Despite what the scoreline would suggest, Central United were made to work hard for their 5-1 win over Metro in their National League - cum - Central Auckland derby encounter at Albie Turner Field on April 29, having to come from behind to record their fifth win of the season.
Many expected the league leaders to cruise to victory against the league's bottom-placed side, but Bob Sova's young side made light of their lowly league placing for seventy minutes of this entertaining affair, and certainly enjoyed the better of the early exchanges.
New signing Carl Bennett, who failed to capitalise on an under-struck Michael Ridenton backpass when shooting tamely just fifty seconds into the match, struck the crossbar in the seventh minute, after impressive work down the left flank by Luke Sarapu.
Central weathered Metro's early fury, and eased themselves into the game, led by the impressive Brian Hawke. In the 22nd minute, he weaved his way in from the left flank and fired in a cross-shot which Glenn Eie was prevented from steering home by Matt Sigurdsson's clearance.
Moments later, Daniel Aliaga - another to shine - threaded a pass through for Hawke to latch onto, only for Metro's new goalkeeper, Darian Setters, to race off his line and save at his feet.
This was shaping up to be a typical Central Auckland derby - plenty of blood-and-thunder tackling, with no quarter given by either side, and moments of finesse few and far between in the fast-paced action.
Eventually, the tempo settled, as a result of which the creative play and scoring opportunities picked up markedly. Willie Osborne and Hawke exchanged thunderous but wayward shots on goal before the half-hour mark, although only just wide in the latter's case, while long-range efforts from Osborne and Bennett within the next sixty seconds gave All White goalkeeper Ross Nicholson more than a little cause for concern, the custodian clearly startled by the power in the latter's thirty-five yard effort.
Setters got down well to save Campbell Banks' downward header in the 32nd minute, after the lanky front-runner had climbed high to reach a Hawke cross from the left, while three minutes later the goalkeeper needed two bites at the cherry to prevent Miro Major's twenty-five yard drive from breaking the deadlock.
Hawke was running riot down the left at times, and Metro were fortunate to escape with their goal-line intact in the next two minutes, as Central laid siege to their rivals' goal. The winger combined with Major in the 36th minute to set up a chance for Banks which Setters could only parry.
Thankfully for the goalkeeper, Tommy Mason was on hand to clear the danger, albeit for a brief moment. For Hawke carved Metro open down the left once more seconds later, and his cross sparked an almighty goalmouth scramble. Eie, Banks and Major were in the thick of it for the visitors, but Peter Hendriks, Mason, Setters and Sigurdsson stood firm, and eventually earned a further brief respite for the home side.
Brief, because Aliaga was keen to get in on the act, and tried a curling thirty yarder six minutes before the break which almost deceived Setters, the goalkeeper gathering the ball in the shadows of the crossbar.
Having weathered Central's storm, Metro came right back at their neighbours, Sarapu leading the charge down the left in the 42nd minute. He pulled the ball back for Bennett, but Nicholson proved equal to his effort, under pressure from Osborne.
The 'keeper played the ball out to the left flank, the ball ultimately being passed inside  to lanky substitute Liam Meenan, near the edge of his penalty area. A replacement for the injured Ridenton earlier in the half, Meenan stumbled at the vital moment, and Leaveil Titus, Bennett and Osborne were on top of the defender before he had half a chance to recover.
The last-mentioned received the telling pass from Bennett, and with Nicholson advancing at a great rate of knots in an attempt to thwart the threat, Osborne calmly slipped the ball under the 'keeper to open the scoring for Metro, and claim his fourth goal of the season in the process.
The home team's delight was quickly tempered, however. Just as they appeared set to head to the dressing rooms in front for the first time this season, Central snatched an equaliser with virtually the last kick of the half.
Aliaga sparked the stoppage time raid, spreading play wide to Hawke. His cross was dummied by Banks, who immediately peeled off his marker as Aliaga received the ball and slipped a first-time pass through the defence to put Banks in on goal. Setters got his hands to the striker's shot, but couldn't divert the ball to safety - 1-1 the half-time score.
Central started where they left off in the first half - on attack. Banks' air-shot proved fruitful for Aliaga, but Setters comfortably gathered his twenty-five yard attempt five minutes into the spell.
Four minutes later, Hawke again led Metro a merry dance, slipping the ball through to Eie on the left. Banks was the intended target of his cross, but Sarapu was in quickly to avert the danger on this occasion.
