three minutes later Dakota Lucas made it two after another lapse in the defence. In the 12th minute Aaron Scott was set up by De Vries for the third. Three minutes later De Vries had a second goal himself and five minutes before the break Lucas got his second after a cross from De Vries.
 
Five up at the break, Waitakere managed a sixth from Golden boot winner Allan Pearce in the 61st minute before Canterbury finished strongly when Nick Wortelboer and Tom Schwarz punished some lazy defending in the 81st and 83rd minutes.

"I'm lost for words," said Canterbury coach Keith Braithwaite. "We knew it would be a big ask and in the opening minutes I thought we were doing all right. But you can't concede four goals like that.
 
"Waitakere showed some clinical finishing. Everything they hit went in. On other days some of those would have gone wide.
 
"The way we came back at the finish gives us some hope. This is one game in two and we've got three weeks to go away and prepare ourselves for the return."
 
Not surprisingly Waitakere coach Neil Emblen was delighted with his team's first-half display. But he was concerned to lose Lucas at the end with a calf injury, depleting some of his attacking choices with Sean Lovemore and Roy Krishna already sidelined.
 
"For the first time this season the majority of the chances we created were put away in the first half. But it was a concern we conceded two goals at the end with sloppy defending. I thought Dakota was outstanding today and hopefully he will recover quickly."
 
Another concern for Emblen was the possibility of yellow cards playing a part in player availability. 
 
Waitakere will play AS Magenta from New Caledonia at Fred Taylor Park next week in a non-event O-League fixture before enjoying a two-week break before the return semifinal fixture.

Waitakere United

V

Canterbury United

28 Andy Ralph (GK)

1 Tom Batty

2 Jason Rowley (Pelter 69')

3 Nick Wortelboer

3 Aaron Scott

4 Gareth Rowe

4 Tim Myers

5 Tom Schwarz

7 Martin Bullock (Sole 62')

6 Glen Collins (Faichnie 72')

8 Chris Bale

7 Aaron Clapham

10 Allan Pearce

9 Russell Kamo

17 Jake Butler

10 Sam Miles (Terris 46')

19 Dakota Lucas

12 Gagame Feni

20 Ryan De Vries  (Gwyther 74')

19 Jeremy Wild

24 Luke Adams

23 Andrew Barton (Attwell 46')

Substitutes

Substitutes

1 Danny Robinson (RGK)

2 Dan Terris (in 46')

6 Jack Pelter (in 69')

11 Ryan Faichnie (in 72')

13 Michael Gwyther (in 74')

3 Garry McDermott

14 Tim Payne

15 Danny Attwell (in 46')

18 Zane Sole (in 62')

21 Ken Yamamoto

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

0mins

Late start of cover caused by technical hitch

6 mins

GOAL! Foulup in Canterbury defence, goalie and defender miscued and De Vries rtolls ball into empty net.

9 mins

GOAL! More sloppy defending and Dakota Lucas nips in to score.

12 mins

GOAL! Aaron Scott set up by De Vries and rifles ball into net

14 mins

This is shaping up to be a rout. Maybe two games in four games is telling.

15 mins

GOAL! Ryan De Vries almost unchallenged as he slices through

24 mins

Yellow card Myers for tackle on Clapham, dubious.

26 mins

Yellow card Lucas.

29 mins

Feni has great chance to put Canterbury on the board but takes one more touch when a shot would have paid off.

34 mins

Luke Adams pops up out front and forces Batty to make sharp save.

35 mins

Clapham fouled on edge of area, takes freekick but fires just wide.

37 mins

Barton tries snapshot but it's blocked.

39 mins

Snap gone out of Waitakere as Canterbury settle down

40 mins

GOAL! Lucas gets second after De Vries breaks through static defence.

44 mins

Freekick for Clapham edge of area, ricochets off defender, corner cleared.

45 mins

Halftime whistle blown, no time added.

There's a Canterbury flag waving in front of me but it may be in vain. It could of course have been a Bolton Wanderers supporter celebrating victory in the FA Cup!

45 mins

Canterbury subs at halftime. Terris on, Attwell on.  Barton and Miles off.

47 mins

Run by Feni earns another corner, header by Schwarz fielded by goalie.

49 mins

Goalie 's foot thwarts raid by Bullock

56 mins

Freekick to Canterbury, cleared and then wasted

57 mins

Feni earns another corner but Ralph fields cleanly.

58 mins

Defence into attack De Vries surges upfield and fields Bale who fires over the top.

60 mins

Shot by Kamo held by goalie after run by Feni.

61 mins

GOAL! Batty fails to defuse Waitakere attack and Pearce feeds on the leavings.

62 mins

Sole on for Bullock

64 mins

Pelter on for Rowley

69 mins

Sloppy clearance by Myers gives Clapham chance but his curling shot bounces off the crossbar

71 mins

Faichney on for Collins.

72 mins

Yellow card Schwarz for hand ball. Freekick wasted

73 mins

Gwyther for De Vries.

77 mins

Yellow card Pearce for tackle on Clapham. Freekick profitless.

81 mins

GOAL! Wortelboer weaves his way through poor defence and sneaks shot just inside upright. An away goal for Canterrbury.

83 mins

GOAL! Long range shot by Clapham and Schwarz finishes, a second away goal. Waitakere down to 10 men with Lucas carried off with leg injury.

87 mins

Canterbury are finishing strongly, Attwell piledriver blocked for corner

88 mins

Attwell yellow for tackle.

90 mins

Three to be added.

90 plus three

Final whistle, Waitakere win 6-2 but Canterbury take heart for second-half display.