The defender could do little to thwart Central's Norwegian striker a minute later, however. Latching onto a Scott Greenhalgh pass on the half-way line, Eie shrugged off Sarapu's attentions, then swept past Hendriks as he bore down on goal. Setters advanced towards the striker, but Eie beat him all ends up with a cleverly disguised shot, only for the ball to roll agonisingly past the post - Eie deserved better fate on this occasion.
The visitors didn't have long to wait for their second goal, however. In the 58th minute, Sigurdsson slipped, and Banks was onto the ball in an instant, knocking the ball forward and setting off in pursuit. His pace took him past the advancing Setters, but just when it appeared he had lost the race to reel the ball in, he stretched out his left leg, hooked it round the sphere and directed his fifth goal of the season just inside the near post from an ever-decreasing angle.
While Central were still celebrating, Metro came storming back, and for the next twelve minutes, gave their visitors' defences a thorough probing, but managing to break through just once, when Bennett shot straight at Nicholson from twenty yards, on receipt of Sarapu's cross.
As Metro pressed for an equaliser, they left themselves open to Central's counter-attacking capabilities, and one such riposte forced a corner in the seventieth minute. Major delivered the ball to the near post, where Meenan rose to power home a header - 3-1.
The home side couldn't believe their ill-fortune, and fate was to deal them a spirit-shattering blow just fifty seconds later. Straight from the kick-off, Central secured possession, and worked the ball to Hawke and Banks, who had teamed up on the left.
The latter crowned his starring performance - although Hawke ran him very close indeed! - with a measured cross into the danger zone, which Eie darted in between shell-shocked Metro defenders to meet on the volley. With the outside of his right foot, he deftly guided the ball into the top right-hand corner of Setters' net, settling the outcome of the match once and for all - 4-1.
It was the Norwegian's last act of note in the match, and he left the field to a hearty round of applause from Central's faithful three minutes later, Daniel Koprivcic his replacement. And the young striker was quickly into the action, his first involvement in the match earning Central a penalty seconds later.
It was a fairly harsh call by referee Derek Rugg, as Hendriks clearly played the ball when tackling Koprivcic - there was certainly no intent in what contact was made. But Koprivcic went down, and Rugg pointed to the spot, confirming, if nothing else, that when you're down the bottom, very little goes in your favour. Koprivcic sent Setters the wrong way from the spot - 5-1.
Metro were visibly demoralised at having conceded four goals in an eighteen minute spell which they had dominated two-thirds of. What had started out as the pursuit of an equaliser had quickly become an exercise in damage limitation, and it was only good fortune which saw them maintain that scoreline through to the finish.
After Setters had turned a Banks shot round the post in the 81st minute, Koprivcic the supplier, Major's resulting corner picked out Meenan, whose header was headed off the line by Paul Shepherd.
Kelly Escolme fired a defiant volley across the face of Central's goal late on for the home side, but it was Banks who would have the final say, twice going close before the finish, the first a lob of the stranded Setters which bounced just past the post in stoppage time. The less said of his second effort - not even Tiger Woods slices shots this badly! - the better!!
Central were, in the end, deserving winners, taking their chances well as they continued their winning ways at the top of the table. Metro, in contrast, will be wondering what they have to do after this result, having proven themselves a quite competitive and combative unit for all but the last twenty minutes of this Central Auckland derby, at which point two goals in fifty seconds totally destroyed their spirited resistance.
Lastly, a word of praise for Derek Rugg, who wielded his yellow card twice in the first twenty-six minutes, but otherwise let the players get on with providing the entertainment for the gathered throngs, resorting to a word or three here and there when the challenges got a little too willing, although it must be said his penalty decision did seem somewhat harsh in the circumstances.
There were instances when something stronger than words appeared merited, but by and large the official's performance enhanced the game, rather than detracted from it - some of his fellows would do well to heed the example he set on this occasion.

Metro: Setters; Shepherd, Hendriks, Sigurdsson, Mason (Smith, 46); Titus, Curteis, Thou (Root, 82), Sarapu; Osborne (booked, 18), Bennett (Escolme,
79)

Central: Nicholson; Ridenton (Meenan, 26), Thompson, Uhlmann (booked, 26); Greenhalgh, Hill, Major, Aliaga (Vuksich, 82), Hawke; Eie (Koprivcic, 74), Banks

Referee: Derek Rugg

Print this page